Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-07-09
works?''

officials, or being a Knight TemplaT
and showing their badge"
AsI was not Knight Templar, and
having no letter of Introduction, and
without the honor of being on an in
innate acquaintance with the higher
officials, my case seemed to be an ex-
| tremely hopeless one. However, not
wishing to yield without struggle,
proceeded:
"Can speak with one of the higher
officials?"
s'No, sir.''
Well, that answer was explicit, it
nothing more. 1t ought to have pre-
Guided all further advancement on
my part if I had seen fit to have been
governed by it; but had not walked
two miles for the purpose Of being
excluded with 'sno, sir!" and so,
with the precociousness of a child,
and the inquisitiveness of Yankee, I
asked:
sWhy not?'
because, sir, strangers are DOORS"
That answer seemed to be full as
explicit as the other. In fact, there
is not much red tape connected with
the speech Of westener, and 1 ad-
mire them for it. They possess the
faculty of speaking right out and in a
manner that can be readily under
stood. 1t was evident I was one of
the Doors. However, as he seemed
to be a kindly disposed looking old
gentleman in the face, I questioned
him again:
care these works run by Ameri-
cans?"
"Why Americans"
because we in the East believe all
Americans to be alike; that is, gentle-
manly and obliging 10y
"Where are you from?" he asked,
interrupting me.
ooh, Pm from Vermont!" I an
swered, Strengthening myself up with
some of my native pride. eve Yer
monters pride ourselves -"
But had run against snag. When
I spoke of Vermont he opened out
upon me like the guns from battery.
'HYou from Vermont!" he roared.
stYou Vermonters come out here in
the midst of financial crisis and ask
us-US," -and he strongly en-
nhasized the ssus''-tsand ask US to
admit you to the Argo smelling
works. You Vermonters, with other
New Englandites, who are working to
defeat the bimetallists at Washing
ton, you come out Iere to Colorado,
the country you are trying to wipe IN
the dust, and ask us to humble our
selves by granting you favors. Whom
do you take us for? 1t must take
cheek illimitable gaul on your part
to ask favors of US, the way the con-
dition of affairs are situated at pres
ent''
When he first opened out his TRADE
upon me I began to feel small. In
| fact felt that there was some dan
ger of my shrinking away altogether.
Finally, however, there came a re-
lapse and I began to expand. By the
time he had finished I had reached
the capacity of barrel of worked CT
der and was just ready to explode
care you the Argo Smelling
Works?" I asked.
"No, sir.''
ooh, you are not! I fancied by your
talk that you were one of the princi-
pie pillars. You are not even one of
the higher officials then; but merely
kind of handle or crank who works
for them. You do not, as I take it,
even play second fiddle for the band.
You are not SO much as the trombone.
You are only the small boy on the
outside who attempts to drown out
the bass drum with the aid Of a jews
harp. Am I MISTAKEN"
"You will find the higher officials to
be of the same opinion as myself, sir"
he replied, hardly knowing whether
to act pleased Or angry.
"Perhaps," I continued, 'you con-
slider yourself the voice, or organ, by
which the higher officials are gov
erned. 1t may be that you speak for
them. I doubt this in a measure.
Subordinates may be impregnated
with the ideas of their superiors, but
they are seldom employed to speak
for them. You are not one of them.
Figuratively speaking you are not the
wheel. You are not one of the spokes,
even. Neither are you the tire that
goes around the wheel. You are
merely a little of the grease that
helps to keep the wheel in motion.
See?"
stSay' said he, as his features began