Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-04-04

best teachers in the township Of Or
leans and they knew how to straight
en- out the big boys who were often
raising trouble in school and fire.
quently they would use a ruler and
beech CAD with good effect. One big
strapping fellow thought he could do
as he was a mind to and study when
he pleased. Mehitable asked him to
recite the sevens in the multiplied
ton table-"seven times one is sew
en-; seven times two are fourteen,
etc"-but he baked and "sassed" her
back when she told him he would
have to do it or stay in at recess. He
said "multiplication didn't amount to
anything nohow," and no teacher
could ever make him repeat the ta-
BILE. What was more he wouldn't
stay in at recess. Mehitable always
acted promptly and when he refused
to step out into the the middle of the
floor she grabbed him by the coat
collar and with too stout jerks land
ed him near her desk, beating him
good and hard on the knuckles with
her ruler at the same time telling
him she would give him one of the
greatest dressing downs he ever had
with one of the beech gads if he
didn't mind her. John Martin was
the boy and seeing that she meant
business and could execute what she
undertook to do he not only said the
sevens but repeated the whole multi
plication table. John was one of the
best boys in school after that and
turned out to be fine in mathematics.
Howbeit, Jimmy McFadden sent a
note to Nancy Stocking, teacher of
the Cooley school, that he hoped to
see her at the Orleans spelling
school and would come after her if
he could get Jim Gordon's horse and
buggy, the only one in the neighbor-
hood. He also told her the question
for debate was Resolved, That Boil
ogna Sausage is More Nutritious and
of Greater Benefit to Mankind Than
Triple or Picked Pigs Feet" A few
days later he received the following
reply:
Cooley School, March, 1862.
My Dear Mr.. McFadden:
Your kind kind favor and invita-
ton received 1t will give me plea
sure to attend the meeting. There
will be load of us as our school dir
ector will take us in a lumber wagon
with an OK team. So you will not |
need to come after me. The question |
for debate is a peculiar one. | new
er ate tripe or tasted of picked pigs |
feet, but if the flavor is anything like !
the smell of the Dutch cheese we had |
ut Smyrna / think the bologna side |
IF the question would suit me best. |
hope the discussion will not lead to
trouble similar to that which you par
,icipated in at Smyrna. / am
Respectfully,
Nancy Stocking.
Now, it came to pass on the night
If the meeting that the schoolhouse
lad been decorated for the occasion
md dozen extra candles in tin can
llesticks were fastened to the walls
md two on the teachers desk. There
vas a great crowd present for the
Iardscrabble club had a name and
anne for miles around, and Orleans
vas the center of gravitation on that
light. The .old schoolhouse never
leld such a throng before. The
president of the club called to order
md said the Orleans folks had pre-
Jared a short program to proceed the
ebate and other business of the even
ng. The first would be song by
he male quartette, composed of
Iank Thompson, George Giddings,
clam Sampson and Ben Fairbanks.
hey sang "Ben Bolt"-"Oh, don't
GU remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt;
weet Alice with hair so brown" ETC.,
nd "My Grandfather's Clock" wind
ng up with an encore, "Old Crimes"
Old Grimes is dead, that good old
IAN, with buttons on his coat" etc.
'hese selections caused an outburst of
pplause of no small proportions. A
ecitation by little Alfred Potter was
ext. He was so small they carried
DIM to the desk where he stood and