St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-07-15
'BR| ISL PAS INES
YOUTHS OF THE ISLES ARE
CROUCH AND READY"
Some Of the so-Called Genteel Academ-
les Pretty Rough - "scuttling
Matches Nothing More Than Bat
ties with Stones-E.Prisoners' Bars"
and Hockey Popular DIVERSION
Football Never Brutal.

netQ, Romance Vi queen -.
toria's Reign (Announced)
Downright 1905. by Joseph B. Bowles.)
The good people of Lancashire and
Yorkshire have pretty tough ccnstltu-
tons. 1t shows in their pioneer achieve
ments in the arts, sciences, Inventions
and all-round doggedness that make
material progress. AS lads they learned
to trough it, long before they reached
their teens. Two imps, staggering
along the streets in all the glory OF tnelf
first breeches, were very unlikely TO
pass each other without the bigger one
either chatting or challenging the otner.
'tTha waddles (the "wad" pronounced
like bad) leike ovid duck i them
breeches thi mother made thee aat O, Ill
dads ovid duds!" Any peg serves for a
rough-and-ready test of a youngsters
grit Courage and endurance are there
symbolized as grit, short for granite, as
here the symbol is sand). The usual re-
suit is u match at brag, or round OF
fsticuffs, in which the smaller Fellow
makes or loses reputation.
From the example above it must not
be inferred that the challenger belongs
to ''the lower orders" must confess
that "genteel" youngsters who were
schooled in select Academies and
"seminaries for the Sons of Gentlemen,
used to glory in their proficiency in the
argot of the slums, which they discreetly
tried to veil from their deluded mentors
in the home and school.
have vivid recollection OF strap
ping earned from my venerable, II not
yenerated, dominic. who was passing
during one of the usual exchanges OF
salutations, provoked by ragged urchin
with huge bundle of firewood for sale,
whose most proper fury had kindled.
Something of this sort was going on
when l was marched away by the ear.
fortunate escape from the licking !
would most likely have had, for which
my public strapping and lecturlng IN
school was probably a bargain ex-
change.
Without being ambitious to pose as a
hero, the average small boy, in those
days and parts, soon found it would
oay him to be able to stick up for him
self" The schooling was rough, but
80 is the way of the world, and young
sters are not the only victims to inele-
CANT fashions. A black eye on small
boys face is perhaps less ornamental
than court plaster patch or surfeit
Of rouge on the face of a would-be
beauty, yet have known the time when
the wearer of that greeny-blue eyemark
was. while it lasted, the pride and glory
of our school.
These ultra elegant Academies" were
sprinkled over the genteel suburbs of
the great cities, usually presided over by
reverend divines who had failed as pull
piteers Gentle mothers were assured
that no vulgarity, no roughness OF
speech or play, could possibly penetrate
the borders of scholastic paradise.
They believed it. We never disturbed
that sweet faith, save by accident.
It was the custom for these schools
to 'scuttle" each other. We scorned
each other in the bullying fashion of the
European nations, and scuttling
matches were our mode of war. In some
mysterious way, unfathomed, by us Of
the rank and file, our big fellows man
aged to find, provoke, or invent the nee
essary casus belli with a neighboring
school, and for weeks the coming fray
monopolized our souls, leaving but a
sorry fraction of mind for lesson drudg-
cry.
The secrecy was deliciously inspir-
ing. We met in the dark and exhibited
our latest weapons, always homemade,
and thrilling were our emotions it one
of the captains praised our newest de-
vice. We made death-dealing sings of
leather and cord; tied three-cornered
stones, of every size up to that Of an
egg, in our pocket handkerchief; and
cut sturdy oak branches into long-reach-
ing bludgeons. No knives. daggers or
pistols were thought Of, much less re-
sorted to- These fights took place in the
dusk. We were on our mettle in hand
cannonade Of stone ammunition, which
was over in about five minutes, and then
the grand charge and hand-to-hand con-
aict, usually ending after hot Is min
utes, by which time we resolved our
selves on both sides into working Red
Cross committee, which included the
duties of making each other as present
able as schoolboys usually are when
they enter the drawing-room after the
two evening hours of play"
Obviously. with these grand battles
before his eager eye, the strengthening
David took early lessons, in the fine vir-
tue of fortitude. We took them because
we could not help it, they came whether
we wanted them or not
Suppose you become one Of our glorius
school company. We quickly get your
birthday from you on promise of a pleas
ing celebration. When the happy morn
ing comes, your heart flutters in wonder
as the boys gallop up to greet you, each
the boys gallop up to greet you, each
bearing a gift-wbich proves to be
hearty tug at your hair for each of your
years, say nine years, and 80 boys, 270
attempts to pull as many locks out OF
your scalp. Some are merciful, and
dominant spirit Of fairplay prevents real
injury. In some cases thumps are given
on the shoulders, instead of tugs.
Our games invariably schooled us in
the Indian knack of endurance. Our ia
vorite game with marbles was "nogue-
hole"
Several games resembled what think
was called prisoners bars, or stag it,
This was played in quiet street for pref,
erence. One boy, usually a big fellow,