The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-26

him, in the Semi-darKness, TOT HIS Sa- tanic Majesty. stampeded, and rushed back into the school room. The boys, on the qui vive, were delighted with the performance The teachers were amazed at the performance; ,,; An inyestlgatiSn
 most sedate individual present. was summarily expelled from the Montgom- cry High School.
 Today, John Powell Is not so spry as he was ffty-fve years ago. For his en- tertainment at recess, he would mount, by way of the belfry. to the top of the
 building. One day the roof caught hre from a defective pipe. In few moments after the alarm mad been given John was seen ripping off the burning shingles
 and pitching them to the ground with
 the greatest rapldlty. In short time. single-handed, he had extinguished the
 fire, al a cost to himself of painfully blistered hands. I hal never seen a
 house afire, and during the excitement attendant upon this one. danced around
 MT. Morris, and asked, "Is the world
 going to burn up?' l do think 1t was too absurd that should have asked if a UniversaIist Church was going to burn the world up. Years later. in distant town by strange coincidence. l attended school in another Universalist Church: Suspended in it's belfry was the same old bell whose ringing had called me 'to books in the church upon the. hill.
 Mir. Morris had a register in which were recorded black marks against the "unfortunates." John had n page in that register. and accidentally or incl dentally. had gotten 1t pretty well filled. When school had reassembed the after noon of the fire, Mir. Morris opened the register, and announced: lowing to the heroic conduct of John Powell in extin- gushing the building from destruction. shall erase all black marks against him" At the same time striking them off. To this day. John insists that 'his" page was duly reflled:
 Ali LaPrade, Tom Vickers, Chess and Ben Taylors, brothers, Jimmy Mic Taylor (iilmer, their nephew, Jim and Ali Hutch inson, brothers, and my brother and I, all rode. horseback, to school. The po- nles were hitched within the enclosure to the school house. I suspect the old church never had such congregation of pcnies, before or since. don't think Tom Vickers attended school very reg ularly. 1 think he was too fond of hunt ing. At noon one day he rode up to the schoohouse. He had hunters horn suspended from his neck, and was ac- companied by six or eight hounds. He didn't dismount. and the boys abandoned their game and gathered around him. The hounds lay near the feet of the horse, with tongues protruding and respiring rapidly. as though fatigued.
 My father kept several CUTS, and l was not afraid of dogs. had never seen hounds before. and was very much interested in these. One hound had very peculiar enlargement on his body. The boys asked many questions about that lump Tom said he was a valuable dog and he intended to have an opera tlon performed on him. have never seen Tom since that day. I wonder If he is still living! His home was near the old Race Track.
 All of the boys who rode to school came from an eaSterly direction, excepting Jim and Ali Hutchinson. They came from the direction of the Norman bridge Frank Vickers and his younger brother, Joe, were our next door neighbors. Their mothers land adjolned that of my fath- CT. They did not attend school. but we were with them on Saturdays. Frank was nearly grown, but he was always so kind. I loved "Fant Viters." dearly Years afterward, he and were com rades-in-arms The 9th Alabama lost their Color Sergeant at Seven Fines; Colonel Gordon sent for Frank and asked him to serve in that capacity. He said: "Colonel 1 am not afraid to bear the colors of the regiment, but I have a wire and children at home. and wouldn't vol unteer for that position. However. since old comrades remember how gallantly he bore those colOrs at Cold Harbor, at Malvern Hill and at Boonesboro, At fence. he waved his colors defiantly in the face of the advancing foe and fell. pierced bv several balls. The death of no man in the 9th Alabama was ever more universally iamented.
 My brother had two yearlings. Tom and Henry. Joe Vickers would come over on to assist in yoking them up for the purpose of driving them around. for amusement. One Saturday. a little before noon. they were preparing to unyoke the yearlings. Joe Vickers said to my brother: Joe, if you want your oxen to become fond of each other, and to accustom them to keep together when they are loose in the pasture, you ought to tie their tails together before you invoke them" My brother thought the suggestion a bright idea. So the two Joes tied the tails of the two oxen to- ether, and unyoked them. About sunset my brother and went to the pasture to drive the yearlings up to the COW, pen. To our dismay, Henry had pulled Toms tall off. I do not recall that the operation increased Toms ahection TOT Henry. l do remember that Tom was disfigured for life.
 One afternoon in May, 41, an ominous- looking cloud gathered and burst above the school building. In the midst or the downpour, heard chatter. chatter. chatter. I thought ten thousand rocks were falling upon the roof. l was mys- tifed-awe-stricken. The boys sprang to their feet and shouted in chorus; It's hailing! It's hailing." couldn't tell whether they were elated or frightened. Vince Fillmore. bare-headed, sprdng out the door. I was certain that he. panic stricken. had bolted for home. My ter TOT was redoubled. In few moments Vince reappedred, wet as drowned rat. His hands were filled with little white balls. and he wore an air Of triumph. He put one of the balls into my hand.