The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-05-07
SCHOOL TEACHER AS BARBER
Former Kenosha County Editor Living
Within a Hundred Miles of Mexican
Border Gives Some Interesting Facts
an Traits of Mexicans,
Riverside. Cal. April 20, 1914.

hlVeISlue, Cdl', ApIl4 20, I0If'
As the war clouds lower or tighten
u expect that any kind of news from
the scene of action is of interest to
Wisconsin people. Riverside is within
one hundred miles of the Mexican bor-
der and as we have couple of thous-
add Mexicans in our population it
brings our national troubles rather
close to the range of vision.
was much interested recently in
the remarks of one of our school teach
els who has charge of a grade school,
where a large portion Of the scholars
are Mexicans and negroes. California
has no exclusion customs and negroes,
Mexicans, Chinese and Japanese are
represented in all of the schools, but
the residences are to great degree,
segregated, which brings the bulk of
these people within one district.
This teacher has something like four
hundred pupils in his charge and much
of his acticity is exercised in keeping
them from straying off into some of
the many by-ways which lead away
from the path to the school house. AS
school teacher, his authority is re-
spected by the Mexicans. Next to
their priest, the school teacher is
Authority with them and his commands
are implicitly obeyed A schoolmaster
Gan cause them to do many things
(which in an ordinary citizen would
Ibe unheeded.
The pedagogne said he thought one
thing which made religion popular with
Ithese people was that it gave them
many holidays, all Of which were APP
Epreciated and unfailing observed. He
(said, too, there was biblical admoni-
ption which they unanimously obeyed;
that was the command to be fruitful
and multiply and replenish the earth.
Another maxim of the good book which
apparently found favor with them was
TO take no thought of the morrow, of
what we shall eat or drink or the
wherewithal for wearing apparel. He
did think they gave few thoughts as
ITO what they should drink on the NOR
row, this being a temperance town and
Liquid refreshments having to be ar
ranged for in advance, otherwise they
were sufficiently care-free to satisfy
1.-THE most rigid theologian.
One of the most frequent explanations
Tor the absence of a pupil from school
was indisposition. ooh, Pedro. he
teacher is prepared for this. 'FWell,
where is he sick? Is it inside or out
side = If on the outside the pupil was
'ordered to expose the pimple or scratch
and ointment was applied If on the
cnslde, dose was prepared, one Of the
fklnd where one dose is sufficient and
ka second never administered with any
thing short of personal violence. In
Shoth instances some practical Christian
Esclence would be applied and the pupil
generally would be Immediately ready
ITO join the ranks of his fellow students.
Possibly it was the toothache which
twas the matter, in which case the
teacher was supplied with dope guaran-
teed to stop any toothache in two
minutes. He also has in the equip
ment of his Office some forceps and
when occasion demands can extract a
refractory tooth although he does not
guarantee that the operation is with
bout pain either to the extractor or
khe extractee.
He also has a set of hair clippers
Tand pair of shears and when the
Fexlgences of art and harmony demand
iaction in the name of aesthetic sym.
metry, why he does some plain barber
dng. He especially objects to the side
Ibnrns which some of the Mexican
youth affect and he also makes il
principle to trim the growth on the
Eback of the neck so the air can cir
fculate more freely through the shirt
fcollar.
He does not often have to use force
ian order to induce refractory pupils to
ATTEND. By going after them once the
matter becomes impressed that it is
something which has to be and parents
and pupils are quick to recognize this.
Once he did have to use persuasion of
the muscular kind The pupil declined
TO go and got his hands entwined in
picket fence and seemed unable to ex-
tricate himself. The teacher there
upon, put his foot down-pu both
feet down-braced himself in the man
ner of the fat man anchoring himself
for the tug of war at Fourth of July
picnic. The adhesion between the fence
and the fingers was so intimate that by
the time they had been separated a
large percentage of the pickets were
off the fence and both master and pupil
were red in the face.
The boy then expressed an anxiety
~ travel the rest of the way unassisted