"James Silverton" > wrote

> When I attended Oban High School, corporal punishment was allowed (with a
> broad leather strap called a tawse). My math teacher, Mr. Troup, hardly
> ever used it being a dead shot with pieces of chalk when he saw you
> talking or just being innattentive in his opinion. I don't think any of my
> fellow brats ever complained; a great contrast from present day
> conditions. Actually, Mr. Troup and I stayed friends to the end of his
> life.
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland

Mr. Coe was my main math mentor. There were two things distinguishing about
the man. He always wore a suit and tie. On Monday it was spotless. As the
week went on, and he habitually put his hands in his pockets, they became
white, until the end of the week when he would have the suit cleaned again.
The other was he had body odor, and we called him B. O. Coe. I later found
out he was seriously Mormon, and I'm sure that was caused by those nylon
underwear they wear. That was the days before air conditioning.

On a teacher's salary, and several kids, he managed to buy up "worthless"
land around our home town out in the desert. He must have retired a
millionaire, and his family trust must be enormous by now. All that desert
now has houses and shopping centers on it.

Steve