Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-05
ONE WAY M WINNING REP
t-TATIb%

\ hHnch NJ ncW Gplprr men. reporting
the PROGRESS "f 4 big murder trial in
an Indiana town not long ago. I'm tore
iating stories suggested by the cSi-
dence which had been heard during the
day Tho testimony M the morning
had been submitted Tor the purpose Of
proving the bad reputation ~ the
~ lsoncr prior To the murder. II was
during the noon hour. and on" of the
scribes was George Barr McCutcheon,
whose first novel. "tiraustark." is be
ing discussed hy everyone who likes
a good story.
Its easy IT, establish a bad rcputa-
ton" he said \ remember how it
was with me when was boy. It was
in country school that | learned the
alphabet ana few other things. I
-ron't admit that | was an especially
p2d boy. hut | was mixed up in suni-
Gent 'doVilmcnt. AS our teacher used
20 say. - give me rather 4 queer
standing. My Chum was the boy who
lived on the next farm. Before ThroCk
and | were ton years Old We We're
known as the bad boys Of the school.
ana nearly all the birch trees in the
neiChborhond hal been worn out sup
plying switches for us.
Tho worst of il was that We fire.
quentIy got punished for the sins of
others. 50 vast was our Game rs plot
tors ot mischief that We had many a
whipping before tn" cause was made
known a. It's. tn" other boys would
hay" To ten US at recess what she had
whipped us for. To allay our suffer
ing howe - orr N
little girls in the school Perhaps they
considered it noble for It's "a take the
puuishme nj cf others. knowing. as we
did. that our backs We're hardened and
perfectly used to the CAD
'onc day il reached my fathers ears
that averaged something like five
whippings week. which was pretty
good. when Won r"memhcr that there
are only five school days I'll never
forget the lecture he gave me. and I'll
never forget how | defended rlyseL.
The next day he drove to Lafayettr.
and. rs h" passed the school on the
way. he allowed Throck ana ne Ia ride
with him. All the way to the school
We talked earnestly Of the Injustice
meted out to us. but don't believe my
father took much stock in our claim
that we were always whippcd for
deeds We did not commit As we neared
the school. Throck eNcitCdlv pointed to
two boys who We're engaged in re-
moving some rails from the fence of a
hoGpen belonging to Farmer oliver.
i mere. MI. MCCutchcon.' he eX-
claimed old divers shoats will get
OUT in the road and I'll bet George and
J get licked for tearing that fence
down.
Ny father laughed at the idea. but
Said nc would drop in at tho school
nous" on his way home thta afternoon
to inquire how the affair ended. When
y" entered the door about 3 O'Clock
'hat aftcrnoon sprawlinE boy was
getting an unmerciful licking because
o'lNcrs hogs had strayed away and
the very deuce was to pay j escaped
the icnominy of beirg whipped before
my fathers eyes. hut he did see
Ihrock dancing furiously under the
CAD. He didn't sec me whipped be
cause he didn't get there soon enough.
Throck had il last that DAY. About
the hardest whipping I ever had was
for tearing down divers fence and
letting his hogs race half way to
Lafayette. Anybody can get a rcputa-
ton il he tries