The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-24

ucation and bulwarks of liberty seem
to come in jest right and hit the school
house on all sides at once. l fur one
am standin neutral in this bizness, and
I'd like to hear both sides of the ques- |
ton Mebbe Silas Lapham, who lives
next door TO the schoolhouse, would |
like to make few remarks"
LAS fur me-" says Silas as he rises
up, I'm agin the idea of a lightnin |
rod. That there schoolhouse was built |
Is years ago, and durin them ID years
we've had - thunderstorms. If she's |
lodged -, why can't she dodge 200:
Why can't she keep right on dodsin till
she tuIbles down of old age? Forty
dollars fur a lightnin rod means more
taxation. Thar's sich a thing as an
emporium of education. but thar's also
SIGH thing as an emporium of taxa
ton. Jericho is out of debt and no
one kickin, but let the hand of eN-
cessive taxation clutch her throat, and
how long would it take to strangle the
life out of her? I'm askin you to
pause and ponder afore it is too late.
.'Silas. you've made a pint and
strong one" says the deacon when the
applause has subsidized. IF the school
house has lodged 70 thunderstorms
thar's no reason to think she won't
keep up the record. Yes, it's a pint
and mebbe the lightnin rod man would
like to answer it,
81 don't think much Of the pint"
says the man as he gifts up ag'in.
"Thar's SO,0oOO0O people in these Unit
| ed States, and because none of 'em fell
down stairs last year it don't foller
that heap of 'em won't tumble down
this year. I've known a man to go on
dodgin a mules heels fur 16 years and
then git 'em both in the stomach at
once Mebbe your schoolhouSe will
dodge a hundred more thunderstorms
! and mebbe we will SkaSSly hev sought
our virtuous touches this night before
a thunderbolt as big as bar'l will go
drivin through her and leave nuthin
but heap of splinters to mark the
spot whore your emporium of educa-
ton once reared it's proud roof to the
blue vaults of heaven. l said $40 to
the town board today, but in order to
show my interest in the cause of edu-
cation and to prove to you that my
, hand is ever stretched forth to uphold
the prestige of nation of freemen
, I'll make the price $3S."
; "He's made pint, gentlemen-hes
} made Il pint" says the deacon as he
whacks on the stove and looks around
Eyes. sir, when he talks about oul
} schoolhouse rearin it's proud roof tc
e the blue vaults of heaven he's made q
pint, and Pm more favorable to the
! lightnin rod than l was l think this
r crowd would like to hear from Enos
. Williams"
I'm with Silas Lapham," says Epos
: as he shets up his jackknife and gits
e his feet under him. I'm fur lettll
e sartin things dodge or bust. They
= wanted to insure the meetin house >
t years ago. but my advice was to lie
e her dodge. She's thar yit. I've got
y barn 80 years old, and she's never ha(
10 lightnin rod or been insured-jes
S had to dodge or bust all these years
t and she's thar yit. Seventeen year
= ago, when | built my house, put
r bell on the front door. Nobody ha
II rung that bell to this day. 1t woul
$ be the same if we put lightnin ROT
~ on the schoolhouse-you wouldn't see
y thunderstorm around here fur the mex
IS 10 years. Pm all right on the emp!
II rum of education biZness, and | ca
= see that thar schoolhouse rearin it
1t proud roof to the blue vaults of heave
he as plain as if it wasn't 8 o'clock q
y night, but don't see no call to pa
If out S3S. Let her dodge or bustH'
IS 'sThar's a pint thar, Enos-thar's