The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-10-22
Wanted Information.

NOR full appreciation Of the following
a. you ought to have known the parties;
and you ought to have been at our Town
Meeting and heard Uncle John" make
his speech. But you shall have the story.
Mr.. Loren Smangle was busy man in
our village. He was carpenter by trade,
and speculator by instinct. He built
several houses, and upon the premise that
he owned much real estate he gained con-
siderable credit. He was constant in at
tendance at church, and outwardly he was
a very moral man. He was heavily franz
ed man, with stoop in his shoulders; and
his voice was attuned to pious twang. In
time it came to pass that Smangle failed
became bankrupt-and when his creditors
looked for his property they found that he
had put it all out Of his hands; all.his real
estate had been decided to relative who
lived in an adjoining town-and his credit
ors got nothing. In Short whom Smangle
came to make a disclosure of his effects in
court he was able to show that he was pos
sessed of just what was exempt from seiz-
ure by law, and nothing more. People
whom he owed were wroth, for they knew
that the big piece of land over the mill
brook was his, and they knew he still own
ed the block of buildings in the village,
though he only collected rents as agent of
the relative aforesaid. There was 10
bankrupt act of which he could take advan-
tage, and judgments held against him
would remain good for score of years.
Among Smangle's creditors was "Uncle"
John Watcher a quaint old genius, who
had been "Captain" in his day, and who
was now settled down to the cleaning and
tinkering of clocks and the heavier and
grosser kind of watches. Uncle John at
tended the same church with Smangle ard,
like Christian man, made no outcry a.
ga;nst his conniving brother, though deep
down in his heart he felt bitterness which
he could not hide.
Immediately after his failure Smangle
commenced the erection of q residence
upon the land over the mill-brook, and
there he laid out farm, doing all, of course
in the name of the distant relative--and
when the house was finished he moved into
it with his family. The months passed on,
and those who held judgments against
him looked in vain for visible property
upon which to lay an attachment. Smangle
was not to be caught in that way.
At length Smangle wanted the town to
accept and keep in repair road which he
had opened across the mill-brook, and in
the wa rrant calling the next town meeting
he got an article inserted "To see if the
Town will lay out and maintain road
commencing ETC., etc., running e etc.,
tc.,-to land of said Smangle."
The day of Town Meeting came, and
Smangle was on hand to press his claim for
the road, and he had engaged several of
the smart takers to advocate the measure
Finally that article in the warrant was
reached, and Squire Cummings made an
able plea in behalf of the project. 1t SEEM
ed only fair and just that the road should
be laid out, and so it would have been had
not an unexpected extinguisher been put
upon the measure. Uncle John Watch er,
arose and mounted the steps leading to the
chairman's desk.
"Mr. Moderator" said he, in his mel
low, measured tones, am certainly in
favor of granting all proper privileges and
/ am also in favor of adopting all necessary
plans for improvement. But, sir, before
the town votes to lay out this road would it
not be well to know where the work is to
end? We do not wish to start a thorough
fare which may find no termination on
earth. This article of the warrant spe-
cifes that the proposed road shall run to
land Of said Smangb.' Now sir, 1, for ono
haoe a great desire to knOw Just t0here any
pdrcelcf land belonging to said Smangle may
be lOcdtedF"
The meeting very quickly saw the poins.
Smangle, pale and red by turns, tried to
explain that there had been mistake
made in drawing up the article in the war
rant, but the merriment of the multitude
overwhelmed him, and he suffered the ar
ticle to be passed over. The road was fin
ished in course of time, but not at the ex-
pense Of the town.
Growth OF COrals.