Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-12-24
THE MEDBpER.
"T the coat fts put IL On.'
When Santa Claus starts out my way
hope it will be found
That he has put aside his sleigh
And brought a coal cart round,
-Waslinmtnn Star.

diately after dinner ii would faclll-
tate travel in the village considerably
if the Gaslight company would light
the streets earlier. For the past week
there has been time between sunset
and total darkness when it has been
extremely difficult to get about, espec-
tally with the slippery sidewalks. A
few hours of extra light will not break
the gaslight company and there are
many people who will benefit by the
change.
Manager Fox of the Auditorium has
been having hard row to hoe during
the past few months. Since the open
ing of the theatrical season this last
fall Brattleboro people have had the
opportunity to see more strictly high
class attractions than ever before but
what use of the opportunity have they
made? With one or two exceptions
every theatrical company which has
appeared in the Auditorium this sea
son has played to house too small to
cover its expenses. The Foxy Grand
pa" company, which played here strict
ly on percentage basis, lost between
800 and $500 simply because the peo-
pie of this town did not know or did
not care about one of the best produc-
tions which has ever been here. The
result of this apathy is that Mr.. Fox
has cancelled booking right and left.
From present appearances the Audito-
rum will be dark all through January
and a greater part of the following
month
When the special committee on the
Connecticut river bridge awarded its
contract it set time when the new
structure must be completed but failed
to attach IA forfeiture in case the com
pany should not fulfill the conditions
The consequence is that the work has
been dragging along at snail's pace
ever since it was begun and probably
will continue to do SO for many months
to come. According to the contract
the new bridge should be in place by
February l. At the present rate it
will not be in use before next fall. In
fact a representative of the United Con-
struction Co. intimated the other day
that the superstructure would not be
put in place probably until after the
log drives had passed here next sum
mer. 1t is shame that the town
should be imposed upon in this man
ner considering the amount of business
that comes here from Hinsdale. No
doubt it is too late for the bridge com
mittee to attach a forfeiture to the
contract but there is time for some
radical move toward hurrying the job
along.
X
A good example of the little faith
that can be placed in some peoples .
statements is the small audiences /
which greeted the production Of "Je- +
rome, Poor Man." Thanksgiving af- /
ternoon and evening. When it be /
came known early in the fall that Mrs. .
Freeman novel had been /
dramatized and was to be produced.
several people came to Mr., Fox and I
told him to be sure to get the attrac-
ton here if possible. One man went .
so far as to say that it was duty which .
Mr.. Fox owed to his patrons consider
ing that the author was so closely CON
nected with Brattleboro. When the
play was finally booked these same peo-
pie seemed to have lost their interest
and the audience which greeted it
we're far below what they should have
Deen. Some made the fimsy excuse
hat they would have gone if it had not
)een for the saw -mill scene which was
advertised. Others said that they
lidn't feel like going on Thanksgiving
lay. At any rate its reception here
vas sore disappointment to both Mr..
Fox and the manager of the company
Who had been given to understand by
Yrs. Freeman that Brattleboro, her
I'D home, would greet the play enthu-
iastically. /,
The Meddler