The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-06-13
FL06GIN6 IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS.
Lord Salisbury was Birched Seven
Times.--How the Job is Done.

AT Elton, Harrow, Rugby Win
chester, and indeed at all the great
schools Of the same rank, where
young England is taught little else
but Latin and Greek verses, boating,
cricket and outdoor games, at a
cost of 81 800 year, corporal pun
ishment is still in full force. Some
use the birch, and others prefer the
cane, and while in most Of the col
leges the culprit takes his punish
ment kneeling, there are quite a
number where the offender is
"horsed" by being mounted on the
back of some big boy. In that po-
sition the victim is more helpless
than in any other. At Eton the
whipping block is one of the ia
nous institutions of the place. 1t
resembles the kind of block which
we see portrayed in old prints as
having been used in medieval times
for decapitating prisoners, and the
number of famous men who have
knelt before it is very great.
The present Prime Minister, Lord
Salisbury, was birched while lean
ing against it no less than seven
different times, the master who in
flicted the castigation being still
alive, hale and hearty at Oxford.
On one memorable occasion the
headqmaster flogged the whole
party Of thirty candidates for con-
firmation, the paper with their
names on it having been mistaken
by him for the punishment bill,
which is sent up to him every day.
He would listen to no protests or
remonstrances, but went conscien-
tiously through the whole lot.
Dukes, and commoners, boys of IA
and bearded youths of 20, are all
alike subjected to these birchings,
which, according to schoolboy eth
les, involves no dishonor. Indeed,
they look back upon them much in
the same light that soldier does
upon his past campaigns, and the
decorations of the skin are regarded
in the light Of glorious wounds.
The boys are just as proud of them
as the German university student
is of the scars on his face left by
his adversary's dueling sword.
i myself am unable to refrain
from a certain feeling Of satisfac-
ton when l recall my score of 16
floggings in the space of three years.
This involved an expenditure of SO
picked birches at half crown
apiece, all of which were religiously
charged in the quarterly school bills
sent to my parents as ''extras. .
Each punishment consisted Of IL
strokes on the bare flesh, a new
birch being used for every two blows
received kneeling with one of the
six form boys holding me down
with his right hand pressed on the
back of my neck. The birches were
long, thin and tough, having beer
kept in brine for several months
and the punishment they inflicted
when welded by our headmaster-
a gigantic divine over six feet high
and powerful in proportion-was
quite enough to make one vince
every stroke lacerating the skin anc
drawing blood.
On one occasion, however, I re
ceived particularly severe castiga
ton without ever feeling it. l hao
been "sent up" for having acted a:
ringleader of party of boys who
had carried off number Of ducks
from one of the college farms. A
portion of the booty was concealed
in hamper which l had with mt
when l went to the headmaster fol
my fogging. I left it outside hi'
studpdoor, with a small boy seated
on top to prevent the birds from
trying to get out, and SO alarmed
was l during the punishment lest
they should commence to quack
and thus lead to their being i'm
pounded that did not have time
to think of the swishing blows tina
were descending in measured strokes
upon my anatomy. The ducks.
should add, behaved admirably
They did not utter a sound, ant
after cooking them after fashion
on our study fire we disposed o
them. l remember that we though
them very good.
| On another occasion was blrchee
for having been caught by one 0
the masters, whom we believed t
be away for the day, comfortabi..
established, with another boy, II
his library in front of a blazing lire
quaffing his favorite sherry am
smoking his pipes. To make mat
ters worse, we had rigged ourselVe
out in his surplices, universlt.
hoods, stoles, cassocks and trench
er-board caps. Our terror-strlcke1
appearance when he euddenl,
opened the door and entered tn
room must have been ludicrous i
tho extreme. for he burst into sue