The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-06-30
THE MAD MAYOR

II seems that the Cornish village OF Gan
tick was used once In every year to purge I
itself Of evil, To this end the villagers pre-
pared huge dragon Of pasteboard and |
marched out with 1t to sandy common, I
since cut up by tin works, but still known /
as Dragons moor. Here they would choose
one Of their number to be mayor, and sub |
NIT to him all questions of conscience aud !
such cases Of notorious evil living as the
law failed TO provide for. Summary jus.
tice waited on all his decisions and as the
village wag was generally chosen for the
post, you may guess that the horse play
was rough at times When this WAS over,
and the public conscience purified, the
company fell on the pasteboare dragon
with sticks and whacked him into small
pieces, which they buried in small hollow
called Dragon Pit, and so returned gladly
to their homes to start on another twelve
months Of sin,
This feast Of puri6cation fell always on
the l2th Of July, and in The heydey q its
celebration there lived In cottagea widow
woman and her only son. demented man
about forty years old. There was no harn
In the poor creature, who worked at the
Lanihorne slate quarries, six miles OIL, as .
"hollibubberr err--that Is 10 say, in carting
away the refuse slate. Every morning he
walked to hts work, mumbling to himself
AZ he went, and though the children fol-
lowed him at times hooting and tiinglng
stones they grew tired at last, finding that
be never resented It, His mothers tall.
81 a
hnd supper ready for him when be re-
turned, and often was forced 10 feed him,
while be unlocked his tongue and babhled
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 i'm.
beetle, and for the rest, be had large gray
eyes, features Of that regularity which we
call Greek, and stood six feet two In bis
shoes
One hot morning-it was the i2th OF
July-he was starting for his work, when
an lndescribabe hubbub sounded up the
road, aud presently came by the whole rab
Die Of Gantck, with COW horns and instru-
meuts OF percussion, and in their midst
the famous dragon, all green, with fiery,
painted eyes and a long tongue Of red uan,
nel Behind IL the prisoners were escorted
"A pale woman or two, with dazed, terri
Ged eyes, nm old man suspected Of egg
stealing. COW addicted TO trespass and
90 on.
The mayor was not chosen yet. this cere-
mony 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 the
threshold village wit called out and
proposed chat they should take "tht
Mouuster" (as he was called along Will
them for mayor,
It hit the mob's humor, and they cheered
The Mounster's mother, standing 10 th'
doorway, went white, as II painted.
"Mau in the Jumps a hateful animal,
she said to herself, hoarsely, "Come in
doors, Jonathan, an let em go by"
"Come an rule over us, the crowd in
vited him, and a glcam Of proud dellgh
woke In his silly face.
"The heat--his bead won't stand IT,
Thewoman looked up Mt the cloudless sky
"For Gods sake, take your fun elsewhereI
she cried.
"The women who were led to 1udgmen
looked at herstupidly They too, suffered
without understanding, the heavy sport o
men. AZ last one said;
''Old woman, let him come, Well hay
more mercy from a nazed man."
"Sister, you've been loose, they tell me,
answered the old woman, 'an must eat tn
IR I1,,t AM 10 ~