Middletown transcript., 1891-09-17
THE Big JIGTOWN FAILURE.

/ eA~ ASAS - 49, - - ~
T would be difficult to imagine
more depressing place than Jig
town in May, except for one Wit
had seen Jigtown in April. Tht
spring there had peculiar effect o
deferred hope. Obdurate patches o
grimy snow lay along the fences, with
outliers here and there into the stony
fields. The winter road-bed of i'm
pacted ice, furrowed with miniature
brooks, seemed as likely as not to las
till it formed a " bottom for tn
next seasons sleighing. The shape
and attitudes of the few struggling
trees suggested a struggle for an ex'
istence hardly worth struggling for
They had the detected air of aborgine'
nearly civilized out of existence
Turn whichever may you might, it
invariably seemed up hill and into in
creased chilliness. 1t is true, Jigtown
enjoyed certain reputation among
scientific circles as the " centre of an
elevated plateau" and had been the
subject of acrimonious personal con-
troversy, one learned gentleman hav
ing eloquently described it as that
peculiarly interesting locality, that
great Silurian island round which the
billows of the Devonian ocean had re-
hearsed their ancient song Of chaos,
and another openly deriding it as "a
modern refuse-heap, simply the dump
ing-ground for all that was worn out
and worthless in the great continental
glacier"
But to ordinary people, whose
imaginations do not habitually carry
them back to millions Of years, B. c.,
it was only a collection Of shabby
wooden houses on bleak hillside,
most of them unpainted and repre-
senting the second growth which ~
years ago had succeeded the log
cabins Of the settlers. Two white
wooden boxes with high windows were
apparently meant for churches; and
one, distinguished by slightly greater
size and shabbiness, was evidently the
tavern. There was a blacksmith 5
and cooper's shop, " general-pur-
pose store, and near the brow of the
hill a narrow two-story building an
nounced itself on faded sign TO be a
" drug store" In the window Of this,
two glass vases filled with bright-red
liquid gave the only bit of color to
the cherries scene. Nearly opposite
was lower house. with newer sign
: "Miss Bloom, Milliner." This had
a neat fence in front. and general
air of smartness, as betitted the temple
of Fashion.
On chilly morning in the early
part of May the owner Of the drug
store was standing in front Of his door
in downcast and irresolute attitude.
He was sandy haired, light colored,
thin man of thirty.five, of that unde-
cided appearance which gives little
intimation of age or character. He
walked slowly back and forth on the
narrow porch in front of the store a
few moments, and then moved more
quickly across the street and entered
the low house opposite. The jingling
of a bell attached to the door gave
notice of his approach and summoned
Miss Bloom from the inner fame ofthe
temple of Fashion, where the sacred
mysteries of her craft were hidden
from the public gaze. She was
short, plump young woman with dark
hair, not exactly pretty, but with that
wholesome, helpful look in her face
which the eye finds it pleasant to rest
on.
Well, Norman ?" said the girl,
with cheerful interrogation, looking
into his downcast counten'
ance.
"It's no use," said the man. 81
was out all day, and only got forty
seven dollars. I didn't get back till
nine o'clock, or I would have told
you last night"
Well, that's quite a beginning.
Tell me all about it,"
"Some of 'em was mad at being
asked, and they said they guessed they
was good for little drug-blll, but
didn't pay me a cent. Some of 'em
hadn't sold their butter cause this
oleo-margarine is making it so slow.
The widder Brown was the only one
that paid me in full, n she gave me
nv dinner besides, n 1 guess she is
The poorest one in the lot. She had
The S4.33 all ready by itself in
drawer, and said that was the last
debt her husband owed. l might
have got yearling calf over to Bron-
SUMS. but Harbert & Froud won't
take yearling calf for their pay.
They say they must have the money,
and the whole of it ; and l don't see
any way how l can raise it. They
will have to come up and take the
store. I'll go out to Middletown to-
but it's no use for me to try
10 raise $6O8 dollars. don't believe
there is as much money as that in all
The township. I wrote 'em last night
after got back, and gave the letter
o Silas Van Duser to take to town
his morning. 1 told them that
nad committed an act of bankruptcy,
and must make an assignment, unless
hey would give me time. But what
= the use? 1 don't see how time can
make it any better. I'm a failure
ind I'd better fail"
This long speech was delivered in a
resigned tone, as if it
lad been learned by heart. Indeed,
HnA II