The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-07-29

q
composed Of freeborn Americans whose
forefathers fought at Bunker Hill, and
Eebbe it's made up of men who'd steal
the statue If Liberty and sell 1t fur old
junk TO say that | am astonished
does not half express my feellns."
'That sellin the statue Of Liberty Is
u pint, and a strong one" said the
deacon, "but what we want is a free
expreshun Of opinion. lube Hornbeck-
er looks as if he wanted to say sun
thin"
"Pd like to ask the squar" said Jube
In his humble way, "if he expects that
hand to meet him at the depot when
he comes homer
"Bein hold the poslshun do" an
swered the squar, "bein I'm referred
to as the leadin man in Jericho, if the
band wanted to go down and see me
off or wanted to be there to welcome
me home | don't reckon anybody would
find fault"
"But I'd want the same thing" said
lLDNlltLtl lDNOlls uln DO JuHlANC VI
the peace, but my dairy is milkin %
cows this summer and feel I'm as
big as anybody. l go over to Dobbs
Ferry once in two weeks, and / should
want that band to toot me off and toot
me home ag'in."
"There may be pint" said the dea-
ron as he scratched his ear, "but
don't skassly see 1t. Mebbe the squar
wants to say sunthin further about
liberty and Bunker HillY
''I'm sayin," replied the squar as he
heaved a long sigh, that patriotism
and love of country seems to be dead
er'n a doornail in these United States.
Mebbe there's a man in this crowd
aside from me who'd be willin to shed
his blood that our glorious republic
might be saved from ruin and desola-
shun, but If thar be can't name him.
You might as wei disperse to your
homes and tell your wives and chill
dren that Jericho is doomed"
"By John, but what pint-what a
pintw whispered the deacon. "Be-
fore we bust up and 60 to ruin, how
ever, I'd like to hear from Reuben
White. Reubens bin as far west as
Detroit, and he ought to know what in
fuence a brass band has on q town."
"The influence of a brass band Is ac-
cordin to the leader" said Reuben.
"I've seen 'em where they jumped Il
town right to the front in four weeks,
and I've seen 'em where they killed
things dead in two. The leader wants
to be a pecoolar sort of a man. He
wants to be born fur the place, same
as Washington was. He wants to be
ready to die at two mints' notice or to
live fur hundred years"
"And mebbe you think you're that
manY querled the squar as he pound
ed on the counter with his fist.
IL do. | know l am. Pm the only
man in Jericho as kin lead band to
success and make the town hump her
self. Pm a self sacrifcin critter, as
you all know, and if this meetin thinks
best
But the meetin shouted him down,
and 1t was five mlnits before Deacon
Spooner could make his voice heard,
and then he said:
"There's more p'ints bobbin up here
than you kin shake stick at, but we
might as we'll hev one more. S'posln
we hear from Lish Billings. He's the
only man in Jericho who kin play on
an accordion. What d'you say, Lish|
There's mighty little to be said and
nuthin to bust up the country" an
swered Lish. "Do any Of you sons Of
Bunker Hill know how much wind 1t
takes to blow a brass hornY
Nobody did, and a hush fell upon the
crowd.
at takes ten pounds, reckoned by q
lung tester" said Lish, "and you'd
want an extra pound fur walkln up
hill. There was n lung tester man In
town two weeks ago, and every son Of
us handed over a nickel and took a
blow. We blowed and strained and
blowed, and Rube White was one Of
'em who blowed a sole off his boot,
and yit no man reached seven pounds
Whar you goin to git your wind to
blow them hornsY
There was painful silence while
you could count a hundred, and then
Deacon Spooner said.
"By John, but Pm goin home and
tell the old woman that l don't know
beans when the bags united. and the
rest of you'd better do the same
thlngw NJ. QUAD.