Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1940-09-19


teachers. Plug, pipe and stogies
were in vogue. They chewed in time
of school and smoked during inter-
loose in his morals, would be out of
plug much of the time, we think
purposely, and in time of study he
would wiggle his forefinger to some
one across the room whom he OBJ
served had good-sized plug, and
the latter would toss it across, and
in the same way it was returned.
Another teacher of the same class,
was busy at recess putting lesson
on the blackboard and asked some
of the smokers to fill his pipe for
him. They did it cheerfully, but
contrived to slip in small charge OF
gunpowder. The teacher lit his pipe
and proceeded with his work when
suddenly something happened. NO
serious results, but being associated
and having to contend with a beau
tiful pack of liars, he knew not who
tricked him, but he was careful al
ter that to load his own pipe.
Working the jaws (chewing to-
bacco) was not entirely confined to
the boys; some of the girls used q
popular brand of chewing gum, 9TH
ers less financially able, seemed
contented with a well-filled pocket
of parched corn. 1t is our belief
that the career of many business
men, and women, too, got their in
ception in the country school. What
do you mean, trading? Yes, that's
it. This propensity would show it.
self very plainly at school, more SO
among the boys, but not few girls
were clever traders. A boy with a
jack knife, ''Well, how'll ye trader
1t all depended upon his sagacity
| to be able to detect all manner OF
deception, else he would soon lind
| himself out Of his trading stock
We have seen girls trade chewing
gum, even after it had been partial
| ly masticated. Ugh. Aside from
lice and itch, both of which could be
controlled but too often neglected
there was one thing that WoulC
| hatch out in school that was far be
yond any power of control: To stoI
| the rise and fall at the Bay o1
| Fundy would be comparatively easy
| Yes, you have guessed it, puppy
| love- You say that it got you
/ We don't doubt it. 1t will get {
| stranglehold sometimes even before
| they have reached the teen age
| We have known it to grow to sucf
| intensity that it would eventually
result in a union where they would
live happily through life; thel
again work the other way-dis
astrously.
| Some time, somewhere, we heart
a poem "The Smack in School" i
was about one of those big round
sloppy-whopper kisses that woulG
| almost stop a clock; sounding like
la COW pulling her foot out of tht
| mud. Had it happened out of doors
it wouldn't have smelled so loud
| Sometimes this puppy love Woulo
bring out the best there was in the
ardent lovers We have known 9
| boy genius to toll for hours on q
peach-seed and convert it into q
| miniature basket, handle and all
or work out finger ring from a
penny, etc. A wide awake girl
with a bone crochet hook and some
zephyr yarn, would produce a thing
of beauty of which any country boy
could well be proud.
The country school during study
hours was always restless, at least
for some. Someone was continually
asking, Teacher, please may | go
out?" The rule was, only one out
at a time, but we knew one sleepy
headed teacher who was SO drowsy
he would scarcely hold his head UP
off the desk and keep his eyes open,
when one after another kept asking
to go out until seven marched in II
once And there was Jimmy Jones
who would grow restless, and the
hum of the schoolroom would be
broken by "Teacher, kin me an Will
| lie Longbreeches go after bucket
of water?" "Ya-a-s, l guess so, but
see that you don't play along the
road
In those days, at the approach OF
the holiday season, the scholars eX-
pectel a Christmas or New Years
candy treat. Some teachers were
Indifferent and disposed to rebel
and often the scholars would be-
come refractory and conspire tc
lure the teacher away and then
| make rush for the school house
and bar or bolt the door and keer
the teacher out until he would
promise to treat Usually it work
ed, but in one particular instance
! it almost led to an insurrection
The writer was one of the small
pupils, but in our minds eye this
teacher was one of the incest young
men that ever stood behind the desk
at the old Smith school. He was an
expert ball player and entered into
the zest of the game with all his
might and main, but there was nc
sign of any treat AS fielder and
a foul ball, purposely, he fell into
the trap, and the next minute he
was wise to the scheme. He hur-
ried to the door, but it was barri-
caded. Not word did he say, but
started off down the narrow valley
toward his boarding place, round
ed the bend and was soon out OF
sight One of the older girls, where
the teacher boarded, said that very
likely John would pack his valise
and go home. 1t was then that the
conspirators got into quarrel as
to who was mostly to blame. Hot
words soon famed into flame and
it sounded like a convention of lun-
atics, and they were fast coming to
blows when in the midst of the up
roar someone chanced to take a
peep through rear window and
saw in the distance the teacher re-
turning. At this the temper of the
participants began to cool down
AS the teacher drew nearer it was
observed that he was carrying some
thing that looked like a hooppole
He was carrying it on his shoulder.
Marching up through the school
yard, his countenance appeared as
though the wrath of the Almighty
had been visited upon him. Laying
hold of tho daar. Ix,aoh ha dam n 4