Year: 1879

HOW Old Hickory and His Schoolmates


Conquered Their Pedagogue.


Judge 10 @. Guild, famous in Ten
nessee as the bosom friend of Andrew
jackson (and famous also for the saying
IN reference to the many divorces
granted by him, "when two people get
as cold as frogs to each other they ought
TO be separated ~, has just issued in
Nashville book of anecdotes of Jack
son. Among the most entertaining
"reminiscences related in the book is the
following account of barring


MY early life was made miser-
able by one Mulberry Bangs, gentle
man of the old school, who devoted
himself to reading, writing and arith-
metic, and the general use of stick.
Upon my head and other parts of my
person he imprinted himself so posi-
lively that can see him now as plainly
as if we had parted bat yesterday. He
was stout man, who made in his figure,
when made in profile, Hogarth's line of
beauty, being round-shouldered and
crooked in the legs. He was blonde.
The hair of his head had that sunny
tinge so much admired to-day, and,
when rubbed down with tallow- w-candle,
as was his wont to dress il, was so
smooth and straight that the boys be-
lieved that the flies slipped down it
and broke their legs. His eyes were dark
and fierce, and, hid under the Cavern
ous recesses made by his bushy red eye
brows, seemed to watch like evil spirits
over his precious nose. The nose was a
ruby one, bottle in shape, and when
Bangs was angry, which appeared to be
all the time, it glowed like the head
light of a locomotive. His mouth was
finished without lips, and resembled a
slit in piece of sole leather.


~Old Bangs was famous for his power
of resistance, and boasted that no
school of his had ever succeeded in
'cOnquering or barring him out. There
were two big boys in school, named Bill
Henning and Bob Strong. They were
knotty-headed, broad -shouldered, and
hard-fisted fellows, who worked through
the sumr,er for means to attend school
during the winter Each, in turn, had
been numerically whipped by the mas
ter, and it was understood throughout
the school that the barring-out of Mas
ter Bangs was to be accomplished and
old scores settled. The evening before
the general engagement Bill and Bob,
our noble leaders, with few confeder-
ates, stole back to the school-house
armed with hickory poles. Breaking
open the door, they whitfield one end OF
of these tough saplings to point, and
then hardened the points in the fire.
Then, placing these in corner ready
for use, with stout cord, they gave
orders to the boys willing to take part
IN the fight to be on hand at the school
house before daylight the next morning.
At the time indicated nearly all the
ilads were in attendance. Some were
pale and trembling, others were noisy
and boastful, but / observed that the
real leaders and reliable soldiers were
cquiet-so quiet, indeed, that one might
doubt them. Our first
order was to cut and carry in
enough wood to serve the garrison dur
ing the siege. This was promptly exc
cuted. The window shutters were pulled
to and securely nailed, the door closed
and desks and benches piled against it
After two portfolios were opened by
removing the chinks and daubing, we
gathered about roaring fire in the
hinge fireplace, and waited the approach
Of the enemy. As the time approached
for the masters coming dread silence
fell upon the little crowd, so that when
he did come we could hear his heavy
Tread upon the crushing snow, and
many heart sank and face whitened in
Serror. The leaders sprung to their
posts on each side of the door, and, on
being ordered to surrender, boldly de-
1nHnded weeks holiday and treat OF
cider and apples. This was sternly re-
fused. Firel cried Bill and Bob, and
two poles were thrust out with all the
strength the stout arms could give them
They took the indignant pedagogue in
the sides with such force that but for a
thick flannel overcoat holes might have
been made in his wicked body. AS
1t was. he staggered back, and for twenty
minutes or more we saw him sitting
'upon log catching his breath and rub
bing his wounded sides. We gave nc
end of loud cheers, claiming for our
selves the first knock-down, il not the
first blood.


AT the end of twenty minutes the
master arose. Digging large stone
from the snow, he approached and