The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-09

| - ~ -
brought tile disorderly youths father
rampant 70 the school-to lick the
teacher.
"John was then only boy himself
"a big, strong, broad-shouldered
boy, it is true, but only boy" says
Clay Bigger, "and his assailant was
a rough old giant, fully 6-foot-4 who
was determined to lick the young
teacher. Nothing else would satisfy
him. He made that plain. John rea-
soned with him and tried to get him
10 take reasonable view of the sit
utaion-but the fellow only became
the more abusive and insolcnt. Then
it was that Johns usually ruddy lips
became white and his big blue eyes
narrowed to points of steel grey. He
stepped squarely up to the big man
and his words came with a cold and
measured precision that was truly
l ominous.
"'You get out of this school house
and off these grounds and stay off as
long as I'm teacher--or I'll kill YOU
"That was all he had to say. With
out so much as touching him John
Pershing completely cowed the big
fellow and sent him in haste and
amid mumbled apologies out Of the
school house to return no more"
From other sources there is a SIM
liar evidence of the sturdy fiber Of
John Pershing's courage and power of
will.
"John was no sissy even if he was
clean and well-behaved," says Chas.
r. Sturgeon of Brookfcld, who was
Pershing's classmate in the old La
clede school, his chum during the
teen days and his roommate at
Kirksville Normal School. ale was
friend worth having. He was a
manly, outstanding boy whom one
could depend on. In his classes he al
ways had his lessons and when asked
to work problem or explain propo-
sition of any kind he would go
promptly to the blackboard and do it
in way that proved his heart was III
the work.
"Thc year John taught in Charlton
county | had a school north of Lin
neus. We were getting our first
teaching experience and money TO
take US to college. My school was in
a rough neighborhood, and in order to
keep the school together l had to
lick the ring-leader of the trouble
makers, a big boy-the son of
tough character who lived back in the
woods on a by-road and who, even
in that neighborhood, had a rather
shady reputation. This man refused
to let his son return to school, and set
afioat many rumors of his determine
ton to get even with me. The
worst of it was he was secretary Of
the school board and had to go to
his house to get the certificate that
would ontitle me to my pay. Here
was trouble sure enough.
"And the upshot of the matter
was: 81 came back to Laclede without
my money. About that time John
came home from his school and of
course told him of my troubles.
"'Let's go get that cstificate', he
"T wouldn't ask you to co. pro-
tested.
"'Of course I'll co. he said in
HldCEeT-OI-ldCt Wuys I1dNcuI you
got horses enough for US both to ride 2
"And to make a long story short"
continued Mr.. Sturgeon, "John went
with mo back through the woods and
among a pack of snarling dogs to the
forbidding shack Of the school secre-
tary. He was at home and admitted
US to the house. I introduced John as
Mister Pershing-of Laclede'. we
came after my certificate l said, and
we remained standing. He looked
John over, went to table, wrote out
the certificate and handed it to me
without a word.
"Thcn we went to school at Kinks
ville-roomed together and studied
together. John was a Woodworking
student and applied himself to his
classes. When he came home at the
end of the term I was offered po-
sition in store, tok it andy Heck
I'm clerking yet. It was then that
John and I talked things over. Up
to that time neither Of us had formed
any definite idea of what was to be
our life work.
!" I'm going back to Kirksville. any.