The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-04-15
The Drum mer's Coleman.


which fall under his observation, and they will oe
printed under the above caption. The editors OF
opinions In this column. aud AZ the writer Is well
able To defend himself we trust he Will
DEAR READER: Its the easiest thing in
the world to write about the weather, for
It's every day talk with nine-tents of the
people of this globe. The past winter has
been the most remarkable an old stager
has known for several years. We never
knew the snow to come SO late and when
1t did come to pile up 80 fast. The old
croakers who have nothing else to do but
sit around the grocery store at the nearest
corper and lie, saw in this dire destruction
to the whole county. Well, 1t did look
lust little hair ticklish, but there Is moth
ing so uncertain as freaks OF the weather.
The snow only few days ago Was 10 great
abundance, but few short warm rains anu
few long warm days melted II just as FAST
as 1t was safe to do and not cause a freshet
--snd now 1t is nearly gone and the dam
age done is not to be seen or heard OF.
The old croaker Is not the least bit dis
couraged however He will now probably
begin To predict late frosts to kill all the
garden sass" In the mean time the
world will move right along and every
mothers son OF us will try 10 sell all the
goods we can get orders for.
As drive about over the roads 1t always
seems to me as though the fathers of the
several towns always select for highway
surveyors the men who know the least
about roads and road building. 1t is either
that or a fact that the average surveyor
feels so elated over his appointment that
he loses his head and makes a botch OF al
most every piece of road he touches. What
terrible mean roads we have, aud IL car
rage wont stand up forever to be banged
over them we pronounce 1t worthless and
get off Il lot of cheap talk about shams. If
| wasn't afraid 1t would bring on another
big SNOW storm | wonld let of a little IT,
rade on the way the roads are cleared OF
snow--or rather how they are not cleared
am anxious to be elected member OF the
Legislature to lend my mighty Influence
toward accomplishing three thugs, viz:
lst, Compel towns to turn out and
break the roads 81 MS tn make them pdssd-
Ole Immediately after every storm. ID,
Make it the duty of towns TO not only erect
but malntain plainly printed guide boards
NJ all corners of public roads. Sd, Make
towns maintain suitable watering tubs for
horses every ten miles on all public high
ways. II could accomplish these three
things who would dare say was not an
industrious, If not u brilliant legislator.
Speaking of roads and road making re-
minds me that the surveyors are not whit
more careless and stupid in their positions
than many of the citizens are. Start out
on any road you please on one OF these
warm slushy days and you will see stream
running down the C ntre of nearly all the
hills, washing out more gravel every hour
than ten men and ten horses could replace
| 10 as many days. All this could be stopped
by any one near by who has hoe OF
shovel, hut so what is everyone's business
is no ones business and the streamlet is al
lowed to wash away the hill and make 1t
almost impossible.
The assessors In the several towns have
| got through with their labor Of taking the
valuation, and lots OF people now own
| property which they did not April LIST.
| Many business en- erprises have opened up
| since that date also. 1t beats all how PEG
pie try to evade death and taxes, but the
| former takes US all and the latter ought to.
| Did any of these chronic tax evaders ever
| stop to tliuk that what they get rid OF In
way of taxes is only shouldered off on to
| some one who probably is far less able 10
| bear 1t. Taxes are not to be got rid OF like
| the cholera aud still host of persons look
at them il the same light. What one man
does not pay some Que else must.
On Easter attended most interesting
service in \ Baptist church in this state.
| Well The declaration ooes not SEEN to be
very startling, hut IL made % years ago,
| people wouldn't believe even me. 1t has
only been a few years that any 80 called
| evangelical churches have celebrated In
any manuer, Christmas or Easter but now
thu, y all do % years ago If u Baptist or
Congregational clergyman had announced
that there would be un Easter service at
his church he would have been denounced
a. a herstic and his pastoral ties would
have been suddenly severed. And this
was ali because it was said that ChrlDtmas
and Easter were simply imaginary dates
and that their WAS no proof that christ
WAS born on the 25h of December or rose
on the day celebrated for so many years as
Easter. What OF 1t II the date was not
known exactly it was the event that the
Catholics and Episcopal> had celebrated
for SO many years aud not any particular
day on the calendar. Well the world moves
and the Christian church shows that 1t is
an Institution OF to-day by ignoring the old
prsjudices Of the past and acting upon he
light Of to-day. What of it If the obser-
vance OF Easter and Christmas is an old
Pagan custom-which is true. If there is
any good In it let's have 1t.
or late 1t has been all the rage to get out
old fashioned sleighs and paint on the back
Of them a date somewhere in the dark
ages. Every fellow seems to try to beat
his neighbors In getting the worst looking
affair and putting the earliest date on 1t.
saw a sleigh the other day however that
bears off the palm in that respect On the
hack WAS painted "B c."