Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-26


the largest petition ever signed in the
city. are appealing to the city govern
ment to close the 35 slot machines in
that city which are earning a total of
nearly $4,000 weekly
The Westbrook school authorities are
struggling with the problem of cigar
cite smoking by the pupils. 1t ought
not to be hard one to solve. There is
law enough to prevent the sale or gift
of cigarettes to the youngsters, and it
is an easy law to enforce. A brief and
vigorous campaign will convince DEAL
ers that they cannot afford to violate
the law.
The April number of the Century has
an article on the great West under the
title The Plains Across" in defense of
which Mr.. Brooks says: In the rude
ballads and songs of the time, the
phrase for crossing the plains was the
plains across; never by any chance did
the e-maker write across the
plains This form of lCcution was at
once adopted by the plainsmen, who
unconsciously drifted into the use of
the more poetic phrase, the plains
across and to this day you hear it
from old pioneers scattered among the
solitudes of the far northwest"
That sterling old footlight favorite,
James A. Herne, ought to send Rev.
Henry Blanchard, D. D., a check for
steen dollars for that Lenten puff he
gave him at the Universalist church
last Sunday evening.-Westbrook
Chronicle.
Here is where we all drink sparkling
ginger ale on Brother Mason. Our
banking system is such that it does not
recognize checks drawn on that treas
ure laid up where moth and rust do
not corrupt and thieves do not break
through and steal. And of little value
are puffs to James A. Herne since the
curtain went down on the last act and
he passed off life's stage forever.
IF you are on the point of starva-
ton it may be all right to take a posi-
ton as collector for an installment
house." said Portland man who knew
whereof he spoke. Unless you need
the money the worst way look around
a little longer and select a place that is
more congeniaL l got stranded here
few years ago and as this was about
the only thing in sight / took it. 1t
isn't necessary to go into details of
the way an installment house does
business. You know they sell the goods
for so much and the majority of arti-
Giles are paid for at the rate of 81 a
month. If they slip up on a certain
number of payments you are supposed
to take the goods back. 1t was owing
to this part of the business that L
jumped by job and l did it in a hurry
too. l had been trying to get some
money out of a woman down at Gardi-
ner for six months but she always had
some excuse ready. Finally the firm
told me not to fool around any more
but to take the goods. had given the.
woman every show in the world. In
the first place when she was behind
about four months she said her hus-
band was out of employment but ex-
pected to go to work on the ice just as
soon as the Kennebec was frozen in
good shape and cutting began. 1 wait
woman was then six months behind
She said they had been obliged to take
the money her husband earned to pay
grocery bills and that she would have
to ask me to wait another month. Il
then told her the firms mandate and
said must take the goods. l proceed
ed about the thing in gentlemanly
manner and you may imagine my sur
,fe-. 10,
at the top of her voice: Help! Muir
der! He struck me- and other little
pleasant ordinations of that sort. Her
four children were present and they
were old enough to swear to anything
the woman said. l had not been with
in six feet of the. woman but realized
that she had me at a decided disad-
vantage with all her witnesses present
and me a stranger in the town. When
she screamed all the louder and told
one of her children to go get an officer
made up my mind that didn't want
the things as badly as l did. The wo-
man was determined to have the affair
settled then and there, however, and she
hurried to the front door, locked it and
put the key in her pocket and then re-
doubled her screams. Perhaps I was
foolish but 1 made for the back door.
This was a light screen affair and was
locked with a small bolt. didn't wait
to slide it back but took the whole
thing off the hinges in my hurried exit.
[ escaped through the back yard, took
IN electric car to Augusta and left that
,ty on the first train for Lewiston via
Brunswick. From Lewiston I came
home to Portland and threw UP my job
the next morning. ] had had all the
collecting l wanted and as long as they
need men on the street I'll not go in
that business again."