The Republican journal., 1898-12-08
OLDHANEN SKETCHES.
The Dander of Stebbins. or the Power OF the
Press.

take the paper, nohow; Eastman didn' t
want it-had no use for it--took him all
his time to read his Boston paper; John
son paid a dollar for himself, another for
his boy in college aud another for his sis
ter out West; Pinkham sent in thirty one
cents and said stop his paper-he'd got
sick OF it, wanted it shut right off short,
wonldn't have it round
deacon Dow said that he really didn' t
care to subscribe, but he would assist YOU
IN getting up matter for it and send ten
stanza poem TO the Memory of Susannah
Perkins, cousin of his who died out
West, three years ago, and would like
two copies of the paper sent down to his
house. Miss Prim, the milliner said You
gave Miss Tate opening a line and a half
more puff than you did hers and she
wanted her paper quit Miss Tate sent
dollar and wants her space doubled this
week Thurlow, Wiggin, Spencer and
Bean were all too busy to talk paper
Thurlow and Bean were playiu' checkers,
Spencer was readin' football and Wlggin
was asleep"
And Jonas, the right hand man of Edi-
tor Stebbins of the Oidhaven Oracle went
down through long list of well known
and prominent citizens whom he had in-
money to meet some very pressing wants.
Stebbins had depended upon this source
of revenue to keep him out of a little diff
Guilty, for all We're we'll known men of the
town, He pulled and praised them when
opportunity offered; he had overlooked
and been blind when occasion demanded.
The editor heard him through in silence
and it was deep sigh which followed the
varied recital.
did LttIejohn help you out?" enquir-
ed Stebbins.
Yes, he helped me out-out of the Of
fee. said for me not to come around
bothering him ana wCaldn't let me go
into the factory" answered the solicitor.
And Stebbins sat down at his desk and
thought it over. Burbank had refused to
subscribe for his paper, he did not advel-
tise, he did not send him one cent worth
of business in a whole year and more
than that he had turned him away with
scorn.
And Stebbins and the Oracle had al
ways bowed to Burbank Burbank S
horses and choice Jersey stock; his fac
tory improvements. Mrs. Burbank teas,
Marie Burbank S parties and Johnnie Bur
bank S new bicycle all came in for items
and puifs galore.
Tie Burbanks read the paper to be sure
bought it on the street. Burbank read it
wouldn't have missed it. 1t seemed to
him that tie Burbank items We're as much
a part of the paper as the heading, the
markets or tbc shipping notes. And
when Algelnon Burbank had come home
from college and had been arrested for
creating disturbance in saloon some
how the editor of the Oracle didn't hear
of it-Burbank. ST., didn't suppose that
he would.
And the more Stebbins thought the
matter over the more new light dawned
upon him.
The Oracle was a little country paper
70 be sure, but it had almost a thousand
subscribers and it was a borrowing com
munity. which meant that at least two
thousand people read it, Its circulation
included thirty mile circuit of the sur
rounding county former residents all
owen the country We're on the list, and then
the State papers read the Oracle and clip
ped from it-they clipped Burbank items
frequently.
And stebblns inventoried his patrons
and uon patrons. people who took the
paper and who did not, but all OF whom
had up to this time been considered as
staanch supporters
And Stebbin> continued to think, and
the .nore he thought Lhe matter oyer he
was surprised al the revelations Of Ills own
Thoughts
why its ke a battery of Gatling
guns, b gosh I've got this whole con-
sarned town right here in my fist and |
didn't know it, never thought OF it. - and
Stebbins looked at the pen in bis hand
and gazed down Main St. as if casting
about for target for his terrible weapon.
And Stebbn> brought his fist down "n
his desk witt 4 resOunding thump which
upset the ink and stampeded tie aol K
reaches.
IN just ge- my dander up-E will, by
John Rogers "
he next lumber of the Oracle was
shot stuff, The general style Of Tie
locals was a. much changed as If new
man was in charge. 'Dur esteemed citi-
zen and its running mate, 'Our enter
pliSing merchant were given "a much
needed rest there was not a "Mr." OF a
''Esq in the paper. Tie news was told
and all the news.
There was the fire at Lttlejohn lum-
ber-mill Littlejohn would not advertise,
neither would he take the paper but he
teLephoned in. brusquely; "Don't put the
-'SH 1cIpH = Opp anu say Iuat ii caugn ut
rom hot box The old time Stebbins
would have printed it so, but the Steb
bins, with his eyes open made some quiet
Investigations and this item appeared in
the Oracle
The alarm of fire at midnight Saturday
was for blaze in the wood working. es-
tablishmt Mt of I.ittlejohn & Co. The fire
started from wood ashes in a barrel
which was placed in the store room ad
Joining the office. The fire was confined
to the building where it originated, which
contained but little of value except some
discarded machinery. An employee, com
petent to judge upon such matters, sets
the loss at not over $500.
NO watchman has been: employed at
the works for two weeks
These were the facts in the case; inno-
cent facts.
The insurance adjusters came down
from the city and saw the large lot OF
ruined machinery. Littlejohn dilated at
length upon its value and the injury to
his business. The adjusters thought that
s., 800 would cover it. Littlejohn with ap
parent protests finally agreed to that
amount. At the hotel one of the officers
chanced to pick up the Oracle and read
Stebbins' account. He showed it to the
Others. There was some more investiga
ton and the result was that Littleiohr
was told that as he had violated every con