Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-16
AS YOU LIKE IT
Some Stray Leaves from q Reporters
 Note Book

Note Book
 Schoolhouses and. school children formed the principal subject for dis cussion at the meeting of the board of finance Thursday night. While the question was being aired the statement was made that the birth rate in Wa terbury is the third highest i'll propor- ton to the population of any town in the country. Fall River leads. Cam bridge comes next, with Waterbury close to its heels.
 I spent half hour listening to fel- lows spinning yarns in shoemakers shop this week All were good story 1ellers. but I thought the boss took the cake with this one: ''The time of the war friend of minewas working in the blacksmith shop at Benedict x Burn hams. He was q red-hot unionist and his helper was q rabid secessionist, and didn't care who knew it. The helper had yoluble tongue and al- ways managed to get the best of inc arguments himself and the boss il- dulged in, simply because no one could get chance to speak but hlmselI. They got at it one day anyway, md the helper was laying the lash onto the uniOnists right and left. The boss made several efforts to get in word or two for his side. but it was no :Ise. The other fellow was bound to do the talking. Finally the boss lost control of his temper and picked mp bar of iron and hit the helper OH the head with it. knocking him SenSeleSs- Tae boss was arrested and put on trial fhe next day. When the judge asked Jim what he had to say he replied that ne could not get chance to open his mouth while the other man was about tlIe shop. but that after he struck him with the piece of iron no one could get q word out of him and for the time heinz there was peace. The feeling at that day was such that I don't Sup- pose anything would be done to the blacksmith if he had killed the helper so no one was surprised to hear the court say that the case was dis missed"
 It was a pity more of Waterhury's old time citizens didn't see Smi'h O'Brien in the ''Gamekeeper" at Polls the other night. One would think that the name Smith O'Brien would have attracted q big crowd, anyway. and besides. people might know that some thing worth seeing would be presented fin the work of gamekeeper. It WAS wonder every huntsman in town was not on hand to learn what it all meant It was worth the price of admission To listen to O'Brien hum Snatches Of Irish fireside songs which have a fa- miliar ring to thousands of Water bury's we'll known citizens. We quote q few lines just to show readers of the Democrat who failed to hear O'Brien what they missed:
 'COme pity the fate of q poor Irish
 stranger
 That wanderS afar from his home. Who SighS for protection from want.
 woe and danger.
 And knows not which way for to
 rOam.'
 And again. same song:
 '-Farewell. then. to Erin and those
 left grieving
 Upon her discOnsolate shore: Farewell to the grave where my par
 ents lie sleeping.
 That ground l still dearly adOrer'
 From another song:
 dreamt I saw brave Brian Boru.
 Who did the Danish foe srbduer,
 This from Moore: T SOnward the green banner rearin0
 Go nesh every sword tO tho hiIt.
 on our side is virtue and Erin.
 On theirs the Saxon and guilt"
 o Br1en Is all right. So is the Gamekeeper. Probably if he were some cad that came along to crack q lew jokes about Paddy Go Aisy'' or some other character thought out hy crafty writers. with view to beIit- Illng the Irish name, he would have had full house.