Middletown transcript., 1883-04-06
BREAKING UP A SCHOOL.

boys at Cumberland, Ohio, attempte'
to whip a school teacher, and tn
teacher stabbed both the boys, killing
one instantly and fatally wounding tn
other. There is probably no position
that has more annoyance than teaching
country school where there is lot O
big boys who seem bent on mischief
and whose higher ambition is to whiI
the teacher, and turn him out of doors
Occasionally there is school that be
comes so hard that no man will attempt
to teach it, unless he is prize fighter
and then he does not know anything
but to fight. Sometimes the appoint
ment of beautiful and accomplished
young lady as a teacher of a hard
school will have good effect, as she
may be able to win the big boys by
kindness. We were won that way
once, and it would have been all right,
only another big boy, who wanted to be
won also, got jealous, and hit us on the
ear with pair Of skates. We remem-
Der of attending one school that was
about as hard as could be. There were
six or seven boys that made it point
to see that no teacher remained in
the school full term. They would do
something mean and get him to whip
them, and they would all jump on him
and throw him out of doors, and he
would leave. Most people looked on
such boys as pretty hard characters,
but the rest of US, who wanted school
to be closed when skating was good,
looked upon them as heroes, and we all
wanted to join the gang. One winter
the teacher was locked out of doors
and hit with a frozen SNOWFALL, and
stood on his head and had water poured
down his trowsers, and he resigned and
went to driving team at a saw mill. He
said he had got all the teaching school
he wanted, anyway. 1t was early in
the winter term and the trustees flew
around for two weeks before they found
a man to take the job. 1t was splendid
skating, and all the scholars had a
good time, and there was great regret
expressed. as we remember it when it
was given out in church Sunday that
school would open on Monday morning.
After the evening services the boys got
together and talked it over, and decided
to give the teacher a week. It had
been thawing day or two, and the
boys could afford to spend week III
going to school and educating them
selves, and so they gave him a week.
On that evening we were to open the
ball and do something bad to get him
to lick us, and then the boys were to
jump in and help. Monday morning
the school commenced, and the teacher
proved to be sickly looking, slim sort |
If fellow, timid, nervous man, with
{. hand and face like a girl. Every |
time he looked at one Of the boys there
seemed to be an expression on his face
as though he would say, I" I hope you
will be good" When he had anything
TO say to the scholars he said please"
and gave other evidences of being pretty
soft, we all thought. That morning
;he weather changed and it froze hard,
md at recess the boys got together and
Iaid we would wind up the school be-
ore noon, and go out on the ice. It
vas our turn to be bad, and it COM
nenced right off. The big boys had to
larry wood and lay it down quietly by
he stove. We took in an armful and
lropped it on the floor so that it shook
he building, and loosened the stove
,ipe. The pipe came out of the chimney
md filled the room with smoke, but it
vas put back, and the slim, sickly
eacher only reprimanded rs and said
hat it must not occur again. We just
ched to go after some more wood, but
here was no opportunity. Pretty soon
he teacher said we might go and get
'ail of water and while at the well we
Iecided to stumble on entering the
chool room and spill the water over
he floor, and thus give the sickly-look-
ng teacher chance to show what he
vas made of. The teacher was near
he stove, and we stumbled and the
water went all over everything, wetting
is boots and making him pretty mad.
n sizing him up we had not noticed
efore that his eyes were as black as
oals, and that he seemed to be about
light feet high, but as he looked at us
Te could see it plainly. He seemed to
cad our thoughts, and know it was
one on purpose, and we have always
bought he heard the boys talking it !
yer at recess. Anyway, he jumped
lear across the room, grabbed us by
he neck and sat us down in the water,
nd then he lifted US up and shook us
0 that the teeth ratified in our head,
nd then he seemed to grab us all over
nd just maui US. We got a chance {
nee or twice to look around on our
xis, to see if the other boys were COM /
lg to help us put him out of doors, c
ut they were the most studious lot of '
ig boys we ever saw. They had their |
eads down in their books, and their J
pc were moving in silent prayer. '
-fter the teacher had mopped the floor Y
18th us he took us by the slack of the b
ants, just as dog would carry duck, a
nd went to his desk and got a big $
ickory ruler and proceeded to dry our II
ants Well, it was the meanest way v
, dry pants that ever was, and while \
dried them well enough it left great $
dges inside of them that made cor l
lgated chair almost a necessity. The
oys did not fulfill their part of the
and when the teacher got
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