The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-09
WAUKEGAN OVERWHELMED
Constituents of Congressman Foss Get
Their Garden Seeds

Chicago, April 9.-Congressman George
Edward Foss is a faithful rewarder of
for the payment of his political Obliga-
t1ons has the peculiar feature that 1t
OF Uncle Sam rather than on eeh should
ers of George Edward F'oss.
The great Foss stronghold in the con-
county, and WaHkegan its seat of govern
ment. To Waukegah yesterday came 1000
chinery of the postoffice and driving Post
master Melody to the cover of his hard
The town was in state of expectancy
even before the consignment arrived, for
harassed railroad mail clerks had tele-
graphed ahead the news of the vegetable
railroad employe who came within sight
of the seed mountain registered at once a
solemn vow to the intent that forever at
terward he would shun Republican prin-
ciples and methods The mail cars car
rying the cargo looked like anything else
but mail cars Letters registered pack
ages and other trif1eS were tossed from
their places to make room for the seeds
Nothing took precedence of seeds.
The through flyer, even the engine
breathing a sigh eff relief deposited the
ranked mass of garden and grain pos
terday morning The town has not yet
begun to recover. Vans were lined up to
sufficient in capacity to meet the demands
for space. Party enthusiasm alone saved
tragedy. Mayor De Wolf his henchman
John Douglass. who wants to be the next
a
kinley-Foss local workers and lightning
rod holders were lined up on the plat
form to do honor to the gift of their be-
AS the train came to a halt the brass
band struck up, to the accompaniment of
democratic and Independent jeers from
over, the way. the sprightly air, what
Shall the Harvest Be?'
After all this eclat the mayor could not
allow the mere lack of wa CONS to mar
the celebrat ton. He promptly ordered his
men to shoulder seeds and march to the
postoffice. He ordered the owner of the
bass horn to fill the instrument with onion
seeds, and he himself shOuldered a load
of incipient cabbage heads and led the
Postmaster Melody was standing there
with the reverse Of welcome stamped up
on his brow. His OFFICIAL oath held him
to his duty, but his Democratic faith kept
AS the mayor 1imped feeb1y up he greet
ed him in sarcastic vein: wen, De Wolf
The mayor grinned a siclslx grin, Hunt
way. u have been intending to buy
some radish seeds for my garden. Per-
haps Foss has sent me some.''
But the mayors package proved to con-
tain pumpkin seeds.
him as he saw the whole interior of his
office transformed into a seed bin and he
gay, . a last aSdr, sad look at the sweating
among the piles of seeds to the back door
cautiously lifted the latch and, slipping
through. bolted wildly down the alley to-
ward the rear of his hardware store two
blocks away He has not been seen since.
All through yesterday afternoon far
mers came hurrying in from every part
of Lake county to get their seeds. They
handled the envelopes tenderly and spoke
in feeling tones of the generosity of their
congressman, after which they stepped
into the recesses of q convenient shed
and kicked themselves. Jest to think -
muttered lank, chin whiskered granger,
MY vote went for this measly lot of
turnfp seed. And 1 came ten miles to get
it too
Mayor De Wolf. felt even worse. For
all my schemes of harbor improvements
he sends me pumpkin seeds