Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-02-15
What The Old Man Said

They say many reforms must come,
Telling us what to do, my son,
Listen my lad, my at.vice you heed
And find out what onr town does need
"Jnst you look at our pesky tax rate,
1t makes our rich ulen leaveathe state,
While the folks like us here have to stay,
And our cash in the old town pay.
Now the taxes have got to come down,
Before dodgers skip out of town.
Now linda plan lad to right the wrong,
And YOU j be Mayor before long.
High taxes will wreck us all fear.
Or at the election this year
We must do the poor folks h. good deed, j,
That theyal so very much Ineed.
"Some fellows here have a3sstring see
And they don't pay taxes like me,
In the cage those men we ought to lodge
Who every year their taxes dodge.
They act meaner than an ligly pup,
They don't help to fix the city up.
Our dogs are taxed, these men are not,
It's time all these doi .ers were caught.
Now boy on tlii> eyiwe must jump,
Drive them from the town in Il lump.
This ruth ON them you must bravrlv lead ,
For YOU know how much aid we need.
"When was small we had a good street.
We ON sidewalks got nu wet feet,
Mud was not made by men under pay;
Then the people had something TO say,
Concrete was not used here know.
Granite blocks were not then 20 low
or he streets of the town we'd have paved
Nnd 20 much cash we could have saved:
But my son sand is the stuff we use.
ON stree t.. and the people abuse,
some books on road building YOU might
read.
Better ones W" How 'lo nee,.
"a cool library whore l,oak> are free
Won'd >urtiy suit both ,on and me.
RHali,s these days is 50 ver, cheap,
Bound IN both leather and sheep.
\ liberal man left snug sum.
And why i, not the work lewun
The corner lot ] say is the site
And to buy it would be .illst right.
So 90 over apd purchase the lot
For Il better one can't be bought
Now here are the facts on which to feed,
II you are asking what we need.
"More shops into, theci.:4 could come.
A board of trade could make things hum
Folks got tc have many grave sones sure
For some sick the doctors can't cure,
But granite alone is not enough,
Let us work to get other stuff.
Now the board sharp lookout might keep
And some day a harvest we'd reap.
Barre'S all right bnt we want more mills
TO help us pay our big tax bills
We are not now a small town, indeed,
But more hllstlcrs we soon will need.
"They tell us that posts we should erect
Or build sheds horses TO protect
For the farmers who come here to trade
We must for then get sheds soon made,
For if with lis they come to tarry
They should he well used in Barre.
Band concerts would hit us about right
Whenever we have warm night.
The city might good band support
If we'd try TO keep out of court.
guess the city'> got enough speed
TO yet all things that we need.
"The south end wants more good walks
we hear,
And may be they'll get some this year.
a west side sewer would be proper,
As well aa having good water.
a stamp station the north part could use,
| ncle sam no money would lose.
A hose house ON Gospel Hill should 20;
Give that end of the town n show,
High taxes on them we do impose:
Then they ought to have some fire hose,
Toward them it would be a good deed
And also give just what they need.
">ecret meetings are in fashion now.
Some things are done, we don't know how
The Council thinks that closed doors are
best,
Guess it is when the water they test,
"Smoke talks" is where the work is often
done.
This is the way the city is run.
The people have to pay our wise chaps
And have Il right to hear the scraps;
But some things they do not care to tell,
And when asked they just say" lis well'
Into trouble the town they may lead,
Open meetings are what we need.
Next summer when the ice carts are out
Put IN Inspector on each route,
Seeing which kind of water was froze,
AS the Council will some oppose.
Or as the wise are telling aloud,
We should help the spring water crowd.
The Council says we don't have right
From springs to drink without Il fight:
You leave this matter te wise men here,
And let them keep on acting queer,
When wrong they anything concede
Even though knowing W hat we need"
TO the youth such were the words he told
Sound the thoughts from the man SO bold
They will all claim our attention,
And Others he did not mention, "''.
The city is bound to go higher,
And heaps of good things we desire,
On this day let all rag chewing stop
In store, on the street, and in shop:
SO let us alt to work proceed
And find the things the town does need.
Yours Truly,
...-'. THE BOSS KICKER
ieNVytG ) IOiiL 6 C.rOicra Cure,
rtcue:';it, ct,iyi. Tsst:Ii: sale to psc.