West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-29


come slippin down to now like soft
soap glidin down the cellar stairs.
He contended that a gilt ball on the
top of tower had allus bin con.
sidered an emblem Of innocence.
1t would be the fust thing stranger
would look fur when enterin the
town of Jericho. If he saw that
gilt ball, he'd put up at the tavern
and feel safe and go away speakin
31 well of the town.
~ II he didn't, he'd
EASsA-A%M set the folks down
SsSsN,lSS7Y M as vicious and des-
= WW' perate aud drive on
to Tarrytown or
THE ROOSTER Dobbs Ferry. The
AN EMBLEM .Squar' wanted that
OF GRIT AND ball as big as a
INDEPEND- pumpkin, and he
ENcE. wanted real gold
leaf fur gildin, and he closed his
speech with an appeal to the peo-
pie to continue to be innocent and
happy. Deacon Spooner was chair
man of the meetin, as usual, and
when the squar' sot down the dea-
con said he'd made a pint. Enos
Williams was then called upon.
He headed the faction who wanted
rooster. Enos didn't go back as
fur as the squar'. He has asthma
and is short OF breath, and so he
started out with Columbus to dis
kiver America. He had bin readin
up on roosters. He couldn't find
that ROSTERS was an emblem of in
nocence, but he didn't want no
innocence on court house tower.
The stranger would find innocence
when he come to play checkers or
trade bosses with Jerichoian.
The rooster was an emblem of grit
and independence. He was a bird
who went TO bed at shutdown, got
up before sunrise and was hustlin
around all day. A rooster on top
of that tower would signify that
| Jericho could take care of herself
and didn't bow down to any other
town in the state. He was out of
breath and had busted a suspender
when he sot down, and Deacon
Spooner raped with cane and
said
"Enos has not only made a
speech equal to anything Henry
Clay ever got off, but he's made a
thunderin big pint in favor of the
roosterites. was ag'in the rooster
when come here, but I've almost
changed my mind. Let us hear
from Silas Bebec."
Silas was one who wanted the
p'ints of the compass put up. He
was born in Jericho when the town
had but three houses and had been
turned around fur 50 years. The
only way he could tell north from
south or east from west was TO make
a black spot on Uncle lin Green's
barn door, and he never went to
the back end of his own cornfeld
without gittin lost and hevin to
whistle to his wife. His speech
was up to date. He didn't 20 back
over six months. He said that
what had allus allied Jericho and
what would allus keep her down
was the want Of KNOWN the com.
pass p'ints. lie wasn't the only
one who was turned around. Half
the folks in town couldn't 90 buckle
berryin without gitGn lost and wan.
derin around all night Hogs and
dogs walked around in a circle be.
cause they was confused, and every
time there was lawsuit most Of the
witnesses said west for east An
emblem ofinnoccncc would be all
right and rooster would be a
thing Of beauty, but both would be
beaten by compass p'ints.
"Silas has made purity good
speech and purity good pint, %
says the deacon, "and I'm sorter
lettin go Of the rooster and lcanin
to his side Though I've lived in
/ Jericho fur 2 years, I can't make
out yit whether my piqpcn is on the
north or west side Of the house.
I'm understandin that Elisha Taylor
has suthin to spring on this mectin.
and we are ready to hear &c."
Elisha was ready. tie had bin
watchin the growth Of the town hall
for six long years, and he had bad
his eye on the tower day and night
lie had looked az 10 from the street