Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-12-02

(eHtral-HeliO, What now
The Press-Thcre is a rumor ahoat
that there are some people i'll mourning
over the new County Road. We want
to find out about it.
Central-What do you want to know?
The Press-Well, we hear that it has
been discovered that the new road law
does not require that Il superintendent
shall be appointed until the expiration of
a year after the work is completed, and
that the contractor must see that it is
kept in repair during that time
Ccntral-1H call up Congressman
Gardner for you once more. Perhaps
he can cnlighten you. Here he is
The press-Ah, there you are again.
Congressman. How about that County
Road Superintendency?
Gar,lner-How about it? ! don't won
der you ask. Was there ever anything
so unfortunate Just at this time: Why,
I'd sooner find Il cockroach in my soup
than to have had such IL discovery made
just as Smith Johnson and had bought
lot of old horses-'plugs," l believe
they are called-to keep the road in re-
pair for Il year TO come. And now TO
think that those chulnps on the County
Board of Freeholders should parcel the
whole thing out among themselves and
leave Smith and ] to feed our plugs -
horses | mean-through hard winter is
the. greatest outrage since the War of
the Rebellion. How in thunder did it
happen?
The Press-We don't profess to know
anything about it, and we called you up
to get at the facts.
Gardner-Well. I'm blest if / know
what to say. | supposed that the whole
matter had been fixed.
The Press-Fixed. What do you mean
by that:
Garlner-Oh, l see. You were not at
our little confab before election.
The Press-Well, hardly.
Gardncr-I remember, now, that you
were not there. Well. you see we had
the allfiredest scare before the election
and we didn't know where we were go
ing to land. There were vague rumors
that Smith johnson Nigh. go back on
us and we had to put an anchor to
windward,' SO to speak, to save our
selves. Hoffman, Levi and the rest Of
our combination concluded it would be
good idea to offer Smith the berth
of Superintendent of the new county
road. The pay would be sure and the
duties not laboriouS-twO points that
would commend themselves to anyone
capable of enduring considerable rest. |
considered the whole thing as settled.
OF course. we never dreamt there would
be any hitch about the matter, or that
the Freeholders would knock the under
pinning out from under us in the way
they have. They certainly have made
an awful mess of it, and sometimes l am
almost tempted to believe they did it on
purpose. And vet | cannot hardly bring
myself to believe that their hearts are SO
hardened as to do sucl; dreadful thing
as to keen Smith johnson out of an Of
flee and run the risk of having our grand
aggregation of decrepit plugs hauled
out into the woods for crow bait. When
/ contemplate such a possibility as that
it almost makes me lose faith in human
nature. Oh, my brethren, it cannot he
| that they have sunk so low as that. But
| stop! another thought hits me like a
| sledge hammer Is it possible that the
| chance Of experimenting piece OF
road right Under their noses, at S3 a day
| has led to the awful discovery that we
can't have regular superintendent fol
| wear to come? Oh, why, did they vote
| to build the 'cussed road. anyhow, if il
| is going to make us all this trouble? II
| will be a good road, no doubt, when II
| is settled, and it is one that was need
| ed. but there are a whole lot OF people
| as mad as if they had been stung by
| hornet. In the first place the freehold'
| ers managed to land about all the money
| it will cost in hands outside Atlantic
| County. 1 hear of people who are using
| real naughty words that ! wouldn't dare
to repeat in the. Sunday school, because
| the CONTRACT was given to a Philadelphlf
| contractor who employs Italian labor.
| The Press-The Freeholders might
have given the contract to some resi-
| dent of the county. and then the none,
would have remained at home. Ever
| if they had paid more for the construc
| ton of the road it would have been BET
ter for the residents of the county.
Gardner-That's a fact. and l don
| understand why it was not done. AS j
is. the people along the line of the roat
| haven't had chance to get a job: ant
now. just as there was one in sight O
Smith. johnson and our spawned mena
gerie. I'll be blowed if the Board @
Freeholders haven't knocked the who'll
i business. Why, I'D sooner had ever!
COW H. NY bafnyard jnlpp clear owe
fhe aso1a (hap te lsss l'aa sgsh Z sl.'n!