The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-04
GIVEN HIS OWN MEDICINE
County Commissioner Wilson Threa tened
to be Given - Bitter Dose


Deacon Wilson, the county commits
sioner from the Third district is in
trouble, and may have 10 pay a fine
which he wanted to have enforced.
After the deacon had taken his oath
Of office ne began to cast about for some
kind of reform in the office. While
crossing the Douglas avenue bridge in
a dead run, like everybody else did at
that time, his hat blew of and for the
first time in fifteen years he noticed a
painted sign on the bridge and stopped
10 read il. II read:
ANY person who shall ride or drive
across this bridge faster than a walk
shall be fined $500
'Jehosaphat"' said the deacon. "why
has not this law been enforced. 1
Will see to this thing when 1 go back
to the office. I'll bet a coonskin that
Bro. Harmon never crosses this bridge
or he would have had this thing regu-
lated"
And then he began to study as he
rode home of the great damage done to
the bridge by fast driving and so full
was his mind over the subject that he
could not sleep that night
The next morning Bro. Harmon was
later than usual in arriving at the Of
flee and the deacon could hardly wait
until he arrived, and before his coat was
removed preached the subject to him.
OF course Bro. Harmon fell in with the
the project head over heels and the two
commissioners put in their time until
Chairman Webb came in prosecuting
persons guilty of riding over said bridge
and in their mind they had the Jail
filled with criminals unable to pay their
Fnn al I'd
believed that no mercy should be shown
a person who was guilty of such hei-
NOUS crime as this.
When the subject was men toned to
Mr.. Webb he believed that the people
should be notified first and suggested
that a warning should be printed in the
Eagle for a week notifying persons that
the law would be rigidly enforced. This
plan was agreed TO and an officer was
stationed at the bridge and from that
time on the law has been pretty gener-
ally observed.
OF course some felt as though the
commissioners had showed too much
desire to show their authority and OBJ
jected to driving or riding slow across
the bridge, but they recognized that the
commissioners h ID the law on their side
and agreed TO bide their time to get even
if possible with the men who had en-
forced this obnoxious law upon them.
All went well until a few days since
when Deacon Wilson was attacked by
the bicycle fever. He done everything
10 get rid of the epidemic, but it chung
TO him He rode bicycles in his sleep
and when he was awake his mind was
eternaIly on the bike, and it ended like
it always does with him buying BIZ
cycle.
He took his wheel out in the country
and soon became an expert rider OF
course he was proud of his accomplish
nents and rode up and down Main
street showing what an expert he was,
and finally, yesterday morning, he con-
cluded to ride his wheel over into the
Fifth ward and exhibit his skill to his
constituents. Over the Douglas avenue
bridge he flew like the wind, raising his
hat TO every team he passed slowly
crossing the bridge. Among the num-
Der he passed was some of the parties
who had objected TO the law. and when
they noticed how the commissioner rode
over the bridge while they were COM
PEELED TO poke along like a snail. they
began TO consider that laws were great
Y discriminating and finally one of the
party stopped 10 read the sign. It was
plain enough-''Any person riding or
irving across this bridge faster than |
1 walk. etc" Here was a clear case
and they did nothing else but bring |
he matter before the county attorney |
md demanded a warrant for the arrest |
II the man who had so strenuously in |
sisted on the enforcement OF the law. |
They had the law on their side, but the |
county attorney. Mr.. Davis. persua- |
led them not to have the commissioner !
arrested until after the Fourth and so |
he case stood last night