The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-07

You can't milk from a hedgehog by
calling it a cow"
Hen went out in front of the store
and sat on the stone horsC-block for
half an hour in deep thought. Then
he walked into the furniture mans
back yard and picked up the old kettle
that lay there and started for the mint.
The next week he was back with a sheep
which he had bought from a man in
Morehouse. He sold a sheep and bought
all the brass hinges he could carry.
A fortnight later he was in Johnstown
again. He had a nice pair of horses
ard a big wagon this time, and the
wagon was full of country produce, of
kni4 STOCKINGS and legs of mutton and
rolls of butter and fresh-killed part
ridges, and all the nice things that the
up-river country sends down to market.
Hen took back a load of pig brass and
bought a roadside hotel, and every
week his wagon went down to the
railroad, and when it came back Hen
bought a few COWS or somebody's farm,
or hired a gang of men to put him up a
new barn.
Everybody else had experienced the
same difficulty in paying for things out
side of the county, so that they used
their United States money for their
foreign trade, and the brass money for
domestic transactions. AS the Orator
explained 10 some puzzled citizens,
Even if the gold and silver and green
backs do go away, is there not brass
enough to give everybody plenty of
money?'
1t was noticeable, too, that the great
est prosperity came to the poor men.
The few rich men of the county did
not seem to take much interest in the
boom. They went about their bust
ness, took no more of the brass money
than they could help, and paid that
little very promptly to their hired men,
or in buying the farms and live stock
of their poorer neighbors. Lie Ben
son was the only one of the well-to-do
men who traded extensively in Ham
ilton dollars. Soon after the free
coinage act became a law, Lie took a
three days trip to Glens Falls and had
q long conference with the officers of a
bank. After this Lies operations at
tracted much attention. He had a good
many thousand dollars of brass coined,
and Of course became at once a wealthy
and prosperous citizen. Then he went
about calling on every man in the
county, and of each man he bought n
suit of old working clothes, and hired
the mans wife to put them in order.
Also he purchased pork and potatoes
of everybody who raised them, and laid
in great stocks of hay and oats, and
bought nearly a hundred horses. A
great many people thought Lie was
out of his mind and ought to resign as
supervisor.
by candle-light he pulled on his boots
to drive to N~olthville, Lille Benson is
crazy if ever a man was. He's got that
horses eatin' their heads off, and more
provision than ten families could eat in
a winter, and | believe he's spent every
cent he had"
/ "Then he amt the only old fool in
, town." responded Sar' Ann. 81 know
one that amt got provision in the
house to last three days, and winters
} comm right on"
"Well amt L goin' to Worthwhile
now?" said the old man in disgust
!, " Id a gone last week if l hadn't beer
/ KEEP so in the woods"
1t was past noon when Bill pulled w
!, his borrowed team in front or HAM
Meadows general store in Worthwhile
Main street. Bill was hungry, but he
decided to attend to business first. En-
t tering the store he sought the proprie
tor.
"well, Hank; 1 want a big bill o.
goods this time"
: Hank looked troubled. "Bill, " sale
he, cpd like to sell you, but unless
you've got good money l can't"
"Ain't my money as good as any
l man's?" said Bill, in much indignation
eff it's your county brass money, i
ain't," said Hank, and you know i
l amt"
81 know" said Bill, deprecatingly
Sc that folks do like the old kind o
r money a little better, but last l knew
! you could pass it; you could Away
pass a dollar for fifty cents up our way
r But I've been in the woods the las
month, and things may have changed
little. But now, Hank" he said, hi
color rising, GIVE traded with yo'
r twenty year, and if you go back on m
8 now, I'll do all my trading in Wells
8 The store-keepers there have got t.
take the brass money, whether the,
d like it or not"
y eyes, but you have got to pay thei
, price, whether you like it or not" SAT-
Hank. "They have to send down rive
i for their goods, and they can't pay TO
I them in county money. Sile Donoho'
a was here yesterday, and he said t,
Wells they wanted 800, county money
e for a clothes-line, and they won't sci
a for nothing but cash, neither; for the.
q can't collect nothing but brass none.
l. if they have to sue the bills they trus