The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-10-05

had the right to punish him at all r.
The chauffeur, however. unhesitat
ingly released Newton, and furiously
which miscarried by foot. In reply.
Jim countered with an awkward
swinging uppercut. 1t landed fairly on
the point of the jaw. The chauffeur
staggered and slowly toppled over into
the soft earth which had caused so
much Of the rumpus.
"Oh, cut II out" said fat man IN
the rear Of the car, who had hither-
to manifested small interest In any
thing save Ponto. Get in, and let's
be on our wayl"
Colonel Woodruff, waving toward
him In his runabout, held up by the
traffic blockade, asked what was going
on here. and the chauffeur, rising
groggily, climbed into the car; and the
meeting dissolved.
"Good work, JIM" said Cornelius
Bonner. 81 didn't think twas in vel"
"It's beastly," said Jim, reddening.
II didn't know, either"
Colonel Woodruff looked at his
hired man sharply, gave him some In
structions for the next day and drove
on. The road gang dispersed for the
| afternoon. Newton Bronson carefully
secreted the magic muzzle, and
chuckled ar what had been perhaps
the most picturesquely successful bit
Of deviltry In his varied record. Jim
Irwin put out his team, got his supper
and went to the meeting of the school
board.
The deadlocked members Of the
board had been so long at loggerheads
that their relations had swayed back
to something like amity. Jim had
scarcely entered when Con Bonner ad-
dressed the chair.
"Mr. President" said he, 1--WE have
wild us might, young man who nades
no Introduction to an audience in this
place. Mr.. Jim Irwin. He thinks we're
bullheaded mules, and that all the
schools are bad. At the proper time I
shall move that we hire him FIR teach
er; and pinding that motion, l move
that he be given the floor. Ye've all
heared of Mr.. Twins ability as a
white hope, and l know he'll be lis
tened to wild respect"
Much laughter from the board and
the spectators, as Jim arose. He
looked upon II as ridicule Of himself
while Con Bonner regarded 1t as
tribute TO his successful speech.
'.Mr. President and Gentlemen Of
the Board" said Jim, ''Pm not going
to tell you anything that you don't
know about yourselves. You are sim
ply making a farce Of the matter Of
hiring a teacher for this school You
know, and know, that even If your
silly deadlock is broken by employing
a new candidate, the school will be
the same old story. 1t will still be the
school 1t was when 1 came into It a
little ragged boy"-here JIm's voice
grew a little husky-"and when l left
t, bigger boy, but still as ragged as
averrp
There was slight sensation in the
audience, as If, as Con Bonner said
lbout the knock-down, they hadn't
hought Jim Irwin could do it.
"Well," said Con, you've done well
o hold your own"
IN all the years l attended this
school," Jim went on, 81 never did
lit of work In school which was
useful. No other pupil
ver did any real work Of the sort
armers' boys and girls should do. We
opied city schools-and the schools s
We copied are poor schools We made :
ad copies of them, too If any of you
hree men were making a fight for :
What the Country Life commission
allied new kind of rural school, I'd
ay fight. But you aren't. You're just
making individual fights for your ia I
orite teachers" '
Jim Irwin made a somewhat lengthy t
peech after the awkwardness wore a
ff. He adjured Bronson, Bonner and t
eterson to study his plan of new
ind of country school-in which the .
'ork of the school should be CORE :,
tied with the life of the home and
ne farm-a school which would be :.
/ the highest degree cultural by be- :
lg consciously useful and obviously a
tactical.
Sharp spats Of applause from the
seless hands of Newton Bronson I,
ave the final touch Of absurdity to a e
tuation which Jim had felt to be b
diculous all through. Had 1t not n
zen for Jennie Woodruffs "Humph !"
inging him, had 1t not been for the
'surd notion that perhaps, after they to
Id heard his speech, they would u
ace him in charge of the school. and is
at he might be able to do something OF
ally important In 1t. he would not n
i've been there. AS he sat down, he o.
lew himself dreamer The nodding o,
ard Of directors, the secretary, :,
tually snoring the bored audience
stored the field-hand to a sense Of
S proper place. in
1--WE have had the privilege of lis re
lin'.' said Con Bonner. rising. ito ar
eat speech. Mr.. Prisldint. Maxim a re
cd spache is one thing. and teach
z a good school Is another, but in or