Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-06-22

C~SIIT7% - years heard muSh
\ lZ.s-=s ~ OF Chris Page IN
10y - the flfties he WAS a
famous schOOlmas-
ter In Maine, where have no aou9'
bIs EXHIBITS are still often recoah'tu.
as in many another part OF tle eo I.S.i.,'.i
10 which Maine men have wahusA ~
His specially was the teaching OF mar
schools in rural districts, a Noea'Loh
al that period calling Tor huSn
same qualities required IN win o
tanning or the breaking Of wild nor
The boys that attended these seoo1S IA
winter were many OF them grown men
in size. and, taken altogether, were AZ
unruly set OF Wrestling. nghtlhS,
hard-fsted youngsters as the Nofia
could produce II took pluck ana
muscle 10 run district school. anu
lacking these. a master would better
resign his office In time than await the
indignity OF being thrashed by hts own
pupils, or the humorous attention OF
being carried bodily out OF doors ana
deposited in a snowbank.
ITO undertake the hardest school
that could be found was pleasant rec
rCation to Chris Page, and his services
in this direction were much In de-
mand. Tall. thin and wiry. rollick-
ing daredevil by nature, he had vein
OF quaint humor that took sometimes
a grim and startling turn. Catching
an offending small boy BY the collar
and pantalOons. he would throw him
through the open scuttle in the cell
ing, calling after him as he disap-
peared: Take him, Gabriel"
He delighted 10 open a school cam
palgn with a surprise. Being called 10
a certain school, notorious for It's gang
OF tough boys. the terror Of their
teachers in the past. he agreed TO come
under the condition that his name
should not be revealed by the school
committee. On the opening day OF
school he let the scholars behave about
as they liked. and. In the enjoyment
OF the pandemonium they created, the
big boys thought they had a teacher
whom II would be- picnic 20 walk over
after their usual fashion. On the sec
ond morning. after he had called the
school 70 order. the master gave the
pupils short address on their misbe-
havior OF the day before and wound up
by saying:
Yesterday. boys. you ruled the
help Of the Almighty.
AT that the big boys waited for no
more, but jumped from their seats and
made rush for him. Chris Page. who
was quicker than chain lightning.
pulled from his pocket a short cowhlde
whip and met them on the open floor
before his desk. cutting them across
the face with the lash as he leaped
and fmFnnH On na FF LfaaT. ala
In front OF him They soon fell back
under his rain Of singing blows and
then dropping the cowhuia. he knocked
them all down in zucC s..Ol with his
fists. He kept them lying on the fo-r
as they had fallen until the MONDAY re-
cess, then dismissed them with a brtcs
lecture. After thas episode he had a
school OF very docile pupils. who. by
one Of the laws OF human nature. soon
came to idOliZe their fighting teacher.
1T Is part Of the story as IL Is
usually told I'm Maine that Chris Page.
out OF school hours. became the leader
OF this same gang OF tough BOYS. He
organized them into a following. and
under his lead they used to 70 TO dances
held in neighboring towns. At some
hour Of the night they would, at a
AbhNNA AEA Dis mai nAdIb "A IDWs ElefAu ont
the towns boys, and break up the
dance.
"One school that Chris Page engaged
TO teach had for years been dominated
by ring-leader In mischief. a big,
two-fsTed fellow will defied Ell rules.
and sooner or later each winter had
thrashed the teacher When Chris
Page arrived on the scene the school
committee, seeing a tall. thin loosely
built man, who affected a cough and
an appearance Of general debility. had
grave doubts az TO whether he could
manage the school. The father OF the
bad young man came to Chris and or
ffered to keep his son away from school
Tor fear he might hurt the fragile look
ing teacher.
Let the boy come. said Chris
mildly. Perhaps I can do him some |
good by preceDt and Christian OK
ample
so the big young fellow appeared .
at the opening Of the school ana for 4
the first week things went on smootbIv I
Ihe next Monday morning after school .
mad opened the master sent him ont
to fetch an armful OF wood for tbc
great open fireplace that warmed tho
school-room. The young man. eager
70 show his strength and independ-
enee, came back carrying a heavy log
on his shoulder, stamped noisIly down
the aisle, and flung the log down unon
the bed Of glowing Goals in the Are.
place. roaring out as he did 30.
your 'i'o' u
=, AS he Strengthened back the fat NJ
the master caught him In the back N
the neck, knocking him into the Ere
place across the log.
Lie there, four and sixpence d-n
you? said Chris Page. who had foil
lowed him silently down the aisle.
FROM THE NEIoHBoRs' CANS.
A Dog WIN a r....t-