Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-03-18
FRONTIER sCHOOLHOUsE.

FRONTIER SCHOOLHOUSE.
cut bothering about brick chimney.
And the pupils? There are just four
Of them, with sometimes two or three
more in winter, when the snow is deep
and the farmers work is light. In the
picture, which is from photograph,
you will see all the pupils standing out
side of the little door with their teach
err. The scholars belong to two fam
ilies-there are only three families in
The whole district-and two of them
are compelled to walk nearly four miles
to school every morning. In summer
time this is great fun, but in winter,
when the roads are drifted full of snow
and the mercury is down to zero, it
isn't so pleasant.
Two years ago the little school had
most exciting experience. There were
five scholars then, and some of them,
owing to the depth Of the snow, didn't
reach the schoolhouse until after ten
o'clock. OF course they didn't hear the
bell, because there wasn't any bell to
ring. About noon the wind began to
jar the loose boards OH the roof, and
then it began to snow. At three o'clock
in the afternoon it was so dark that
the pupils could hardly see their books.
When the teacher went to the door
to see what the matter was in came
great gust of wind followed by heap
Of snow. 1t took two of the boys to
shut out the blizzard again. BY this
time the little building was creaking
and cracking as if in distress. Snow
scuttled through the cracks, and the
pupils lowered close around the stove
to keep warm. One of the older boys
made an attempt to get out and start
home, but he was driven back half
frozen and nearly sutfocated with snow.
Darker and darker it grew, and then the
wind seemed to die down.
1.-THE schoolhouse is buried up"
whimpered one of the pupils. How'll
We ever get away?"
The teacher did her best to keep up
their courage, but even she was fright
ened. They had no candles nor lamps,
and as the afternoon advanced the only
light came from the glowing hearth Of
the stove. Supper time came, and there
was no supper to eat. Every crumb Of
the lunch brought from home in the
morning had disappeared at noon.
and the pupils became chilled with the
creeping cold. When the last stick had
been fed into the red mouth of the stove,
two of the large boys, encouraged by
the teacher, ventured to open the door.
1t was walled to the top outside with
snow. But like the plucky boys they
were, they burrowed head first into the
pull out several sticks of wood and drag
them into the schoolhouse. Before the
work was done they were nearly
frozen with the cold. Two of the young
er pupils cried themselves to sleep on
one of the benches near the stove, but
the others kept watch all night long in
the dark.
They'll surely come and dig us out
in the morning" said the teacher,
hopefully, but breakfast time came and
then dinner time, and there was no re-
lief.
By this time they were all very hun
CRY, indeed. They had had nothing to
eat for "a hours. The two big boys,
wrapping themselves well in coats and
mittens, again burrowed outside, and
after a struggle, succeeded in reaching
the roof of the scfooihouse. Once out
of the great drift, they found that tho
snow had ceased falling and that the
sun was shining, although it was still
dark in the schoolhouse. But they
looked in every direction and there was
nothing but snow, snow, snow, and not
a sign of relief. So they went
back, carrying the sad tidings to the
other pupils. They were all certain
now that they would starve to death be-
fore help could reach them. But hard
ly had they made up their minds to
this fearful fact when there came a
humping on the roof above them, and
then voices. The boys shouted an an
swer and then ran outside. Immediate
ly man came tumbling and rolling
down into the schoolhouse door. He had
on his back a bag of lunch, and the
hungry children went at it eagerly.
Two men had succeeded in crossing
the snow-bound country on ski, or
snowshoes, and thus the school was
rescued, although some of the pupils
could not be taken home until the fol-
lowing day, when road was finally
broken.
How would you like being pupil in
such school?-Chicago Record.
--Constantinople has been besiege<