Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-14
Inc Fate Of Seven Bad Boys Who
Ran Away to Skate.
teacher Whose knowledge Of Boxing
Learned At Colby. Saved Him.

ne OF his experiences. The great ma
iority of teachers. Furthermore, have
taught what are commonly called
tough schools. In some eases time may
fave magnified the difficulties that
the young and untried pedag gogue faced [
in his first school and the toughness Of |
the school may have increased with /
age like the self same quality in spring
chickens. From the stories that are
heard almost every day it would seem :
that the scholars VINO made the school /
tough are all dead while th.. teachers ,
have alone survived to tell the tale. 1t
Is seldom that You hear a man telling
how he helped take 4 teacher out by .
the country roadside and gently deposit /
him in a drift of the necessary dimen- !.
sions, but the tales of how the teach !
ers conquered the scholars with ten
dencies for this sort of thing are as
many as the men who have taught.
The schools OF old New England
were as rugged as the hills that clus-
tered about the little knowledge box
eS' where they assembled. The Seedssof
knowledge We're planted much as Il crop
of potatoes was started i'll a piece of
newlE cleared land. But the potatoes
always increased abundantly and the
seeds of knowledge seldom failed To
bear fruit. In these days the rest Of
the alphabet has been added to the
three RS" and the principal of rota
ton of crops has been introduced into
education as We'll as on to the farm.
Today the young IDEA is taught TO
shoot with smokeless powder and
metal patched bullets but il was lots
more fun. especially for the teacher, in
the days of the blunderbuss and its
, charge of nails and bits Of old iron.
In the good old days of main strength
ana awkwardness there was certain
school in the state as tough
as tough could be. For three
terms running the teacher rad
come to understand, biz torcloiy
perhaps. that his services were not
needed by the scholars. The schooi
agent was at his wits end. He had
secured tn. office after a bit OF a hsht
and he wished to make his manage
| reut as successful as possible III view
J Of the other. honors in the gift of his
| fellow townsmen. After the thlrd
teacher had departed. leaving his best
| suit of clothes behind him. it looked as
| if the agent was politically dead.
But one day brawny farmer in dis
, cussing the situation with him allowed
| ,ha, he had boy that could bring that
| school TO terms and end the term oi
! th.. agent i'll a blaze of glory. Inc
! ,,.nt ran his eye over the Drawny
father and thought of the time he
! could have ~ selectman. If the son
| u.ss lik. th. father it looked as if ne
would be able to handle the school. IL
| had come to breaking up the lahd
among the stumps and rocks ana d
pretty muscular arm was needed a' 'he
n,o,y handle. The seed OF Kno"Ieose'
| hammered in with a braWny nst. was
| what the school needed so tne agent
| decided to take his chances ana 'e' 'i'''
youns fellow have IT,
| When the would-be teacher arrived
| ., ,he house of the agent ne was wen
.,,is,ied with his looks He was siA
| "a, one in his stockings if he was an
vol, and a ward stick was none 700
-, +o reach across his shoulders. he
,,.,.,,,d dress a good 200 pounds ana
GOOD for at least 2l5. live "elght.
.rh.t was the kind of a star 10 hi'ch
r.;,d school to and the agent began u
law plans for his canvass for Select
NV. school opened quietly but that Is
.or.cteristic Of tough schoois. lHe
,o,ch.r was so large that II loon auo"'
,hr.e weeks to get his measure.
w., ompaign opened. 1t was III 'he IAN
49,, ,hare was splendid skating on tI'e
- straam that flowed past the
.oo,bouse SO one noon wheh .he
-, summoned the school back 10 i's
hooks about seven We're hllss'ne'
tho time the teacher was SCI
sidering the adviSabllit! VI e.;as
the town for Il search 10! u ...,,
,ha seven came troOping III anu
heir places with all the ass"' a"' -
the world.
| ,,,a,r .dyent created stir IN 'he
ohooI but the teacher contihueu :,
,r.ork q problem on the
'.,.o,,, roticing. When he hao mn
t.a ha noticed with an apparent iooh
,,rr;se the missing seven IN theli
,as all prepared for bat'ie' anu
.i,s,d them where they'd been.
..p.r skatin'," responded the nisseet
T., the lot. who was evidently en-
| 1.-TWO. the honor of being
for the bold. bad gang.
..,,,,o. ca said the teacher careless
i. IT was beginning to think you nau nae,
IN he drowned. Glad to see you "a.H
am M light" Then the routine OF 'he
annnoIroom went on as If nothing ha'
happened. ,.
rn;s was something altogether ne"
- hold. bad gang. That was one
~, na, Of starting fight with when tneS
wsra - not familiar. The first rouno emu. au.
ad n The teachers faver. but M .ne
s,r,,grIe was not to end there. as .ne
800 so " was determined to solve the mss- @
So 60 the next day the seven were
ono,n aeas missing and again turned up IN IN
40" middle of the afternoon once
M .ne the battle was postponed: "hen
@ .1.a ron nv was comfortably settled anu
.ne ,,;n" ~ for the opening shot tne
,aa"her remarked with little concern .n
.1a ..1 nose YOU have been skating AGAIN,
-. s prstty sensitive apd ] don't wan.
I'm IN t - so again withoutssaskins me me
s,ons you " want share In these skat'ns