Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-04


teachers. l)l4e over in Illinois came ma
Jestically in to visit the school one
day and corrected small boy as to
2rbnlllciation and spelling. The boy
sMsas light and the teacher suggested as
much. The dictionary was referred to
and the boy supported by THE mmorta!
Noah. The superintendent was at no
loss. In his dignified manner he adj
mitted that MIR Webster had right
to his opinion" And some of us awed
by that mighty presence in the flesh
and understanding Noah Webster only
as a collaboration of syllables and def
initions have felt a doubt of Noah
infalliability ever since.
Then the teachers; there was "old
Wales bewhiskered, lacking in the
commoner branches but strong on
government" Behind his desk stood
an array of hickory pointers" each of
which bore evidence in finish and sym
metry of the loving care with which
it had been fashioned. They did dou-
BILE duty; they served to point OUT on
the map as We sang THE capital of
Maine is Augusta on the Kennebec
river" to beat time when we chanted
five times five are twenty five and
five times six are thirty" this last to
the tune of yankee Doodle and to
beat out a very different tune from the
flucliless youngster who transgressed any
one of the multifarious rules laid down
by this Moses who wore side wliiskers
and spoke in a squeaky voice. He it
was who lodged the hard examples
in common fractions by assuming STU
perior smile when you asked his aid
and ordering further work on it for
the day and who came fresh from his
key" in the morning to put 1t on the
board with a grand flourish of nath-
ematical infallibility that fooled none
but himself, He managed to get the
school for the winter term also and the
big boys seeing thru him and his
fimsy .pretense dumped him 7ieadfirst
into a handy snow bank and gave the
school weeks holiday until another
teacher could be secured.
There was Thompson, keen, earnest
qualified, fresh from school and with a
knowledge of baseball, then unknown
to the district school and but dimly
understood by the town fellers.' What
a school he made of lit. How we walked
thru percentage and even got some
understanding gllimpses into English
grammar. He did more in four months
than all his predecessors had done in
years. He had, la real school. He had
two baseball mines in the two rooms of
the school and rivalry ran high both in
and out of the school room as strongly
over the lessons as over the scores.
But he wouldn't stay The directors
wanted him but couldn't afford him,
He taught a few terms for $50 month
where they were willing to pay it and
studied law. He has been in congress
since
Then there rises into mind cold
Jones' He was college graduate and
fairly educated studying law and will
ing, to take $40 a month from the dis
trict while he read" He was man.
of forty and slyly addicted to drink
The only activity he ever exhibited
was in walking miles to debates at the
various school houses securing thus
The practice in the arts of oratory
Mhi2l,i 1t was his intent to exercise in
e,sl.s. I'seat Is all he did. He was dirty,
!, ~ ana unwashed. His coat front
,il,Sg and stiff and shone like
s & ii tie dark. About him hung
a. @ NJ isslt :ik.liika smell. Despised and
ED ne cared little what the
isoa Or It's patrons thought. When
ia term vas over he went his way
and melted into the things which are
s
missed with a sense of satisfaction.
And Stokes: Stokes was a good
teacher in most respects. He taught
and had government" He was a
""jerker.1 A little seance of whisper
ing, a short symposium of giggles and
he swooped down on the little group of
+err; fed how a an aar1e ,,,iuIN s.tno,,
to it's quarry. Out over the desk we
came under the nervous jerk of his
sinewy arm, one after another until in
one rude tumble blent the little cotorie
lay piled on the floor. Then he went
back to his Interrupted arithmetic
class and silence broken by muffled
sobs settled like a pail where there
had been nerriment and jovialfty but
the moment before. All the boys in
the school registered in heaven so
many VOWS to meet and slay him the
minute they attained their majority
that the recording angels office was
swamped with business. He still lives,
gray and old, but indomitable and
prone to Clerk" Does any one recall
an instance where the vows of youth
to click the teacher were ever car
ried out in later years?
Then came "old Brown" He moved
into the neighborhood with a wife and