The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-27

in the district. -Four masters had
been ''carried out by the ''boys' and
they declared that they would carry out
every master that the agent could hire
to come there.
Their mode of doing the carrying
ont was commonly to rush upon the
unfortunate pedagogue and carry him
out of doors, willy-nilly, and throw him
into a snow-drift, or else to put him into
the trap and keep him there during
the rest of the day.
Usually the luckless victim was glad
to depart-as soon as be couidTfrom
the school-house and the district. One,
however-a young theological student
mastering courage to return to his post
the next morning after being carried out,
was taken to the top of the long. bill,
which had given the district its name,
and dashed fast to hand-sled and set
going, Mazeppa-like, out of the district
The young rascals left him the free
use of his feet to steer with, favor the
unfortunate man was no doubt duly
grateful for before he reached the bot
tom of the hill, after q wild ride of nearly
a mile. He did not return even for his
hat, which flew of his head midway OF
the hill. o. ta.~ - flr s0
A still more atrocious trick was played
on the next master, an itinerant minister
of the Methodist Church, who had been
induced to take the school, and whose
plan was to combine religious with
mental teachings for these young bar
barians.
The methed gave great offense to the
Kaidger boys, and they played a sly,
but outrageous. prank to bring him to
confusion. For week they pretended
to have great respect for him, some of
them even pretending to become "con-
verified" They so deceived the poor
man, who was certainly well-meaning,
if not very shrewd, that he went about
openly rejoicing over the good work he
had wrought upon them.
But his eyes must have been painfully
opened two mornings later, when, after
coolly informing him that ''this thing
was. played out" the young ruffians
seized him, and carrying him into the
woods, bound him fast to the top of a
young birch tree, which they had bent
down by main strength, and then let it
60. 5,.
The poor man was hurled upward
and left dangling fifteen feet from the
ground; and it was two or three hours
before his distressed shouts brought him
assistance. Legal punishment was
threatened for this act, but | am sorry
to say the threat was not acted upon.
There was no more school that winter.
Assign ITO Let" was nailed by the boys
on the front door of the school house,
and each one of the brutal clique made
it point to smash pain of glass every
time he went past. AS result, the
''temple of science'' at Kaidger Hill was
soon in deplorable condition.
The following autumn young land
surveyor named Ammi Bray came into
the township ito ''run'' certain lots of
wild land. The people liked his appear
ance. He was rather above medium
height and muscular; but his most dis
tinguishing feature was his eyes, which
were very noticeably blue, and had a
habit of dwelling with unusual steadi-
ness upon any person with whom ne
was speaking. When he had been at
the Hill a few weeks, the school-agent
asked him one day whether he had ever
taught school.
"Never," replied Ammi Bray.
oval, don't keer eff yer never did"
exclaimed the agent; II want We tn
take our scule this winter"
''But, my dear man. replied Mr..
Bray, at would not be, from all ac-
counts, a good place for an amateur,
Besides, though | know something of
mathematics, and once knew little
grammer and geography, / do not feel
qualified to teach"
II dunno's keer eff We don't know B
from bulls foot" exclaimed the per-
picked agent. ''What | want is man
that ken whop them COMPOUNDED boys!
Thar never'll be no scule here till
they're whopped and cowed. An |
b'lieve you're the man to do it. But |
tell We what! they're a parcel O hy-
annysn' he added, almost doubtfully.
II dunno, sometimes, as the man walks
as ken whop umr'
Ammi Bray took day to think of it;
and then he told the gratitied agent
that he would take the school. This
was in November. The winter term be-
gan on the first Monday in December.
Thus we find the young surveyor on
his way to the log school-house that
Monday morning, ''just rounding the
turn by the alderS," as Nat Durfee said,
and the. Kaidger boys waiting to ''s'lute
him."
And the moment he showed his face
in the doorway they saluted him! From
dozen lusty Threats was poured forth
chorus of raspy winnings and hoarse
brays- as q personal insult to his pc
culiar name of BrGy.
ButtAmmi walked in quite coolly, and
seemed not at all disturbed. He paid
no attention to the brayings, but took
possession of the masters desk, and
presently called the school to order,
bidding them all choose and take their
seats for the term. But his steady blue
eye was so assertive of his authority,
that somehow the riotous Kaidgers
were a little disturbed themselves.
Something, perhaps, in the muscular
ease with which the new master tossed
the great ''fore-sticks'' land back-logs''
into the broad fireplace, served to hold
them in check that day, Then, too, his
manner of giving and hearing lessons
was off-hand and manly. For
once they felt hesitation in hopinnirio tho