Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-05-18
q FIoHrINo soAooLMAsrgR
Bsminisoences of Chris Page. Who Taught
In the Maine Iiackwoods.

1T Is owing, perhaps, to my long
absence from my native state" said n
Maine man residing In New York,
"that have not In recent years heard
much OF Chris Page. In the fifties he
was famous schoolmaster in Maine,
where have no doubt his exploits are
still often recounted, rs in many
another part of the country which
Maine men have wandered. His spe.
chilly was the teaching Of hard schools
In rural districts, vocation ut that
period calling formuch the same quail
tiles required IN wild beast tanning or
the breaking of wild horses. The boy
that attended these schools in winter
were many OF them grown men In size,
and. taken altogether, were as unruly
set Of wrestling, fighting, hard-isted
youngsters Us the world could produce
II took pluck and muscle to run dis
trict school, and, lacking these, n
master would better resign his Office In
time than await the indiynity of being
thrashed by his own pupils, or the
humorous attention OF bein, carried
bodily out of doors and deposited in u
snow bank.
ITO undertake the hardest school
that could be found was pleasant re-
creation to Chris Page, and his services
In this direction were much in demand.
Tall, thin, and wiry, ro.licking dare
devil by nature, he had a vein OF quaint
humor that took sometimes grim and
startling turn. Catching an offending
small boy by the collar and pantaloons,
he would throw him up through the
open scuttle in the ceiling, calling
after him as he disappeared: Take him,
Gabriel!
''ie delighted to open school cam
paign with surprise. Being called to
certain school, notorious for its gang
of tough bows, the terror of their teach
ers in the past, he agreed to come UNI
der condition that his name should not
be revealed by the school committee.
On the opening day he let the scholars
behave about rs they liked, and, in the
enjoyment of the pandemonium they
created. the big boys thought they had
a teacher whom il woull b, picnic to
walk over after their usual fashion.
On the second morning, after he had
called the school TO order. the master
gave the pupils short address on their
misbchavior of the day before, and
wound up by saying:
"'Ycstcrday, boys, you ruled the
school. To-day Chris Page rules it by
help of the Almi ghty.'
s.At tha. IN h;fr hnre vaifa1 for M
more, but jumped from their seat and
made rush for him. Chris Page, who
was quicker than chain lightning,
pulled from his pocket short cowhide
whip and met them on the open floor
before his desk. cutting them across
the face with the lash us he leaped and
turned so as to keep them always in
front of him. They soon fell back I'M
der his ring OF singing blows, and
then, dropping the cowhide, he knocked
them all down in succession with his
fists. lie kept them lying on the floor as
they had fallen until the MONDAY re-
cess, and then dismissed them with
brief lecture. After that episode he
had n school of very docile pupils who,
by one of the laws Of human nature,
soon came to idolize their fighting
teacher.
at Is part Of the story as it is
usually told in Maine that Chris Page,
out of school hours, became the leader
of this same gang Of tough boys. lie
organized them into q following, and
under his lead they used to go to the
dances held in neiyhboring towns. At
some hour of the night they would, at
a concerted signal. start q row, clean
out the town boys and break up the
dance.
''One school that Chris Page engaged
to teach had for years been dominated
by ringleader In mischief, big, two
listed fellow, who defied all rules, and
sooner or later each winter had
thrashed the teacher. When Chris
Page arrived on the scene the school
committee, seeing tall, thin, loosely
built man, who affected n cough and
an appearance of general debility, had
grave doubts as to whether he could
manage the school. The father of the
bad young man came to Chris and Of
fered TO keep his son away from school
for fear he might hurt the fragile look
ing teacher.
"'Lct the boy come, said Chris
mildly, Perhaps / can do him some
good by precept and Christian ex-
ample.
$50 the big young fellow appeared
ut the opening of the school, and, for
the first week was allowed to do about
as he pleased, SO things went ON
smoothly On the next Monday morn
ing, after school had opened, the mas
ter sent him out to fetch an armful Of
wood for the great open fireplace that
warmed the schoolroom. The young
man, eager to show his strength and
independence, came back carrying
heavy log on his shoulder, stamped
noisily down the aisle, and flung the
log down upon the bed OF glowing
Goals in the fireplace, roaring as he did
so:
"'Lie there, four and sixpence, d-n
your
.As he Strengthened back the fist Of
the master caught him in the back OF
the neck, knocking him into the fire.
place across the log.
"'Lie there. four and sixpence, d-n
youl' said Chris Page, who had followed
him silently down the aisle. IN. Y.
Sun.
TO least dust in ones eyes" per-
fectly explains itself II is, however,
interesting to know that Epaminondas,
Mt the battle of Tegea, defeated the
Spartans by masking his movements
with large body Of cavalry. He
caused the horsemen to gallop to and
fro In front of the enemy, In such
way as TO raise cloud of dust, and so
yelled the movement of his infantry