Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-02
THE MEDBPER,
"T Tie coat its put ii on"

height the Meddler suggests that PEG
pie deny themselves for while and d
with brook trout and spring chicken
The open season for trout began yes
terday and it will not be long befor
spring chickens can be caught also. l
this diet can be put up with until fal
cartridges, woodcock and quail will b.
available, and by that time appetite
will no doubt be used to plain fare. It
easy enough to come it over the bee
trust if it is done by the right method
X Il Il Il X
1t might be well for the youthful
gunners who have been firing random
shots near the Catholic cemetery thi
week to remember that the law oil
human beings is not off until after Me
mortal day. 1t is dangerous at an,
time to be firing promiscuously within
the village limits and especially a
this time of year when so many peopl,
are making the most of the spring
weather. One man was subjected tc
the pleasant sensation of hearing bul-
let's whistle by his ears a few days ago
and although he is no coward he is in
telligent enough so that he doesn't
like to be thought mark.
x * X X *
The remarkable following of John
Alex. Dowie, the Chicago man who
calls himself the prophet Elijah. had
an illustration in this very town re-
Gently. A representative of the Asso-
ciated charities visited woman in dire
poverty with the idea of aiding her in
her struggle for an existence and found
that once week this woman sent a
portion of her saving to DoWie, the
prophet, in the sincere belief that
nothing else would secure her relief
from her illness. Although on the point
of despair regarding everything else the
poor creature still retained hope that
| Dowie, the wonderful, would finally
| give her the happiness for which she
pinned. With similar cases all over the
country it is small wonder that divine
healers, prophets and other like frauds
are able to live on the fat of the land.
Each works on different side of hui
man nature but with the same end in
view, and each finds enough followers
to furnish him expenses and a fat sal
AIRY besides. AS long as there are people
who will take stock in these self ap-
pointed apostles their number will not
decrease nor will their zeal flag.
X 4
Every time of -ear is a season for
something. There is the mayhower
season, the strawberry season, the
chestnut season, the book beer season.
to say nothing of the seasons for tops,
marbles, baseball, tennis and golf.
The season which is on just at pres
ent, however, is that most welcomed
by all home loving men-the season of
spring cleanings. 1t is a time of cold
meals, pounded fingers, SCOT begrimed
faces and bad tempers, when curtains
are down, mattresses hung out of the
front windows and rugs spread about
on the lawn. Housekeepers work in
cessantly for a week trying to get the
work done as soon as possible and get
so tired that they are choleric if any
one has the hardhood to call on them
inside of six months, Most people
worry themselves thinking about the
work which has got to be done and
after it is over keep on worrying to
think that it has got to be done again
next year. But in spite of all this fuss
the spring cleaning is one of the most
necessary adjuncts to the cleanliness
of community. 1t has to be done so
why not do it without bellyaching.
A man came to Brattleboro recently
with a view of locating here but was
scared away by what he called the
enormity of the taxes. Few of the peo- /
pie who knew of his decision were
sorry about it, and one summed up the .
matter concisely by the remark that "a
person who stays away from town on
account of the height of the taxes Is
doing favor to the community" 1t
is very easy-to judge a man who in
luires first as to the taxes and after
wards as to the educational and other
advantages which the town affords.
He generally belongs to that class of
beats known as tax dodgers. They can
De found in every community if you
only know where to look They seldom
belong to the poorer classes but live 4
on the income of non tax
,ble property, taking delight in doing
heir own town out of its just deserts.
When the local newspapers publish
lists of those who pay taxes on 5000 :
II over their names may be found tow
,rds the foot Of the line. If you are
.asy you wonder how they can get
long with so little property; if you
ire wise you wonder how they have the
lerve to declare so little and live so =
handsomely 1t is these very people +
Who by their financial acrobatic work +
,eep down the grand list and conse- +
uently increase the rate of taxation i
n those who are honest enough to do !
heir share in supporting the commun-
ty :
The Meddler