Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-02-18
seheolteaeher Had Nerve.


Il noticed in a recent mail story
about the war in the orient that the
writer says that Gen. Kuroki planned
the battle at Taitse river and then
calmly proceeded to fish for minnows
while the shells were flying and men
were bayoneting one another" re-
marked ex-State Senator William H.
Sears of Missouri. while one can
not help applauding the superb nerve
OF the little fighters across the sea-
want to say that / knew tall woman
teacher of Missouri who beat the gal
liant Japanese general to it as re-
CARDS nerve by two or three degrees
Miss Lizzie McKittrick was the
heroine. l remember well the day,
because it marked my fourteenth
birthday, and it was the end of the
summer term of school, Aug 8, 1861
The little log house was about
seven miles south of Callao and not
far from the Charlton river A few
days earlier the confederate forces
under Gen. Porter and the federals
commanded by Gen. Voolfolk met in
battle at Kirksville, and afterward the
confederateS retreated southwark
along the Charlton river.
I'VE were drowsily thumbing our
books when we heard the sullen roar
of cannon in the distance We
looked up at the windows and then
at the teacher.
She frowned and motioned for us
to resume our studies. There was an
other defamation from the cannon and
another and then a crash of musketry
window light was knocked out by
the conclusion and fell noisily on the
he
confusion.
Miss McKittrick arose from her
chair, but not in confusion She was
just mad.
g The school will come away from
the door and resume it's seats she
said.
THE school did.
"She stood in the center aisle with
heavy ruler in her hand. The pu-
pills were more afraid to risk an en-
counter with that ruler than the DOS
sible chance of a stray cannon ball
crashing through the building.
teacher who could run a school while
people were being bayoneted or blown
to pieces right next door. as you might
say, was too serious a thing for our
youthful spirits to defy, even if she
did wear spectacles.
During the entire afternoon the
firing between the two commands con-
tinued, sometimes breaking into vol
leys that sounded dreadfully near.
We were all little rebels. because our
parents were, and we secretly prayed
for the success of Porter and his men.
The fighting was just across the hills,
and looking through the windows we
could see the smoke rising from the
valley.
1T was a hard task to keep our
thoughts on our books with such
thrilling event so near us. In our i'm
agination every time the cannons
spoke we saw whole plantoons of
men torn to pieces and their dismem-
bered limbs sailing skyward Once
in while a cheer would come float
ing across the hills. and we hoped it
was our side and that we could boiler
with them. /
But that teacher of ours grim
alert, and determined. seemed to be
successful in finding some
thing for us to do 20 keep our minds |
from the battle
The long afternoon session ended |
at last, and as we babe our teacher |
a hurried farewell she admonished us |
not to go too near where the fight |
ing was She needn't have done that. |
but l suppose she thought it would |
make her conscience easier if any of |
us were inclined to get in the way of |
the bullets-which we were not
AS for her self. l believe if her |
way home had led across the battle
field, she would have commanded the |
soldiers to cease fring>ti she got by. |
She had the nerve'
Honor to Mother Bickerdyke.