The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-07-11

ueation and bulwarks of liberty seem
to come In Jest right and hit the school
house on all sides at once. | 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 sehoolhouse, would
like to make few remarks"
CAS- fur me-" says Sllas as he rises
up, I'm ag'in the idea of lightnin
rod. That there schoolhouse was built
10 years ago and durln them Is years
we've had - thunderstorms. IL she's
lodged ~, why can't she dodge 200?
Why can't she keep right on dodgin till
she tumbles down of old agei Forty
dollars fur lIghtnln rod means more
taxation, Thars sich thing as an
emporium OF education but thar's also
sich a thing as an emporium of taxa
ton. Jericho Is out of debt and no
one klckin, but let the hand of ex-
cessive taxation clutch her throat, and
how long would It take to strangle the
life out of her2 I'm askln you TO
pause and ponder afore 1t is too late"
"Silas, you've made pint and n
strong one" says the deacon when the
applause has subsidized. "lf the school
house has lodged - thunderstorms,
thar's no reason to think she won't
keep mp 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'ln.
"Thar's S0,0o0,000 people In these Unit
ed States, and because none of 'em fell
down stairs last year 1t don't foller
that heap OF 'em won't tumble down
this year. I've known n man to go on
dodgin mules heels fur 10 years and
then git 'em both In the stomach at
once. Mebbe your schoolhouse Will
dodge hundred more thuDderstorms,
and mebbe we viii skassly hev sought
our virtuous eouches this night before
thunderbolt as big as a barl Will go
drivin through her and leave nuthin
but heap of splinters TO mark the
spot where your emporium OF eduea-
ton once reared Its proud roof to the
blue vaults Of heaven. | 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."
Hes made pint, gentlemen-he's
made pint" says the deacon as he
whacks on the stove and looks around.
sfXnu cir hon no fa1Igs "a
schoolhouse rearln It's proud roof to
the blue vaults Of heaven he's made Il
pint, and I'm more favorable to the
lightnin rod than l was. think this
crowd would like to hear from Enos
Williams"
"Fm with Silas Lapham," says Enos
as he shets up his Jackknife and gifts
his feet under him. Pm fur lettin
sartin things dodge or bust. They
wanted to insure the meetIn house "a
years ago, but my advice was to let
her dodge. She's thar yit I've got a
barn 80 years old, and she's never had
a lghtnln rod or been insured jest
had to dodge or bust all these years.
and she's thar ylt. Seventeen years
uSo, when Dulit my hoNS't pun
bell on the front door. Nobody has
rung that bell TO this day. 1t would
be the same If we put llghtnin rod
on the schoohouse-you wouldn't see a
thunderstorm around here fur the next
10 years. I'm all right on the empo-
rum OF education blzness, aud | can
see that thar schoolhouse rearln It's
proud roof to the blue vaults Of heaven
as plain as If Il wasn't @ O'Clock at
night. but | don't see no call to pay
out $3S. Let her dodge or bust"'
'"Thar's a pint thar, Enos-thar's a