The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-12-04
Taught School When Only
IS Years Old.
PAWNED HIS MOTHERS WATCH
To Carry Him Through the
First Two YearS-Rather
Strenuous Experience.
THE WARNING CAME TOO LATE

When the Speaker was fifteen
years old he taught country
school made up OF pupils all older
than he was, but none 80 big.
Therein lay the secret of his sue
cess as a schoolmaster at that stage
Of the game. because the "feuds,"
with which the countryside brls-
tied, all came to school and II be-
hooved a teacher to be alert and
husky.
Upon one occasion, when the day
was warm, he stood in the open
doorway giving out words to the
class in spelling. His back was to-
ward the road, and something sud
denly stung his elbow and stuck in
the door casing. He jumped and
turned to see the big brother orone
of his pupils galloping down the
road. and realized he had been shot
at for having licked" boy the
day before.
There wasn't much in the course
OF study beyond the three Rs
readin'. 'ritin' and 'rithmetic," the
Speaker observed quietly, as he
shifted carnation in the lapel of
his coat. mot much. and the way
through them was often pointed out
with a piece of hickory! Getting an
education was just as lively in the
process as imparting it,. and kind
Of strenuous thing all around.
One fellow gave me brace of pis-
tolls to hang in the school house in
case of need. That was because |
felt sorry for his brother, little,
frail boy. who was half-sick and
tried his best to learn things. ]
used to sit down with the little fell
low and help him out after school,
and the pistols were just token OF
appreciation from the family"
1t was his mothers pretty gold
watch that put Speaker Clark
through his first two years at the
University OF Kentucky. 1t was his
most cherished possession, and
when he borrowed money and gave
that as security. he eXacted q prom
Use from the friend who took 1t thot
II w5a to be put away carefully I'M
III he should redeem it with a sum-
mere term OF teaching.
II was during that summer he sa
in his room one night after a long
day at the schoolhouse. He was in
his shirt sleeves, his boots were
down on the floor and his feet were
up on the window sill, while he
read persistently. although con-
scious OF disturbance in the
street, until he heard a scream and
cries OF frenzy in tones strangely
familiar. II was the same tone that
droned through the multiplication
table that afternoon in the school
house and the teacher did not stop
for boots or hat as he tore out of
the house and down the street.
Two men were hanging from a
tree; one was lifeless and the body
OF the younger was still warm as
the schoolmaster whipped out his
knife and cut II down and laid il
on the grass. He worked for an
hour to bring the breath of life
back into the body of one OF his
big. wild scholars, but to no pur-
pose.
81 told that fellow hundred
times that thing would happen to
him." said the Speaker, as he re-
called the horror. but he was
wild. irresponsible scamp. and had
the habit of shooting up the town
about once in so often. he and his
uncle-the other fellow was his
uncle,"
But at the end OF that tragic sum-
mer he redeemed his mothers
watch. carried II for few days and
! then returned II to the same man
for a loan to carry him through his
sophomore year.
And when | got Il back the next
fall. | kept it," the Speaker con-
cluded.