The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-10-24

IN A PART of the country where
| the teacher IS still credited with
vast mental range and encyclopedia
Acknowledgements is not regarded as a
harmless drudge-there lived and
Conducted classes" long, raw-boned
mountaineer named Hill. He was a
man of amazing industry and pos
sessed of diplomas of learning, but he
retained in rich luNuriance the I'M
pruned coloquial speech of his native
mountains speech which took gro
tesque liberties with grammar and
idiom.
Now this Hill was, among other
things, great hand for the gals"
as he elegantly phrased it, and in
their company he took a satisfaction
which overfowed in grins and cacllles
and uncouth compliments. Even here,
however, he had, like Washington r.
Wings immortal Ichabod Crane
whom, in general, he rather closely
resembled-an eye upon the practical
side of things. In short, he was apt
to look with special favor upon young
women who were blessed with rich
fathers.
Now, in the same region in which
this schoolmaster held sway lived a
gentleman who undertook to supply
the community with the local news in
weekly installments, and, to that
end, maintained q plant consisting of
Il hand press of respectable age and
an Office force of one cOmpositor.
Naturally Mr.. Harris, the editor,
was man in high consideration; no
political or social function was COM
t;!etc without him. Naturally, also,
Mr. Hi. the schoolmaster, was a
person Of equal, if not superior con-
sideration, ano likewise in much de-
mand for all E-sa-I &cr of festivities.
Both gentlemen went at least as
cheerfully as they were bid-and
neither ever missed one of these de-
Eghtful dances which were a feature
of Wauhatchie society. Both the
editor and the schOolmaster danced
vilely-and each regarded his own ca
pers with much complacency. These
facts are interesting but not essen
tial; the point is that both the editor
and the schoolmaster, by chance,
fixed their affections upon the same
lady-a local heiress. At first good
friends, they presently began to look
at each other out of the corners OF
their eyes and then settled down to
deadly rivalry marked by an I'M
compromising attitude of mutual
scorn-a scorn which neither took
the pains to hide.
The lady in the case was not wiser
or more beautiful than the general
run of girls. but she had the astute
ness which belongs to her sex, and
she held the balance SO true between
the two rivals that neither could
claim any long-continued advantage.
It so happened that the learned Mr..
Hill had as assistant a harmless
drudge who, as is the way of some
foolish schnolmasters, set his boys
to write compositions, many and
long, and Mr. Harris, as befitted a
public-spirited editor, offered prize
for the best composition on a matter
of ''public interest" written by n
pupil of the school in which the
whole town of Wauhatchie took
pride. But, because he hated Mr..
Hill, Mr.. Harris stipulated that the
editor was to be the sole arbiter of
merit. These compositions on mat
tiers of public interest" were duly
written, doubtless with much pain
full thought and more chewing of the
tops of innocent penholders on the
part of the youthful authors. The
results Of their labors were handed
to the editor, and the editor awarded
his prize-a years subscription to
The Wauhatchie News. Further, he
published the prize essay in his col
umns. This Juvenile scrawl was not
remarkable in any special way, but
it was outspollen about matter IF
local politics which was at that time
making bad blood. What was worse,
the youngster who wrote it-a pug
nacicus youth--had ventured to as
sumo position Which did not at all
agree with the stand which the
schoolmaster had judged it wise
20 take on the same subject. Read