Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23
The Great Admiral Was Anything
But a Model Scholar.
MADE TROUBLE FOR his TEACHER
Only by Chance That He Got Into
Annapolis.
DEWEY AS A SCHOOLBOY
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
THE only man who ever whipped Dewey
will probably be one of the most enthu-
siastic observers of the admiraPs progress
through New York. for Major z. K. Pang-
born of Jersey City achieved Dewey S
friendship with that now historic rawhide
as completely he enforced discipline in
the school where he swung it.
The story of the encounter has not been
completely and accurately told in print.
Here it is in the majors own words:
II was a student in the University of
Vermont in the fall of 1s4S. 1 was poor
and had to earn my way. School teach
ing was the only method could think of.
and I asked Trustee Briggs to give me
charge of the State street district school of
Montpelier. The judge looked me over. l
am not tall, as you see, and then 1 was
not stocky. My weight was about ninety
pounds. AS he sized me up an odd smile
spread over his face.
"'You know something about that school,
l suppose? he queried.
Il told him I'd heard 1t was a hard
school to keep, but added that I'd like to
try it If he'd only agree to keep his hands
off. He reminded me that two teachers
had been thrown out Of the school house
the previous winter, but when l said l be-
lieved I could whip the whole school if ]
had to and wouldn't hesitate to try, any
way, he said he'd send for Trustee Spald-
Ing. He came in soon and asked my terms.
l put the price at about double the usual
figure. That turned the decision my way.
and 1 was hired then and there.
Eighty Boys and All Bad.
There were about eighty pupils in the
school, and there were seven full grown
young men among them. They were ap-
prentices under the old-time system and
entitled by law to three months schooling
every winter. 1t was the apprentices who
made the trouble mostly. 1t was their plan
every winter to get one or more of the
younger boys into trouble with the teacher
and when the latter attempted to chastfse
the culprit to rush to his rescue. 1 under
stood this and 1 also learned that they
had selected young George Dewey, then
thirteen, to be the scapegoat. George was
one of the brightest boys in the school, but
inclined to be wild His father, DR.. Dewey,
had been a classmate in the medical school
of my fathers, who was doctor also, and
had told me he'd object to nothing l might
do to George if only I'd make him behave.
There was no trouble the first week but
the fun began in earnest Immediately after
the afternoon recess of the second Monday.
George Dewey did not return to the school
room when l rang the bell and l sent his
seatmate for him. Dewey sent word in
that he wouldn't come. 1 said nothing then.
After school was dismissed for the day
young Dewey, who had climbed into the
snowballs at the smaller children, and
ordered him to stop. Again he refused to
obey.
Next morning I was prepared for
hight. l knew I'd have more than George
to deal with-that he was only a stalking
horse-and that it was the apprentices
must conquer. I'd never displayed either
ruler whip in the school room, and 1
didn't begin then. but 1 hid a rawhide on
top of the blackboard for young Dewey
and arranged little pile of round straight
sticks of cordWood on top of the wood box
for the apprentices I meant to conquer
that school or die. At about 10 1 called
George up and asked him to apologize. He
grinned, refused pertly and impudently,
without the culver of an eyelid. Before
the words We're out Of his mouth / was
striking him with the rawhide anywhere
l could and hard as 1 could. l hurt
him, too; made him bleed on the hand,
and the shock of surprise was so great that
he fell, crying, to the floor any boy of
his age would have done. That was the
end of him SO far as that fight was con-
cerned. Then I had the apprentices to look
out for.
After the Rawhide.
Fortunately for me. they had been as
much surprised as George had been, and
were little slow in attempting his rescue
All seven Of them started, though, but as
they had to file down the aisle, only one
could come at time. 1 caught up one of
my clubs and hit the leader humping
clip right in the middle of the forehead.
He went down like log and l didn't know
but I'd killed the chap. | ordered the 9TH
ers to sit down, and they sat.
Il dressed the hurts of the wounded as
well as L could, sent the apprentice home
and kept Dewey with me till school was
over for the day The apprentice was abed
some weeks. and his relatives talked about
having me arrested, but they couldn't COM
pass 1t. | had no more trouble, of course.
and Dewey was one of the best boys after
II at in the whole school,
1.-TWO or three years later, when I was
principal of the La Noble Academy, at
Johnson, VT, George Dewey came into the
school room one day smiling.
I've always claimed I'd lick you as
soon as l got big enough he said, but /
haven't come to do that now. I've come
to go to school to you some more. You
see, father wants me to go to college and
I've promised to prepare for Norwich Uni
versity if l could be with you. May /
come?
Almost Missed Annapolis.
Il was pleased, Of course, and took him
in. He went in the same classes with my
brother, who was one of my pupils, and,
as he had to board somewhere, we took
him to our boarding house, and he roomed
with my brother and ate at our table for
a year or two. I taught him the begin
nings Of algebra and geometry and Latin
and l never had a brighter, pleasanter
pupil. Even then, however, he wanted to
enter the navy and would never have gone
to Norwich at all had not his stepmother
been opposed to a naval career for him.
After he'd been in college while he car
ried his point and was examined for An
napoiis, but. as you've probably heard, he
got in by the merest chance.
You see, there were two applicants for
the vacancy. George and young fellow
named Spalding. The examination was
competitive and Spalding won. Fortunate
ly for George, but not for the Spaniards
Spalding's folks wouldn't allow him to go
to Annapolis even after he'd passed the
examination, and that's how Dewey Sc
cured his chance to be a naval man."
So Major Pangborn probably had as much
to do with forming the character of George
Dewey as any one except the boys par
ents. Their feeling for each other may
have grown out Of the fact that both were
fighters. 1t may have been fellow feel
ing.
Pangborn Big Man Himself.
For years Major Pangborn has been not
only an important figure in New Jersey,
but a man whose name has counted in ma
tional affairs.
AS 1 have said. after Dewey's thrashing
he and his teacher became friends of ex-