The Indianapolis journal., 1884-01-19
A REAL scHooLMAsTER.
The Simple Frontier Story Told by One
Woodticl1 william.

NO0uJlch W llIans
Bill Nye in Puck.
I'VE had about as onery and trhn a crop of
kids in Calaveras county thirty years ago as
you could gather in with fine tooth comb and
brass band in fourteen States. For ways that
We're kttensOme they was moderately active
and abnormaly protuberant That was the pre-
Valllng style of Caiavera5 kid, when Mr.. George
w. Mulqueen came there and wanted to engage
the school at the old camp, where | hung up in
the days when the country was new and the
murmur of the six shooter was heard in the land.
George w. MulQueen slender young
party from the effete East with conscientious
scruples and hectic flush Both of these
agin him for promoter of school discipline and
square root He had heap of information and
big SoIrowful eyes
so fur as was concerned | didn't feel like
swearing around George or using any language
that would sound irrelevant in ladies boOdore;
but for the kids Of the school, they didn't care
a blamed cent They just holerod and whooped
like a passle of Sioux.
They didn't seem to respect literary attain
ments or expensive knowledge. They just simply
seemed to respect the genius that come to that
country to win their love with long-handle
shovel and blOod-shO tone of voice. That's
what seemed to catch the Calaveras kids i'll the
early days.
George had weak lungs, and they kept to work
at him till they drove him into mountain fever
and finally into a metallic sarcophagus.
Along about the holidays the sun went down
on George w. Mulqueens life, just as the eternal
sunlight lit up the dewy eyes You will pardon
my manner, Nye, but it seemed to me just as if
George had climbed up to the top of Mount Cav
airy. or wherever it was, with the whole school
on his back. and had to give up at last.
1T seemed kind of tough to me and couldn't
help blamin' it onto the school some. for there
was half dozen big snoozers that didn't go to
school to learn, but just to raise Ned and turn
UP Jack.
We'll, they killed him. anyhow, and that set
tied it: "
''The school run kind of wild tell Feboowary
and then Il husky young tenderfoot with fist
like a mules foot in full bloom, made an applica-
ton for the place, and allowed he thought he
could maintain discipline if they'd give him
chance. Well, they asst him when he wanted to
take his place as tutor, and he reckoned he could
begin to tute about Monday follering.
Sunday afternoon he went up to the school
house to look over the grounds and to arrange
plan for an active Iniun campaign agn the hos
tile hoOdlums of Caaveras.
Monday he sailed in about 9 A. NJ. with his
grip-sack and begun the discharge of his iuties.
He brought i'll a bunch of mountain willers,
and after driving a big railroad spike into the
decreasing the latch, he said the Senate
and House would sit with closed doors during
the morning session Several large white-ey
holy terrors gazed at him in a kind Of dumb, in
quiring tone of voice, but he didn't say much.
He seemed considerably reserved as to the plan
of the campaign. The new teacher then
locked his algator-skn grip and took out Bible
matte dingus for throwing out the empty shells.
1t was one of the bulldog variety and had the
laugh of joyous child.
He read "A short passage from the Scriptures,
and then pulled off his coat and hung it on nail.
Then he made few extemporaneous remarks,
after whrch he salivated the palm of his right
hand, took the self-cocking sOngster in his left,
and proceeded to wear out the gads over the
various protubelanceS of his pupils.
People passing by thought they must be
beating carpets in the school house He pointed
the gun at his charge with his left and manipu-
lated the gad with his right duke. One large,
overgrown Missourian tried to crawl out of the
winder, but after he had looked down the barrel
of the shooter moment he changed his mind.
He seemed torealize that it would be a violation
of the rules of the school, so he came back and
sat down.
After he wore out the foliage, Bill. he pulled
the spike out of that door put on his coat and
went away. He never was seen there again.
He didn't ask for any salary, but Just walked off
quietly. and that summer we accidentally heard
that he was George w. Mulqueens brother