The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-13

who nobly died at Thennopoly, and
how Brave Horatinus kept the bridge
in the brave days of old. This was
all pointed cut 30 him by some school
master with whose name he has failed
to tax his memory.
Like every other ollling, in this we
see the footprints of evolution. Fifty
years ago, the school master boarded
round, and was regarded as having
the wisdom of a serpent and the
hunger of a wolf. His assets consist
cd of one man, strong as prize
fighter one pen knife, one lead pencil.
one shirt, one cap, one pair of socks,
one pair of pants one coat anu vest.
When he sent his shirt to the laundry
he went to bed and remained there
till it got back. and when the elbow
of his pants needed patch, he was
not at home to polite society. His
educational helps were harness tugs
and barrel slaves, and if some belliger-
ent patron called to try conclusions
IN the manly art, the teacher struck
tsraight from the shoulder, and plant
ed an upper-cut with the power and
skill that would have caused Col. John
l.. sullivan to turn olive green with
envy.
In this little empire his word was
law and his rules like the laws of the
Modes and Persians that altereth not
But once in the progress of school
did there ever occur an act OF mutlny
and he would have been more disap-
pointed than any one else had that
not occurred.
From the days of Pythagoras it had
been customary to demand a treat OF
the teacher at the Yule tide season,
or, if school was not in progress then,
at the expiration of the term, when
ever. that was The treat was to be
apples or ginger cakes if in New Eng
land: apples or molasses candy, il lii
either of the Carolinas or Georgia;
and dcuble-proof cider apples, ginger
cakes, or boid-face corn whiskey II III
my native martial commonwealth
Kentucky
All have heard or read of these
encounters. but one scene laid in
Kentucky shall be described.
teacher with more wheels in ais
head than George Francis Train, and
with the broad physical proportions
of Horseshoe Robinson. had charge
of a tough school, in the toughest part
of a, then, tough State.
Among his pupils lowered sons OF
Anak, with fists like two hams OF
meat and digestive powers like the
bowels of threshing machine. They
hated this ruler. and oft tried con-
illusions with him. He had the
wrestling slight known as the Guns
berland grip and trip, was bow
legged, was six feet one way and three
feet the other, had q nose like the
Iron Duke TINT caused the livid star
of Napoleon to forever set at Water
loo: and he had the alert air and
springy step that characteriZes the
Kentuckian wherever you find him.
But his school doomed serenely on
and with an iron hand he swayed the
rod of empire. But the SHOWS OF
December came, and. while in tbs
minds of the youthful long delayed
Christmas was at hand, two grown
BOYS Joined the school, who later II
life, became daring leaders IN the
Southern Confederacy .
In their vigorous, but not very
chaste or elegant English, they de.
clared the "Old Devil should trea
or under the water he went. Then
proposition was delivered to the
teacher by two pretty grown giEls, 1ol
no matter how uncouth man ma
be, if he has daredevil bravery he IS
the pet of every winsomc lass. the
teacher closed his lips grimly, and
said he didn't treat nor was he goihz
TO give holiday.
This the bold noun ainceIs -