The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-23
SELECTED POETRY.
They Took Two Papers.

The Story Of the Country Store Keeper.
or all things in country store to make Its trade
succeed,
You must have two daily papers for the customers
to read,
And they must mean both parties, these sheets OF
which speak,
For II they DON'T you'll in the end find trade is rath-
or weak.
An that is why we each subscribed an paid for year
by year,
Each his opposin' paper, the Arm Of Way & spesre.
Joseph was a Republican, but never come out fat,
An as for me, surauus Speare, was Democrat,-
But you'd "a never known 1t. exceptin for that pa
per,
The Jeffersonian Democrat, stern. strong nation
shaper.
too late,
"But never mind for that" they said "fOr Greeley
he can wait"
Sometimes when I'd been busy weighn cheese an
pork an tea,
An Tom Earl from his takin' would reach an look
tine,
I'D tie the knot an took around, an fore I'd snap
the string,
I'd quote to Tom the Democrat, when whangl the
counter'd ring.
Joseph across. his paper down, lifting his gold
bowed glasses,
Would say, "sam charge Zeke Shaw, two quarts o.
best molasses."
All busy, lamps snghted. sputting up an chargin',
jumpin' here, an Samuel there. each step the firm
enlargin',
There's good deal got by talkin', but az much In
keepin' still,
An havin' tongues a Vaughn. cheer the team that
climbs the HILL
gear,
An put up smiles In packages, was the firm of Way
spesre.
Our business was to listen, to listen an to cater;
An that 10 why we served three years. esch in the
Legislator;
An. alus thought it prudent to have them papers
seen,
Though Of course there was exceptions. az whom
Capt Bial Green
Would 90 of yellin' takin' to old deaf Hiram War.
Their sleighs below stoppin' to argue at the cor
In this way takin' from US trade that went to Eu-
gene Crockett,
Why in such a case as that, of course, the paper
sunk the pocket
But on the whole the papers paidl The nights we'd
In that store,
Mark Edmunds he bilin' out with Democratic lore
An Jim Sharpe tall, Republican, resdin' an tell
in;
In war times, bout the treachery o. Gen. George
Mcclellan.
When "Hupi" would come up Michael Hines, on a
keg and all was still,
His empty sleeve to give respect he'd tell of Nal.
vern Hill.
Then bout the folks that stayed at heme an Jim
look in the eve:
Why, If I'd s-been Jim Sharpe them times, I'd curl
ed right up an die.
If you earths Democracy the equality of head,
papers read.
There, with the soil right on the boot an face an
hands well tanned,
You'll find great Natures orator a servin' all the
land.
So twas with us. the years went long, the states
men sittin' high
On barrels an on boxes, givn each the "tis" an
"why."
Old faces CROWN fewer, men had travelled down
the nation
Inside of 'em two papers, that had been his educa
cation.
Trade gettin duller an duller till at last we sold
outright
(Keepin' each, of COURSE his paper) to young Fred
Parmenus White.
Only 1 went to him, the young, bright
smart storekeeper;
Ha cold trade light but compared to us he was
sellin' cheaper
Last week It we buried my old partner, Joseph
Way,
An goin by the sold-out store, silent this many
day,
thought of times when we'd our swing, an bright
ly burned LIES taper,
In that old store, where i've held trade" each
one took his paper.
Told by James Riley at the Dinner of the Boston
Press Club.