The Opelousas courier., 1899-04-29

o'oi lue NuulDer oeVeu DOyS; anu
now he is commander of an armor-clad
ship, quite as capable, 1 doubt not, of
routing al enemy.
The schoolhouse in "Number Six"
where we underwent a mild form of
education together, stood at the forks
of the county road, with the cross
town road, which led down Wilkins
hill, on n side and Mill hill on the
other. The county road extended
north and south, along the crest of a
line, broad ridge Of land divided into
ten fertile farms, owned by as many
well-to-do farmers whose families
made up u school district.
We young people of Number Six
had always been a little inclined to
look down on the boys and girls Of
Number Seven at the Corners, near
the foot Of Wilkins hill, for the deni-
zens of Number Seven we're a some
what poor and shiftless lot. The
larger boys were pugnacious and ILL
disposed, and unless a schoolmaster
were strong enough to thrash four or
five of them, he must suffer the hu-
initiation of being carried out of the
schoolhouse.
At Number Six, on the contrary, the
pupils were well-advanced, s~elf-re-
specting and orderly. An able teacher
was required, but less to govern than
to instruct. Still, I now think that
the contempt in which we held the
Number Seven boys was rather phar-
%isaical, and I do not wonder they re-
sented it. We nicknamed them ''bog-
trotters," and they retorted by calling
US Chill dogs" The two districts
also belonged to two rival political
parties, a fact which sharpened the
luminosity between them.
Wilkins hill was the best coasting
place in tho county. 1t consisted of
five steep pitches, with intervals of
less abrupt descent between them,
which made altogether a run of more
than a mile, to the foot of the hill be-
yond the bridge over Longmeadow
brook. 1t had always been, and is to
this day, the favorite coast of the
Number Six boys. Indeed, we boosted
that few, a V Number Six boys, dared
steer a sled down that hill.
When the road was smooth and lev
terrific speed was attained on the low
est pitch, and any error in steering
might easily cost the coaster his life.
Boys from other places were usually
to try the hill, but if a Number
Six boy had not made the "run' at
ID or IA years Of age we deemed him
. backward lad.
The coasting sleds most in favor
with us were small and narrow. They
shod with %half-round steel shoes,
were slightly bowed to make a
spring" space of an inch at the mid
die OF the runner. Our favorite pos
ture for coasting on this hill was face
with toes extended behind
aid in steering. Usually in start
ing at the top Of the hill we ran for
ward, n after another, flung our
down on our sleds and thus set
off at speed.
On moonlit evenings, when there
we're girls in the party, trains were
made up of ten or twelve sleds | .
of them large hand-sleds, on
which four or five could sit at ease.
The forward or leading sled was called
he "engine'' aud was steered by one
# the Oldest, strongest boys. Such a
rain, humming down that long hill by
Moonlight, gaining speed at every pitch
ill it shot past the Corners at Num-
'er Seven, going 60 miles an hour, af-
orded an e~xhilarating spectacle.
There was an almost uninterrupted
lew from top to bottom of the long
lescent; and besides the steerer on
he engine there was a "hornman,"
those business it was to blow a tin
lorn if we saw a team or pedestrian
up, All the others, too, Joined
u a tremendous shout of "Road! road!
oad!"
The hill was SO long that not more
han three or four coasts could be
,ade in an evening and generally not
lore than n during the noon inter
when school was in session.
hired man from one of the farms. I
18th a span Of horses and a long pung !
saved MS the drudgery of pull ]
lg cur sleds up the hill. t
Laws relative to coasting were not
len very strict in Maine, and we sup .
osed we had a right to coast down
road at go miles an hour. Nobody j;
ad ever made any objection. The :
My drawback to the sport was that ;
Q had to run past the schoolhouse in :
lumber Seven, and the bog-trotters :,
ere accustomed to rush out and pelt !
8 with snowballs. The place was :
'cally known as Wilkins Corners. 9
There had been good coasting for =
lree Or four weeks before Rufus :.
undlett devised the Rantum-Scooter; =
le entire hill was smooth as glass. 9
early every morning, noon and night .
'me- of us Number Six boys were :
and often there were parties :
20 or 80. !
The loafers and bog-trotters had :
cred at us as we few past and snow !
allied us as in former years, but be- !
re long the Number Seven boys =
undertook to stop all Number =
x coasters. They rolled great snow =
into the road in front of the :.
and built a high fort clear "
the road. -Four of our BOYS =
ho started ITO coast down were OBJ :
ged to take to the ditch. The bog
offers then rnshed from their fort G
Id by pelting them with snowballs q
reed them to run back up the hill. q
hey shouted that no hill dog should Il
Iss that schoolhouse.
But as their fort stopped teams as Z
as coasters. one Of the selectmen h
the town ordered them to remoye a