Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1901-03-22
WHIPPED THE WHOLE SCHOOL.
An Incident of Early Days in tho History
of Missouri.

A group of teachers who attended
the recent meeting of the Northwest
Missouri Teachers association in St.
Joseph were discussing in the hearing
of a local newspaper man the great
changes that had taken place during
the last few years in the manners and
customs prevalent in the district of
country schools. Much of the rowdy-
ism that formerly was such a promi-
nent feature in some of the schools in
remote settlements has entirely disap-
peared and as rule the pupils are as
well behaved and conduct themselves
in as becoming manner as they do in
the cities. One of the teachers-a Mr.
S.-related an experience that he had
a number of years ago in one OF the
southern counties of Missouri. The
school to which he had been appoint
ed for the winter was one of the
toughest in the country. The teacher
during the previous winter had been
thrown badly out of the school one
day By the pupils and was compelled
to resign.
Mr.. S. resolved that nothing OF that
kind should occur during his admins
tration and from the first he ruled
things with an iron hand. The school
term was pretty we'll advanced before
some Of the older pupils entered, SO
that he had little trouble at first. Some
of these were strapping fellows six
feet in height, short in book learning,
but long on physical strength. For
several weeks their behaviour was
above reproach. One day Mr.. S. went
out to the coal shed, which stood
some distance from the schoolhouse,
to get bucket of coal. When he re-
turned he found the school door lock-
upon the inside of the building, where
they were having good time All OF
the teachers requests for admittance
were received with shouts of derisive
laughter and it looked for time as If
the days session had been abruptly
brought to close.
There are two locks on the door,
spring lock and one of the common
variety, and it occurred to Mr.. S. that
If the pupils had only secured the
spring lock he was all right, for he
had the key in his pocket. 1t took
him but short time to put the key
in the lock, and great was his surprise
when the door yielded and he was
again upon the inside. The sudden APP
pearance Of Mr.. S. among the rebels
disconnected them, as they were not
expecting any such ending to their
sport. One of the young men tried
to brush past, but he was hurled to
one side and the others in the school
room were ordered to their seats. The
few scholars who still remained upon
the playground were admitted to the
school-room and the doors locked.
Mr. S. is a man of powerful physique
and is as strong as the proverbial OK.
He determined then and there to. put
an end to any further characterization.
He asked why he had been locked out
and who had suggested it. There was
no reply.
Mr. S. took off his coat, laid it upon
a chair and called out the pupils who
neiu bteh COANSii Cu III IiAC up Aoiho
one at a time Most of them came out
promptly to receive the severest whip
ping they had ever had in their lives.
Several refused to come out, but they
were numerically whipped in their
seats. One strapping young fellow,
the bully of the school, tried to mix
up with Mr.. S., but he received q
stunning blow in the face that sent
him SPRAYING. When Mr.. S. got
through he had the meekest school in
the district and from that time on
until the end of the term he had no
trouble whatever. He was given a
vote of thanks by the school directors
and several of the parents of the
pupils whom he had so severely
thrashed called at the school-room to
thank him for the beating he had
given their offspring. "Such things"
said Mr.. S. in relating the story, "do
not occur nowadays. The rough ele-
ment in the country schools has al
most entirely disappeared and large
proportion of the district school teach
ers today are women" kansas City
Journal