Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-03-07
REMARKS BY A WISE GUY.
"T the coat fits put it on"

The Wise Guy isn't looking at any
body or calling any names but he can
not help cracking slight smile at the
tempest in teapot" which has been
caused by the military whist. If the
statute which imposes fine of 5000 on
persons who win or lose money or 9th
or valuable thing by play or hazard
at any game can be applied to pub
lie card party, it is time that the
Wheel club stopped its whist evenings,
the golf club suspended its tournaments
and the various Christian Endeavor
societies give up their peanut parties.
4 \ X
Probably more Brattleboro people
have been worked by the endless chain
coupon racket than by any other fake
scheme which has been attempted in
town. Its method of operation is sim
liar in all cases. Buy four coupons
for dollar and sell them to different
people for 25 cents apiece, and if the
four purchasers each send n dollar for
four coupons the initial victim gets
five dollar rug, or whatever the
prize may be. A casual glance will
show that the promoters receive five
dollars for every article they send out
they give nothing in return. There is
no truer saying than that of Uncle
-"There's a sucker born every
minute and two to catch him. -
Il
The Wise Guy doesn't intend to com
ment on the results of Tuesdays town
meeting although he has opinions the
same as other people, but he would
make one suggestion regarding the
way the polling places are divided If
the man who has charge of this matter
would look over the voting list, or had
he taken note of the way things went
Tuesday, it would be plain to him, as
it is to everybody else, that nearly
two thirds of the voters cast their bal
lots in the A to L box. In spite of the
slowness of the checking clerks and |
the box tender on the other side there
was always long line of men waiting
to cast their ballots in the A to l. box
after the M to Y citizens had finished. I
Dividing the alphabet practically in /
the center does not necessarily equal
ize the number of voters any more
than drawing line through the CEN
ter of the town would leave the same
share of the population on each side.
There are two entirely different au
diences which constitute the theatre
going public in Brattleboro One is
made up of those who enjoy plays like
1.-THE Little Minister" or "Mrs.
Danes Defence, for example, and
the other is composed of people whose
tastes lie in the direction of produc
tions like "The Fast MALI and 'Par-
adise Alley With all due respect to
the people who attend the first named
class of plays, it would do them con-
siderable good to take few lessons in !,
theatre manners from "the other
half The Wise Guy never saw so t
much discourtesy displayed to com $
pany as at Mrs. Danes Defence. - I
Throughout the performance it seemed /
as if large share of the audience was
participating in coughing match to ;
drowning out the actors voices Tow I
ard the end of the last act large
number of people began preparations ,
for leaving the Auditorium and many :
in the galleries went so far as to leave |
their seats and hurry toward the exits, .
thus spelling the effect Of the final
tableau. At the EAST MAIL on the r
other hand the audience to an indi- {
vidual remained seated until the final +
curtain, and treated the participants r
in the play (they could hardly be {
called actors) with marked polteness. :
There is nothing more discourteous to 5
the actors, impolite to the local man n
ager, and annoying to those who wish +
to see the whole of play than to r
have bunch Of people begin reach q
ing for their wraps as soon as the n
sound of the preliminary curtain bell h
reaches them. Life in Brattleboro is a
not so strenuous that people cannot =
afford to take their time in leaving /,
the Auditorium.
The Wise Guy O