Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-05-09
A STRIKE OF OTHER DAYS.

aIIer q mO9I ChECAul
A STRIKE OF OTHER DAYS.
Bob Burdette's RecOllections of a Protes
Against Oppression in " hich He Wa
Leader.
Bg,dstte in Brooklyn Eagle
These strikes by the school children ar
nothing new. But they don't develop anc
bring out and down the strong hand ct th'
ruling power as they used to. Among thu
sunny memories OF my own school day
there CLOVIS bright and soft as summer
sunset, the great strike ct Humans, il
Peoria, way back in 1853. Humans wal
The greatest school in the West
The dear old man was superin
teudent of public instruction, board
of education, school trustee, county super
iutendent, principal, assistant and jsnitor
He had q pleasant smile, firm temper
and a state frame He also carried about
bis person grip that would make black
smiths vice crawl into the scrap heap and
hide itself. We used to nave general ex'
ercises Friday afternoons, at which we
were wont to recite in vociferons concert
the Multiplication tables, the States and
capitals, and such thrilling rhetorical ex,
ercises as Will you walk or ride" and
They tell as to be MODerste, but they
TaEY-ars torevelin-pro Flu sion" Il was
thrilling. But after we had learned all
these chants by heart" aud could chant
them of with our eyes shut. "Old Hin
man" introduced an innovation-"spesk-
in pieces" Upon that We struck. We
endured it three weeks and then we deter
mined TO boycott the whole business. All
the boys went into it. Bill Smith and Hub
Tutle, Rob Gregg, Ed Easton, Sieve
Bum, Bill Rodecker, Hen Keener and all
the big boys, TOO. The first boy called on
10 speak was to announce the strike, and
as my name came pretty we'll up in the al
phabst / stood O good chance of being
leader, q distinction for Which | was not at
al ambitious, being of tender years and
of a rudy couutenauce and sensitive feel.
ings. Bat boy named Allen. who was
called ahead OF me, funked and said his
piece, Hohenlinden,: although we made
such suggestive gestures st him that
he forgot half of it aud broke down
and cried. When / was called
I refused to speak Being
pressed for reason, l said, in faltering
accents, that there wasn't gOin' to be no
more speakiu'." When the old man, with
unfeigned surprise, asked me wis said 80,
[ said ALI OF US did Then he said there
would be "a little more speskin' before
the close of the session, aud so he led me
ont upon the rostrum. Then aud there,
with feeling which now shudder to recall,
did nv FIRST song sud dance act. had
often before performed my solitary cachnea
to the lsscivious pleasing of "OId Hin
mans" slate frame. but never had &C
comp MED myself with words. Boy like
had selected for my piece poem ex,
Of ssiye of those peaceful virtues l most
heartily despised, so that my performance,
at the inauguration OF the strike, ran some.
thing like this:
Oh. not for me- (whack) is the rolling (Rhack)
drum,
Or the whsck, whack , trumpet's wild (Thack)
appeal. MOO hoo!
Or ,ns' Lry Boo hoo OF (whack) war when the
Or thu (ow9 bTisatIy (whacA) flashing steel
(whaok, whackl.
| cannot convey to the most vivid imagi'
nation the gestures which accompanied the
seven stsnzas of this beautiful poem. Sui
Gee to say that they kept pace with the
old mans peculiar system ot punctuation
until at last, overcome win CONNECTING
emotions, went sobbing to my seat, and
wondered why en- inscrutsble providence
had given to the rhinoceros the hide that
the eternal G:he9s Of things had evidently
prepared for the school boy.
Bat | forgot Gay own sorrows and drled
nv tears 10 the enjoyment OF the play, az
CON patriots developed it. Mr. Hinnuan
who had been unusually gentle and self
restrained with me, lost his temper with
the boy vbo followed me, and there was
sound of revelrY for the Re4t ho9T. Ae
shook boy until their teeth ratified SO gou
couldn't hear them cry; he hit Mickey
McCsnu, the tough boy, one whack With q
sksts strap. and Mickey ran out and soil
| cd in tho gnow, TO cool eff; he bit JAKE
Bailey scrosg ito thighs WITT
thu slste frame, and it hurt sc that Jaks
couldn't hoWl-he just opened his mouth
and gssppd and forgo: his own name; III
pushed Bill Haskell into q seat and thu
bench broke; he shook Dan Stevens 81
/ mai hi. feet didn't touch the floor for nv,
minutes; he rsn ACROSS the .oom auC
reached out for Lem Hsrkins, SnI Len
had a ct before the old man touched him
he whipped The Two Euowltons with b'tl
hsods 81 the same time, snd the 6lbsaI
family, five boys aud a big girl, he hit 81
I 81 cuce with a girls skipping rope and the,
raised suca SEitad vail the clock stopped
be kept the atmosphere Q. thst oil
school rom full Of dust, and splinterS, sn'
lint. weeping, wailiug and gnashing Q
teeth, ua.;l bis old arms sched aud 81
hearts wesriea OF the iRbumta strife en'
~icked contention, and then be stood y
before Us, in Sieksning tsHgle OF straI
and cane and slate frame, rattan and skip
ping rope, and asked, in clear, triumphan
}, tones:
Who says tbess i1u't going to be an
more speskin' 2
And the boys OF that school rose up q
{ one being and shrieked, in tones of al
{ guish:
NOBODY"
i kId ], who led that strike and was il
first martyr, haze Teen "sPeskin' " eve
{ since.