Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-07-05

THE POT LUCKERs HEARD THE ADVANCING
| MUSIC WITH QUAKING HEARTS
| good enough fer the Gap They're goin
to have a band from Frisco, 20 pieces at
| $3.50 fer the day Talk about the valley
bandl Why, it wouldn't draw handful
Of picnickers if the woods was full of
'em this Fourthp'
| "That's the worst deal they've give us,
'ceptin the picnic May day two year ago, -
| groaned Johnson, as the stage ratified away
| and he went inside to sort the mail.
Lets go down and shoot up the
| town, :" said Ike Bledsoe, suddenly arous-
ed by the clatter of the stagecoach from
his nap on one of Johnson's benches.
"I'm peaceable man, but there's some
offenses that calls fer a gun play exclusive,
| and if I'm any jedge, Teller citizens, this
here's one of 'em; to be done up right and
left by an upstart of q town that every.
body knows wasn't nothin better a sub
| urb to Pot Luck few year ago.
"Wait till read you this, boys" broke
in johnson, bouncing out of his office
with letter in his hand. "Bein chairman
the liberty to open it, Now listen:
''To the Honorable Chairman and Members
| of the Fourth of July Committee and Teller
''Surmisin that you don't intend to celebrate
| this year and KNOWN the patriotic sentiments
of your citizens, we extend you cordial invi-
| tation to come down and picnic with US.
| The FOURTH OF July COMMITTEE OF DUTCH
BILLS GAP.
"P. S.-Dont trouble yourselves to bring
| lunch baskets; We'll have good music and
| plenty to eat and drink, and it won't cost you
| a cent.
Now then, that's a polite invitation
| enough" said Johnson, with a wink at
Easy Bill. whats the matter with cept-
| in it?''
| 'Ceptin it!' roared Ike. II never felt
more like shootin a friend than do like
| pluggin you this minute, johnson, fer
| swallowin an insult like that. Come op,
fellers. I'm a peaceable citizen, but I'm
goin down to interview that Fourth of
| July committee at the Gap, and if there S
| man in Pot Luck that packs gun and
| won't foller me he's a coward, and / can
| lick him."
| "Oh, hold on, Ike" said johnson;
don t be goin off half cooked as you re
| always doin. This here invites all josh,
| nothin but bluff. They don't mean a
| word of it any more'n they expect us to
| cept it. But look a-here, boys. Can't
you see they've dealt us the very cards we
| need to beat 'em at their own game?
What's the matter with our 'ceptin this
| invite and raisin the biggest crowd Pot
| Luck ever seen and goin down there and
| monopolizin that $3.50 dance music and
| wipin all their eatables and drinkables off
| the face of the yearth?''
l,s-sCeptin johnson S dignity as postmaster
and justice of the peace of Pot Luck, never
known to be ruffled before, proved I'M
equal to the strain of so extraordinary an
occasion. He fairly screamed out the final
words, emphasizing them with a swipe of
his big felt hat across the top of a bench
| illustrative of the clean sweep he proposed
making of the viands of the luckless pic
nickers at the Gap. His mastery diplo-
macy was at once recognized by shouts
and cheers of approval, in which the
voices of Ike Bledsoe and Easy Eli sound
ed loudest and longest. Pot Luck was
ready to act as one man. johnson s
strategy, Bills executive ability and Ike's
oratory had been the brilliant features of
many victory in the bitter riyaIrv long
Waged between Pot Luck and the Gap,
and not Pot Tucker ever hesitated where
this trio led the way
The committee went directly into ex-
ecutiye session and laid all necessary plans
to gather the largest crowd of mon ever
collected In Pot Luck and march in a body
down to the Gap on the morning of the
Fourth, now ten days away.
The ditch and flume long eontor,rlatel
by the Pot Luck miners was suddenly
touha 70 De an immediate necessity, and
word was sent down to the valleys and to
nelghboring camps that 300 extra men