Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01
WHEN MATT QUAY WAS A BOY.
How He introduced IA Goose Into school,
and Traded Knives with Harry White.


Harrisburg Special to the New York sun
There never was a sharper, more mischiev-
Gus schemer, as boy. than Matt Quay" said
resident Of western Pennsylvania. who was a
schoolmate in Indiana county of the now ia
mons statesman. and politician. He was con-
tinually doing things that no other boy would
ever think Of. I especially recall one Of his
pranks that was as bold as it was original.
"There was green in the rear of the school
house where We went to school, and Matt had
seat near a window that overlooked the
green. One hot summer afternoon flock of
geese were pasturing on the green. Matt sat
at the open window. looking at them plucking
away at the grass as only flock of geese can
pluck, when brilliant idea took possession of
him. He had a half-eaten apple in his desk
and a ball of kite string. Biting big piece off
the apple, he quietly tied it to one end of his
string and edging up to the window, gave the
bit OF apple a quick jerk and sent 1t several
feet away on the grass. One of the geese saw
the tempting morsel and, waddling over to
where it Law on the grass, gulped it down, and
indicated its satisfaction by two or three self
congratulatOry cackles.
I'm swallowing the apple the goose had also
engulfed foot or so of Matt Quays kite
string, and Matt Mt once proceeded to complete
the scheme he had planned by hauling the
goose. hand over hand, off of the green and up
the side of the school house. in spite of the
idiotic birds frantic struggles to get away
The goose was pulled in at the window in a
twinkllng, and the next second was Topping
and waddling here and there about the school
room, trailing and twisting the kite string
about the legs of score of surprised and
frightened scholars, and squawking at the top
of its lungs. When the scholars recovered
from their surprise and took in the situation,
a roar that almost raised the roof went up from
their combined throats. The goose was finally
penned up in one corner and caught by schol-
airs and teacher, the string cut off. and the bird
dumped out of the window. Matt Quay was
hidden to the teachers platform to receive
punishment for his wild breach of decorum.
1T was the practice in those days for school
teachers to renew their stock of switches. of
which they made liberal use, by sending out
such or such a scholar to cut the gads as the
supply ran low. The day before Matt Quay's
goose episode, Matt had been dispatched as
the rod collector, and he had brought in a
bundle of nice, long. slender gads that made
the teachers eye glisten. Matt was the first
boy they were used on, and the scholars noticed
that the first whack the teacher gave with one
of the switches broke it in dozen pieces.
This seemed TO be gratifying to the teacher,
as he apparently regarded the thorough break
ing OF the rod as evidence of the telling force
of his blow. He splintered four switches over
Mats back, and from the way Matt squirmed
and yelled We thought they had surely cut
deep, but when he walked to his seat there
was a queer grin on his face and not trace of
tears, and he sat down with wink and a
grimace that we knew meant good deal. We
found out later what it meant When Matt
collected the rods for the teacher the day be-
fore. he had considered the possibilities of
their being first brought into use on himself,
and he had taken his jack-knife and neatly run
the blade around and around each switch, from
butt to tip, making the missions few inches
apart and deep enough to so weaken the gads
that the first blow would break them into
splinters and destroy the force of the blow.
The teacher didn't discover the trick, and
MATHS fogging was as harmless to him as the
tickle of fly.
Matt was always looking for a dicker Of
some kind when we were boys. and he never
traded knife, a handful of marbles, or any,
thing else that he didn't stick the boy he
traded with. no matter how much the advan-
tage seemed TO lie with the latter in the pre-
llmlnary negotiations. | remember his great
knife trade with Harry White. who is now
president-judge of this district. Matt had a
Jack-knIfe once that was the particular envy
OF Harry White. who had made all sorts of
offers 10 Matt for trade. one OF which in
cluded knife that he owned, a half dozen
marbles ball of twine. and tin squirt gun
But Matt didn't think the decker was worth
enough to him, and he wouldn't trade. One
day, though. much to the surprise and joy of
Harry, he met the latter and said he guessed
they might get up trade.
II haven got my knife with me- though
said Matt, and if We strike bargain you'll
have to go after it
All right" said Harry, what boot do you
WANT
well. hyou'n give me your knife. the mar
bles. the twine, and the squirt gun. and throw
in that h0rse-hair fish line of yours, I'll trade,
said Matt.
IN do it. exclaimed Harry and he handed
over all the articles. 'Where'l 90 after your
knife|
Matt slowed Harry's knife and the other
things in his pocket and said:
Go up to the tannery. / was fooling
around there this morning and dropped nv
knife in the vat. Ne and some of the bows
tished for two hours for it and couldn't find
1t. But it's in there. Go up and maybe You
can get it.
Harry kicked but there wasn't any use. He
never found MATHS knife and it's in that vat
yet for all know