Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-08-08
:, The
SChO0lmaSfer
By Bryant c. ROGERS
Copyright, 1912. by Associated Literary
Press)


copyright, 1912, by Associated Literary
Press)
There had been talk for year or
more among the residents of Laurel
Cove, high up on the Cumberland
range. that a school for their children
ought to be opened, with 'reg'la
schoomaster" at the head, and the
thing was an accomplished fact at
last An old log barn had been re-
modelled, the schoolmaster had ar.
lating itself on the boom.
II don't reckon this yere Cove will
ever be as big as Raleigh or Nash
Vile" observed Uncle Jim Henderson,
the leading man of the hamlet, but
what I'm sayin' Is that we've made
a right smart beginning to see the dirt
fly"
The schoolmaster was bachelor
Of thirty. He had been picked up
cheap He had tried preaching, ped.
ding and two or three other occupa-
tions and made failure of each.
One to look at him would know that
he was shiftess and had no ambition,
but Laurel Cove wasn't expecting any
great shakes of schoolmaster-not
for awhile anyhow. The name Of the
pedagogue was Jed Baker, and the
school committee had arranged that
he should board with the Widow Car
son. That's where the committee
made a mistake that had serious re-
suits In the first place. the widow
already had another boarder in the
person of young Tom Beardsly, who
got out ties for the railroad and In.
tended to marry her. In the next,
there was another widow In the Cove
"a Mrs. Martin. who at once became
Jealous Of the other and was deter
mined to raise a row
Hardly had the schoolmaster open
ed his show" and began teaching A,
B, c when there was conspiracy on
foot. Tom Beardsley saw a possible
rival In him and determined that his
school should be a failure.
Mrs. Martin felt that she had been
sighted and she went to planning
how she could get him to her own
cabin Mrs. Carson admitted that the
schoolmaster was shackiety, but as he
was "eddecated" she felt that she
could marry him and aid him to make
a career
The school ran along for a couple
of months and everybody was pleased.
Aside from teaching his pupils that
twice five Is ten, and that dog"
spells dog, Jed made the announce
ment that the world was round and
that there was more water than land
on this globe. Also. that the Chinese
ate rats, and that England was entire
ly surrounded by water Uncle Jim
Henderson was ready to admit about
the dog" but he took exception to
the land and water question and pri-
yately advised the schoolmaster to go
a little slow.
Il hain't sayin' that you hain't right
about 1t, mind you" he remarked, "but
you see we have had so mighty little
to do with land and water. and such
heap to do with coonskins around
yere that it's gwine to take time. My
son Bill was sayin that you told the
scholars the other day 1t was ninety
three million miles to the sun
That's what 1t is," replied Jed.
"Who measured TT"
ut has been measured by the as
tronomers."
"And who be them"
"Men who study the sum- moon and
stars"
What did they measure within"
Instruments, Uncle jim"
Better let 1t drap, Jed" said the
old man with shake of his head. 1T
may be ninety-three million miles to
the sun. but you cant find anybody
around these diggns who'll believe
It's over half mile and you don't
want to git up and be fussin' about
It,"
Two landlookers got into trouble at
the Cove and there was shooting.
Among the witnesses were the school
master and both widows, and one day
they had to appear at town In the
lowlands to give testimony. Previous
to this the Widow Martin had had two
or three talks with Tom Beardsly, the
tie contractor, and had sowed the
seeds of jealousy in his mind He had
also seen with his own eyes that his
landlady was more or less struck on
the schoolmaster. The latter had on
two or three occasions spoken highly
Of the Widow Martin, and this had
huffed the Widow Carson. There was
rancor in three human hearts and
something was to follow.
The witnesses were absent from
their homes for two days, and they
had scarcely returned when a band of
revenue men came up on the noun
tain and raided a still that had been
in operation over two years. While
the officials walked directly to the
still, proving that they must have had
information in advance, the alarm
had been given and they made no ar
rests. The capture and destruction Of
the still was sufficient, however, to set
Laurel Cove ablaze. Some one had
blabbed There was a traitor in the
camp.
1t was Uncle Jim Henderson who
figured 1t out that some information
must have fallen from one of the
three witnesses who went down to
court. They were examined and each
Indignantly denied it. 1t was then
that Tom Beardsly came forward and
told of having seen the schoolmaster
in secret conversation with a man In
a livery stable. Jed did not deny the
conversation He had been asked by