Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-09-04
THE MAD MAYOR.

One inc mayors OF tOrnWall was
'the mad mayor of Gantick. who was
wise for long day and then died OF
It"
1t seems that the Cornish village Of
| Gantick was used once every year to
purge itself of evil. To this end, tho
villagers prepared a huge dragon Of
pasteb ard and marched out with it to
asan lv common, since cut up by tin
works out still known as Dragon 8
Moor. Here they would choose one of
their number 10 be mayor, an sub
init to / n all questions of conscience
and sucn cases of notorious evil living
as the law failed to provide for.
Summary Justice waite on all his de-
cislons; and is the village w%g was
usually chosen for the post you may
guess that the horse-play was rough at
times. When this was owe" and the
/ public conscience purified, the COM
| pany fell on the pasreboard dragon
with sticks and whaclled him into
small r. res, VIII; y they buried in a
small hollow callo.. D.jlgon il; and so
returned glaHly to their homes to
start on another twelve mouths OF sin.
Thii feast OF publication fell always
on the twelHh Of July and in the hey
day of its celebration taere lived in a
cottage widow woman and her only
son, "a '."ruted man about forty years
old There wa, no harm in The poor
creature. who worked at the .anihorne
slate quarres, six miles off as a
"hollib, er''-that is to say, in cart
ing away the refuse slate. Every morn
! ing he walked TO his work, mumbling
TO himself as he went and though the
/ children followed him at times, boot
ing and tlinging stones they grew
tired at last, finding that he never re-
sented it, His mother-a tall silent
woman, with an inscrutable face-had
supper ready for him when he re-
turned, and often was forced to feed
him, while he unlocked his tongue and
babbled over the small adventures of
the day, He was not one of those
gifted idiots who hear voices in the
wind and know the language OF the
wild birds. His talk was merely inn
beetle; and, for the rest he had large
gray eyes, features of that regularity
which we call Greek, and stood six
feet two in his shoes.
/ One hot morning-it was the twelfth
OF July--he was starting for his work,
when an indescribah!e hubbub sound
ed up the road, and presently came by
, the whole rabble of Gantick, with cow
horns and instruments OF percussion.
and in their midst the famous dragon
all green, with fiery, painted eyes,
and long tongue of red flannel. Be-
hind it the prisoners were escorted-a
pale woman or two, with dazed
terrified eyes, an old man suspected of
egg stealing, COW addicted to tres
pass, and so on.
The mayor was not chosen yet this
ceremony being deferred by rule till
the crowd reached Dragons Moor.
But drawing near the cottage door and
catching sight of the half-witted man,
with his foot on tie threshold, viii
lage wit called out and proposed that
they should take 1.-The Mounster" (as
he was called) along with them for
mayor.
It hit the mob's humor, and they
cheered. The MONSTERS mother,
standing in the doorway, went white
as II painted.
MAN in Jumps hateful animal. :"
she said to herself, hoarsely; come
indoors, Jonathan. an let 'em 20 by"
Come an rule over us, the crowd
] II uffpl hiYn unH a rlao m ~ ,,rN,,i
delight woke in his silly face.
The heat-his head won't stand
1t" The woman looked up at the
cloudless sky. For Gods sake, take
your fun elsewhere," she cried.
The women who were led to jujg-
nent looked at her stupiC Y. They,
too, suffered, without understanding,
the heavy sport of men. AT last one
said;
"Old woman. let him come. Wen
have more mercy from a mazed man"
Sister you've been loose, they tell
me, answered the old woman, AN
must eat the bitter fruit OF But my
sons an innocent Jonathan, they'll
look for YOU at the works"
There's prouder work for me pom
Dragons Moor, the Mounster decided
with smiling eyes. Come along,
mother, an see me exalted.
The crowd bore him Of at their
head, and the din broke out again.
The new mayor strutted among them
with lifted chin and radiant face He