The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-06-06
LOCKOUT ON A SCHOOL MASTER.

LOCKOUT ON A SCHOOL MASTER.
'The first strike l ever heard oi
occurred in my school," said an old
time teacher who gave up his profes.
sion many years ago when 1 was a
country teacher in log school-house.
And it was all on account Of my we'd
ding.
Il had won the sister of one of my
pupils, a boy who was the ringleade1
in all the mischief concocted in the
school. AS the day drew nigh when
was to become a married man my
prospective brother-in-law suggested
that l give vacation of one week in
consideration of the event. This ]
declined to do.
'"The day before the event I called
the roll of my pupils, as was the rule,
and although they were all present,
not one answered to his name. Ny
next rule was to repeat the Lord S
Prayer, the pupils repeating it with
me. When I said the prayer no one
followed me.
"Then called for the first recita-
ton, but no one responded. Other
recitations were called with similar
results. 1 suspected, of course, the
cause, but the situation was so unu-
sual that was puzzled to know just
how to proceed.
Finally dismissed the school un-
til the afternoon. l went to the
farmhouse where boarded and got
my noon meal, and then walked back
to the log hut.
"When 1 arrived on the play
ground, not pupil was in sight. I
went to the schoolhouse door and it
was barred. tried the windows and
they were fastened not sash could
I bulge.
steps to the farmhouse and went tc
my quarters there, to begin prepara-
tion for the event of the following
day.
''I had received, several days be-
fore, my wedding outfit from the
nearby town. My closet had been
ransacked. Ny outfit was gone. The
people with whom l boarded had gone
away that afternoon, and, like all the
good people of those blessed days oi
honesty, they had left their door tin.
locked.
"I went to the barn to get my
horse and outfit and they were gone.
1t was ten miles to the house of my
betrothed. I started to walk there,
when was overtaken by neighber,
who invited me to seat in his wagon,
and in that way reached the house
of my future bride without having
had to walk all the way.
''I lost no time in notifying the
young lady of the situation and asked
for short postponernent of the wed
ding, to which she, of course, con
sented. Then l borrowed a horse
from her father and returned home.
The people of the house had also re-
turned and were greatly concerned a
what 1 told them.
"The next morning I went to the
school house as usual and it was still
locked. Then I wrote notice anC
placed it on the door. 1t announced
my capitulation, provided my wed
ding outfit and horse were returned
that night and no questions asked.
"Then I strolled back to my quar-
ters, had my supper-there were nj
6 o'clock dinners then-and went tt
my room. l don't know when m,
wedding outfit was returned, or BY
whom, but it was delivered to m
the following morning, and my horse
was put in the barn.
"The wedding occurred that day
but later than was first arranged
We had our little honeymoon, and a
the end of it we returned and the da,
after l went to the old schoolhouse
All the pupils were on hand and the
gave me warm welcome and man.
! pISSSHtS'
"Not word was ever said abou
the strike, and when the time came
as it did year later, for me to giv'
up the school, preparatory to goinI
away, all of my pupils gathered abou
me and my wife, and some were il
tears when I parted from them.
"Some of my pupils became pros
porous business men, and in severa
Instances when they had strike
among their employees, I was calle
in as an arbitrator, and in every cas-
the trouble was adjusted satisfactcr
to all concerned. My first experienc
with strikers, l think, aided me in ad
justing all difficulties that wer
brought before me"
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