The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-04-22
An Inspiration.

Ln6 lnDHDlIdnls VI lOlbs
Geographically, lola Is situated In
the chilliest part of the i"gid zone.
It Is bounded ON the west u hauteur,
on the east by superciliousness, on the
south by a lamehtable lack of friend
illness and on the north by the place
where the town Is going to he.
The people live on their own i'm
portance, have chilled disdain for
dessert, and turn up their noses from
force of habit. They also CLAIM all the
consequence in the world, and think
the sun rises and sets in their gas
wells, and LanyOn's smelters furnish
the motive power for the entire earth
in the bargain.
Therefore the gay crowd of Chanute
people aboard the excursion last even
ing felt lost and homesick in lola.
The welcome was too much of
novelty. When we (the delegation)
reached there we were met by the
depot and few gas lights. Some of
the Santa Fe boys escorted us down
the track to the shelters. We were
show through them by gas lights,
and the mysteries were explained to
us by intuition. We found our way
back to town through dark alleys and
side streets by the aid of a compass
ana finally, with horse shoe magnet,
located the town hail, where the con-
cert was to be held. The town marshal
who was evidently cut out for an M.
X. d. 4. gateman, inspected us and our
tickets and then turned US over to the
ushers, two meaningless young fell
lows with vague ideas, and uncertain
methods, whose white set faces and
nervous gait attested alike their in
OK perience and their bashfulness.
Then If we were still lucky we got our
seats or perhaps someone else's, 1t
didn't matter, there weren't many to
choose from. And those seats
Sufferin' martyrs! Chanute would
not offer them to the bill boys. The
three last rows in the hall were given
us. Think of 1t! Twenty-Five rows
from the front, yea, even back of the
color line. We were the tail end,
almost a day and "a half late for the
concert. We were lot of chair
warmers, shipped in tor wadding.
That's all. Just a convenience you
know, to help pay expenses; not rated
i'm the musical directory. Some of our
seats were wedged In against the
stove, and one young lady's $40 Easter
| hat with large arched feathers of q
delicate creamy whiteness accumulat-
ed wealth of rusty polish therefrom.
The lolaians never deigned to look at
us. Their heads turned-when they
I got up to go. They never moved dur
| ing the concert. The stage was far
away; the landscape on the scenery
resem bled confused idea; Renenyi
looked a dwarf, the piano smaller
| than music box, while the faraway
notes OF the masters instrument could
be heard only during the stormy pass
ages. The mournful cadences that
come and go as the gentlest zephyrs,
scarce ripping the air, and the sweet
low strains that steal DER one pene'
trating with their su bile influence the
very soul and bringing peace and
contentment with the world were all
| lost upon us. We had no ear
trumpets. 1t was all pantomine.
Some of US who had brought our solid
gold telescopes and jewelled opera
glasses enjoyed the pantomime but
the majority didn't. Some attempt in
decoration had been made, presuma-
bly, for our benefit, for long strings
covered with dried evergreen prun-
ings ornamented the ceiling and
placards reading, "No smoking al
lowed i'm this hail. and Don't
s-p-h-i-t on the floor covered the
walls.
The waiting rooms welcomed us
back to the depot, which we found by
accident, and "a few lola boys of tender
age, stared as we filed into the train.
The depot clock merrily licked glad
good by and the telegraph hummed
a light refrain; the engine snOrted
thrice or more, and then we were
home again.
The above was inspired by the ID
but was written by Freddy Cone, of
the Chanute Sun, and he evidently
thought he was the whole "delega-
ton" himself. lola doesn't care a
cent what Fred'k p. Cone thinks of
her but for the benefit of possible
second person who may very doubt
full feel the same way, a word of ex.
PLANTATION is offered The lola people
paid IS cents for their tickets and
bought three or four each to make up
the guarantee. Chanute paid fifty
cents. Some of the Chanute people
sat in the front of the house, many
having the very best seats Why
didn't the:Sun say it wanted lola to
put on her glad rags and get out the
band and hauli him around town ?
Then look how the midnight oil and
the midnight cup befuddled his logic.
In one place he lets his envy say that
lola lie over proud OF her smelter and
in anotheri complains that she
wouldn't offer to escort Chanute
through it. Then he does little
proud business himself and talks
about the 1910 Easter hat" "solid
gold Telescopes and ',jeweled opera
glasses" Of the Chanute swells in one
breath and in the next howls because
a sign on the wall interdicted his
special delight of sspitting tobacco
Juice on they floor, PRAY who gave