St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-12-03
a Peddler's Trick.

The Danville Star copies the follow
ing paragraph. 1t cannot be that Edi-
tor Eaton had any thought of local
application-ob,n no!
Previous to 1880 there was law in
| Vermont that held the several towns in
the state liable to pay for the injuries
that resulted to travellers on the high
ways, if such injuries were occasioned
by the defects in the roads. 1t very
reasonably happened accidents occurred
i'll all parts of the state, and the select
men of the towns interested exercised
their best judgment in settling with in
jured parties, or if they could not make
Il satisfactory settlement, then they
with the town agent contested the case
in the courts. A bad accident filled a
town with dismay. Officers and people
shook in their shoes at the prospect of
the lawsuit aud the taxes. When the
damage was to horse, harness or vehi-
Gle, a settlement could usually be made
without litigation, but when a man or
woman was hurt they had the shrewd-
ness to exaggerate their injuries and
remain helpless, OF nearly so, until a
large sum was secured then there
were some speedy recOveries. There
was once peddler, whom we will call
Smith, as his name would have been
Smith if it had not been something else.
He had most remarkable back. There
was a crook in it and bunch on it, a
hollow in it, and altogether it was such
back us no discreet man ought to car
ry around the country, but it was for
tune to him. He peddled in Vermont,
and as he went tea-potting around he
carefully looked out bad places in the
road, where a rock projected, or a log
would bounce one, or a gully would
take in a wheel, and at such a place his
miserable soul was filled with delight.
Down he would climb from his wagon
and lay himself in pile, back and all,
and allow his horse to Craze along the
highway. Soon passer-by would fnd
him in the dirt with broken back and
almost insensible. Help would be pro-
cured, and an excited lad would gallon
away for a doctor, while careful hands
would bear the wretched, groaning vic
tim to the nearest house. The doctor
would decide that it was disiocatiou
of the spine, aud he had it bad. Nc
human remedy could fix that back, and
he would advise the sufferer if he had
any word to send to his family, or viii
to make, or any little item of prayers OF
confessions of sins, he had better attend
to it about now. In faint whisper
Smith would ask that the selectmer
might be sent for, and then he would
die again. The selectmen would com,
like mourners to funeral, and SmitI
would revive enough to ask that some
slight provision might be made for hi
family and funeral expenses. His poo
family could not manage lawsuit. S,
settlement would be speedily made a
from one hundred to five hundred dol
lars, and he would rally SO as to sign
receipt to bar any future claim AM
stow the money away in his pocket
The selectmen and the crowd woul,
leave and the peddler would rest Quiet
ly awhile, but in about day he wonl,
gasp out the desire that his team Nigh
be brought to the door; perhaps b.
could live to get home, it was hard +
die among strangers. So his team
would be brought, and with careful al,
he would be hoisted into his seat nm,
made comfortable, Away he would o