Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-02-14

angwas next called ppon and he spoke
"Casabianca"-"T boy stood on the
burning deck when all but he had
fed" Jerry spoke the whole piece
and never made a break and was
loudly applauded. Amasa Gordon,
one of the big boys, read Patrick
Henry's speech, wherein he said, "If
it is to be war with Great Britain, let
it come; i repeat sir, let it come
give me liberty or give me DEATH"
Amasa's rendition of the speech had
so much oratorical fire in it that it
set the schoolhouse wild and the peo-
pie stamped and cheered and hand
clapped for a long time, but Jim
Bludsoe and his gang in the back
corner just snickered and made fun
and whispered sighting remarks that
Gordon "thinks he is smart" and
"would be coward if he knew he
had to fight"
After the applause subsidized loud
talking was still heard in the Blud-
soc corner and "Gusta" with ear and
eye turned in that direction in more
than ordinary voice said, shat all
the boys who had been whispering in
that corner would please leave the
room at once. / say what l mean
and mean what / say" Jim scowled
but put on his cap and mittens and
grabbed his lantern from near the
stove and he and his chums marched
out muttering that che, could lick old
Patrick Henry, Amasa Gordon or any
schoolma'am there was in Ionia coun-
ty." The Shanty Plains bunch hung
around on the outside making an &C.
casional disturbance.
The teacher called for one more
number to close the program. Fanny
Thompson and Willie Watson, in cos
tune, sang "My Darling Nellie Gray"
and one could almost see them "foat-
ing down the river in their little
light canoe, as the banjo so sweetly
/ did play" Just as the applause
was over bang came a stick of wood
against the outside door and there
was whooping and yelling outside.
"Gusta's" eyes flashed as never be-
fore and going to the door she gave
that crowd piece Of her mind and
ordered them to leave.
Mr.. Bludsoe speaking for the bunch
allowed that no Kiddville schoolma'am
could run him nor any fellow who
attended the Kiddville school or the
spelling school, and he would leave
when he got ready.
perhaps so" retorted the teacher,
and closed the door.
Howbeit there was confusion inside
when Jimmy McFadden, who was in
structed by the teacher to preserve
order outside, leaped out of the door
inside of two seconds and hunted the
bully in the stomach on the first jab
at the same time grabbing him by
hn MT hn aty
with a double somersault stunt, and
giving him a fierce jab on the point
of his lower jaw when he righted up.
By this time Tim Gallagher and Hank
Parkinson, who were his right and
left hand men, were getting ready to
assist jim, when McFadden gave each
a poke in the nose, one with his right
fist and the other with his left, caus-
ing a good draught of blood to flow,
which settled their hash quickly. The
gang went home. Jim said "he was
in no condition to fight anyway and
the others avowed that they didn't
want any trouble.
After the scrabble was finished or
der was resumed and the spelling
school was soon underway. Dulcie
McFadden and Barney Aultman chose
oioCo anu SiO NSuSHCi etiiu dhh
Billings took turns in pronouncing
the words from Webster's elementary
spelling book, beginning with short
words and closing with the long ones.
Barney's side won out, although Bar
ney himself went down on the word
zebra" he persisting in spelling it
with "y." Dulcie missed on "rhin-
oceros" and a whole lot had to take
their seats when "incomprehensibil-
ity" was pronounced.
Before dismissing the school N.Y.
ron Riggs of Cooks Corners rose up
and stated how he had enjoyed the
spelling school and wished there
might be more Of them around the
different districts and proposed that
a debating club and spelling school
society beorganized Hezekiah Wat
kins of the Green's church neighbor-
hood agreed and so did Sally Ann
an old teacher from Chad