Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-06-11

medicine show IN town, and they're
conducting contests--to find out the
prettiest girl, the liveliest boy, the
ugliest man, etc. A railroad is also
being built through the burg. but very
little attention will be paid to 1t until
the show leaves. We are people
who like excitement.
The contest at the medicine show
last night was bird. 1t was to de-
eide the prettiest girl in the village,
and the plum was carried off In a
fast finish by Miss Birdie Carnac.
All the Carnacs In the neighborhood
were there, and they cheered to the
echo--in fact, the echo was about all
there was to cheer to, because when
Birdie won the prize, everybody, ex-
cepting the Carnacs, became mad and
left the show. l never saw such an
aggregation of short skates. More
over, a certain jealous she dude, did
put In circulation report that Brides
brother, Agnew, had spent SIS to win
the prize. This forced your corre-
spondent to have himself interviewed,
giving out the statement that after
he had been waited upon by COM
mittee representing his creditors, nine
minutes after his response to the May
ors address of welcome, he didn't
have enough to even set mp cigars to
the members Of the band.
| was out this afternoon watching
the aged men and the little boys
working OH the roads. The farmers
are assessed seven mills on the dollar
to keep the roads in repair. and they
must work out the tax. Teams with
driver command So a day. and full
hands get $3.50. The gang is now
working along Clydes woods, two
miles north of the Lowman school
house, near where Giles Snyder's lane
turns Off, just to the left Of Hasting's s
saw-mill Very few able-bodied men
work on the roads as they consider
their time too valuable to be trifled
away in such manner. Consequently.
the grandfathers and grandsons, who
cannot do much on the farm, are sent
to the roads to tremulously knock out
the tax. The old men are long on
telling stories and criticising the or.
ders of the supervisor but short on
breaking stones. The long suit Of the
boys is to get into free-for-all fight,
or hunt chipmunks. While was
walking among the crowd, some one
suggested that make a speech,
seeing as there was fairly good
crowd Of my old neighbors hanging
around The more l refused, the
more they urged. They saw an op-
portunity for rest, as well as enter
tainment The supervisor alone oh
jected, but he yielded when I said
| would tell them about the greatest
roadmaker In the world. That's it,
they yelled. "We'll get tips enough
to make up for our loss of time" The
audience then assembled, in various
attitudes Of Incidence, under the trees,
and spelled as follows, to.wit:
Fellow citizens and neighbors-.
This Is the proudest moment Of my
life. Little did think when soldering
among you upon these rock-ribbed
and chuck-holed highways that
would one day stand grapdly, mag
nificently In your midst, like pea
cock under July sun, and dispense
words Of wisdom and instruction
(Here I stopped to give opportunity
for applause, but nobody caught on
~ realize that | am great citizen
and l would have felt hurt had you
not asked me to speak. but must
admit that in comparison with him
of whom | shall speak, l look like a
one-legged organ grinder. (Applause.l
HE knows more about roads and
streets than any IA supervisors In this
county. and yet he is as gentle AS a
woman, even having been known tc
leave town for week, rather thar
stay at home and get into fight with
some crusading preachers.
| (Shouts Of Name him, naine him, "
Not only can he make 1s-karat
streets, but he keeps them clean af
ter they are made. II he were here
your meanest road would look like
a cement boulevard.
t"Who is this bloomin' wonder wac
asked again)
'All this funny business takes place
In my new home--the city Of Akron
the Tip Top City--the home Of the
brave and the free. refer individual