Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-21
BaRKIys, MIG CONTRACT
Circumstances Compel Him to Do the
Drinking fol the Whole Town.

Circumstances Compel Him to Do the
Drinking fol the Whole Town.
The New York 7ri6uae's funny man
gets off the following in yesterdays
issue:
There are certainly politicians in
Washington and in this state who are
overworked, or at least who work so
hard that they must be very nearly up
to the limit of their capacity. But
after all, we doubt if there is one Of
them with the load to carry which Is
now weighing down upon the honor
able Jesse Barkins of North Grove, Ind,
active Democrats though many of them
are. When we refer to Mr.. Barking
burden as a load, we do not intend the
use of slang.
The political parties at North Grove,
Ind, as near as we can ascertain from
this distance, seem TO include only the
Democratic and Prohibition varieties.
The Republicans, We are sorry to say,
appear to have dropped out of sight. A..
little warfare has long existed between
the Democrats and Prohibitionists at
North Grove. The Prohibitionists are
largely composed Of women. This tends
to weaken the party on election day,
since none Of them, of course, are voters,
but at other times it is a remarkably live
and energetic organization. There 10
one liquor store at North Grove, kept
by Jacob Barnhardt. OF course, the
Prohibitionists are strongly opposed to
it. The Democrats, on the other hand,
rather seem TO have rallied around Mr..
Barnhardt's institution in the pastor
at least the Prohibitionists say that
they have. One day a week ago 80
women belonging to the Prohibi-
ton party marched into Barnhardt's
store and nailed long list of names on
the wall which made Jacobs knees
smite together. 1t was a list of the
habitual drunkards and minors Of North
Grove to whom he was warned not to
sell liquor. At first he thought, as he
gazed on it as 1t hung down from a nail
almost up to the ceiling and reached
half way across the floor, that 1t con-
tanned the name of every Democrat and
customer that he had. But on closer
examination he found that, one name
was omitted, that of the Honorable
Jesse Barkins, leader of the Democratic
party at North Grove. Barkins is no
minor, nor did the ladies, 1t seems, con-
slider him habilual drunkard-tor the
omission of his name may havd been
deep-laid scheme on their part te,;
speedily get rid 1T he honorable 4spsNiaYY-
man. In any ca- when Mr.. EWestern,
dropped in few minutes. North
the frightened Barnhardt N, the o s.S:
to him that he was the only.
man in town who could buy liquor over
the Barnhardt bar. Barnhardt said that
he would have to close up and move
away. Mr.. Barkins is teo shrewd a
90 g..
such prospect as this. He told the
liquor seller to stay. He had never, he
said, shirked duty, and If the WOMB
of North Grove had delegated him t,
the drinking for the town he would d.,
Never, he added, as he walked up to the
bar and seized large bottle by the neck,
never had the Honorable Mr.. Jesse
Barkins been known to shrink in the
face of duty.
When the liquor store closed that
evening the night Waterman called with
a wheelbarrow and took Mr.. Barkins
home in it. Since that he has waited
for the honorable gentleman every
night with the same vehicle. Barkins
Is doing the drinking for the village of
North Grove and making no complaint.
Sometimes a commercial traveller or
other stranger drops in and takes a
drink or two with him, but usually he
stands and bears the heat and burden COZ
the day alone. He is cheered on by thp;
thought that he is doing 1t for the gloria
GUS old Democratic party. He hopes lis,
the course of few weeks to get somes
sort of an order from the courts to make
the women withdraw at least part of thes
names on their list. In the meantime
he proposes to hold the saloon in town.
Ii he succeeds with the courts he will !
probably be rescued by willing and I
thirsty party friends; if he fails, the out
look for him is gloomy. Already the |
night Waterman has had to put side
boards on his wheelbarrow to keep the
honorable gentleman from rolling out,
and the glad and defiant song which he
sung while going home the first two or
three nights has been hushed by harsh
snore. The rest of the country, and
the Democrats and Prohibit
tionists, will watch the efforts of this
man who is willing to be a martyr to
party with great interest His name
seems destined to go down into history
as that of the Democratic Horatius who
held the liquor store.
The Waccacoo fre onp,ponx, bova do