The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-16


munities that derived their names
from the contour of the country and
from the traditions OF the inhabitants.
Pineville. the county seat, nestles
among the hills of tho Ozarks, five
miles from railroad straight away
and ten miles by wagon road. A mur-
der preliminary, such as the one held
there last week, marks an epoch In
its history, and a murder trial, as the
one that will be heard next February,
when Judge Johnson of Pierce City
reaches there, riding his circuit, will
mark standard of time. from which
subsequent events may be dated.
Pineville, mountain hamlet of about
FIVE hundred. looks forward to that
day. In the meantime the inhabit-
ants will continue to discuss a pro-
posal Of the mayor and council to
pass an ordinance requiring the resi-
dents to fence their hogs and pigs.
thus denying them the freedom of the
streets Of the municipality.
"Lickin'" and sLarnin'" Go Together.
Lon" Kelley has grit. Even his
enemies say he has. 1t came to him
from the blood of his father, who set
tied near Pineville when goods were
freighted through the hills from
Springfield. Lon" taught the school
last year at Cyclone Flat. And that
was no small job. "Lickin' and larn-
in" are intimately associated among
the "Hill Billies" of the Ozarks.
John Buttram, raw boned, strong,
quarrelsome and schooled in the
hardships of the hills that bound Bear
Hollow, was proud of his prowess as
school wrecker. Two teachers left
the neighborhood because they were
afraid to mix 1t with him. The school
bully had proved stumbling block
to education and culture. Johns
brother told visitors as they rode
through the hollow that John knew
more than the teacher and could
prove it any time there was match
Of wits and Drawn.
Lon Kelley was told all this when
he left Cyclone Flat and climbed the
hill side to Bear Hollow school, q
small weather beaten. box house in
the middle of a, clearing. He announc-
ed that he was there to teach out the
term and pulled the rope that tolled
cracked, rusty bell in an 1mprovised
belfry. Twenty pupils responded. In
that sparsely settled community, the
toughest and widest in Mcdonald
county. the children had to come
from afar. Each hollow and each
gulch that found an outlet in Bear
Hollow contributed 1t ssmall quota
The course of study ranged from the
chart" class in its A B C's through
the readers and physical geography"
to algebra. In the latter class there
was one pupil.
Near the end of the second week of
the term John Buttram announced to
some hearers down on Big Sugar Ford
that Bear Hollow and it's new school
master had gone far enough. So that
day when the teacher rang the bell
to take up" afternoon recess, John
Buttram did not respond. About flve
minutes later, when the pupils were
busy over their books, the door op-
ened and in walked John Buttram.
He was looking for trouble and a
scowl was on his face.
why didn't you come in when the
bell rang?" the teacher asked.
ut didn't suit me-" John said.
"You stay after books and I'll have
something to suit you." the master
said. His eyes turned to a bundle of
switches that hung on the wall back
of the masters desk and then to the
pocket Of his coat, In which lay a
| revolver.
You haven't got nothin' to suit
me-" John said. He rose from a
back seat and glowered at the mas
ter. II dare you down here" he said.
"You needn't think I'm afraid of you. -
You come to me- the master said.
my place Is here at my desk"
The Smaller Pupils We're Afraid.
Teacher and pupil met in the aisle.
Each stood his ground. The pupils
In the A c class began to whimper.
One big girl hid trembling behind her
big geography.
II want to go home," little boy
walled.
Lets not fight here. john" the
master said. LET the three school
directors settle It,"
We'll wait and have It out after
books" the bully said.
When school "let out" the children
trooped out the door and stood peep
AA6 oAVuuu Iuc COTucT OI Ine muse TO
watch. John stood on the "stoop''
when the master, dinner pail in hand,
came out Of the door.
"Just touch me once; don't wan,
you hit me, THE big boy said. Gust
touch me-"
The master advanced towards the
pupil. The latter struck at him with
his fist and made a motion as If to
take knife from one of his pockets.
The master acted quickly. AS he took
a revolver from a coat pocket, the
masters wife, a bride of two weeks,
appeared from around the corner of
the house, She had heard of the big
boys threat and intuitively had fan
cied there would be trouble. When
she saw the revolver she covered her
ears with her hands and screamed.
Three shots were fred. John But
tram lay writhing ON the ground,
with three bullet holes through his
body. He died the next morning.
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