Whole School Has Struck

Pupils Have Not Attended for Two Months

BRIGHTON’S ODD TROUBLE

Pupils Didn’t Like the Teacher as Well as Former Ann Arbor Teacher—Friction Grew

Prof. Watkins, who resided on Packard street, in this city, a year of so ago and taught the Brighton schools, so ingratiate himself with his pupils there as to make trouble for his successor, whom they did not esteem so highly and troubles which ensued are graphically told by an Evening News correspondent in the following dispatch: 

Brighton, Mich., Dec, 30. – A small chip of wood, worn on the lapel of a boy’s coat, in place of a campaign button, was the instrument that broke up the Brighton high school. Fifty-one of the boys and girls who commenced school in September have been on a “strike”for nearly two months. Since early in November, Prof. Burk-head, the principal, and Miss Preston, the preceptress, have had a grand total of two boys and four girls in all their classes, where formerly 57 came each school day to draw knowledge from that fountain of learning. If the name of the democratic candidate for congress in this district had not been Wood, the trouble might have been patched up.

BOYS DON’T LIKE PRINCIPAL.

Through September and October there was general sparring for position, and by November it needed only a piece of kindling to fire the explosion. The pupils had the deepest respect for the preceptress, but they liked the principal even less than they had thought they would, and if he had any tact at all it was used in changing that dislike to hatred. The boys got so that they spoke of him as “Mr. Blockhead,” and printed the changed name on sidewalks over town. He would often refer to them in such endearing terms as “rowdies”and “loafers.”

ENTER THE CAMPAIGN BUTTON.

Just before election, the manager of Sam Smith, the republican candidate for congress, sent some campaign buttons to Postmaster Brown for distribution. This made the friends of Mr. Wood, the democratic candidate, feel rather lonely; and for the want of a better badge they pinned bits of wood on their coats to show their ranks were not entirely depleted. 

The son of a prominent democrat wore one of these edges to school. It was like a red rag before the eyes of the touchy professor. He was insulted at once. To have the word “block-head”written on the sidewalks and whispered in the hallways was bad enough, but to have a boy ear a “block”of wood and thus twit the professor before his very eyes that he was considered a “blockhead” was more than he he could stand. This was interpretation that he put to the innocent little campaign badge, and he ordered the boy to take it off. Being a free born American citizen and believing it his right to belong to whatever party he chose, especially the democratic party, the boy refused. He was promptly expelled from school, No. 1. His sister said “me, too,” that left 55.

The situation was a very depressing one for the preceptress, who was trying to give the district value received for her monthly pay. It was a difficult thing to do, though, with hostility on as they were between chafing under treatment received from the professor, and concluded to bring things to a head. 

PROF. SCENTED TROUBLE.

They drew up a bill of rights, and demanded an arbitration. At the call from recess one day in early November, they filed in, took the front row of seats, and by their spokesman presented a petition, demanding certain concessions; the refusal of which meant a strike.

They expected the professor to try to trounce some of them, and had an agreed line of battle in which they were all to “do or die” together.But the professor was too shrewd to tackle the whole bunch; he gave them a harsh tongue lashing, and promised no concession. Forty-nine marched out, and saw the school director, but got no satisfaction. They saw another member of the board; same there. Then the strike was on in full blast, and has been on ever since. 

The professor doesn’t seem to worry about their staying away; he draws his salary regularly, and that with lightened burdens. 

But the parents have become tired of having their children romp the street when they should be in school. A meeting was held Saturday in which everybody had an opportunity to express himself and herself. They all did. Prosecuting Attorney Shields was brought down from Howell to show them a way, and he was asked to devise some way to jar the professor loose. But the professor is away enjoying his holiday vacation, ready to come back next week and again commence drawing his pay. He merely points the board to his contract, and says he will hold them to it.