Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-18
MRS. WILKINS''PHONE

MkS. WILkINS 'FHUNE
Down in Indiana is sick woman who !
lies most Of the time with one Of her ears
glued to telephone receiver, listening to
Isl" Bilkins down at "the corners" talk. |
ing to Jim Henderson up at the INC. |
Nish place." or to Pete Lannigan con.
versing with Susie Biggs, old Squire
Biggs' Second darter by his fust mar.
riage."
The introduction OF the telephone into
the country was the dawning of a new
day for this woman. Her life had been
a lonely one. For over ten years she had
been confined to her bed. She lives with
her son and daughter. The son is al.
ways too busy around the farm and the
daughter around the house to permit OF
their being much with their mother, ex-
cept for the hours following supper, and
so the Widow Wilkins had lonely time
of it.
She didn't get much sympathy, either.
The neighbors couldn't understand why
she didn't either die or get well il she
was sick Farmer Matthews said that he
"alowed the wdder were just too lazy
tew draw her breath, an she oughter
be ashamed Of herself tew act like that"
Widow Wilkins got her revenge when the
party line telephone was put through the
county and carried down the road on which
her house stands. Her son subscribed and
telephone was duly installed in the house.
There are ten other subscribers on the same
line. The widow discovered quite by acci.
dent one day that she could listen to what
other people were saying on the wire
without their being any the wiser. When
the widow found this out she was happier
than when Robinson Crusoe was when he
found Friday.
1t had been hard work for her to keep
in touch with current events and the
happenings down at Elmtowh five miles
away. Suddenly she discovered that all
trigues and miscellaneous gossip of all
sorts were, SO to speak, kept right in
her room, nice aud fresh every day, and
all she had to do was to turn on the tap
and let it run into her eager ears The
first day the widow discovered that
farm for 5000, that tom Yunt wanted
to be constable, that "Bill'' Aliens COW
was dead, and that Spruce Hawkesby
was sparkling Luke Twanby's Sue.
After she had discovered all of these
state secrets Widow wilkins had to
hang up tbe yeeeiyer SO as to give her.
self the opportunity to lie back in bed
and gasp. twas more news than she
had heard bef3re for two weeks.
%Lawsy sakss alise" ssId Widow " dow. M5; W !:
The next day Widow Wilkins had
fast. She heard sope more strange and
: startling information. NIalnda Haw.
kins was talking TO some man in the
city about selling out her millinery
store, and Pete Saunders was swearing
at the man down at the sawmill for not
sending mp the sills for his barn. 1t made
the widows blood run cold to hear tho
flights of rhetoric used by Pete, but some-
: how she could not put the receiver down.
!, "Orful, orful,' sighed the widow "to hear
that Pete Saunders talk that Way He used
: to be in my Sunday school class, too. |
!. wonder of he's swearn' yet. I'll see."
. And she hurriedly picked up the re-
ceiver.
: The widows room used to be rather
dull place to spend an evening, and her
Q son and daughter wero wont to yawn
!, many times before nine o'clock, and wax
! wistfully for the hour to retire. But
t now il was all different. The widows
room was turned into social club, The
u widow became a most delightful con-
u versationalist.
u The various church societies and the
quilting bees were never fond of holding
. any OF their meetings at Widow Wilkins
y The members said it was because Widow
{ Wilkins lived so far away, but the fact was
that Widow wilkins, confined as she was to
her house and having few visitors, was la
o mentally ignorant of good lively morsel:
II of gossip and an afternoon at the widows
e was unusually uninspiring, But some way
all OF the societies, the quilting bees and ths
" sewing circle began going over to Widow
IS wilkins to hold their meetings. She had
v seemed to suddenly acquire wide ano
II comprehensive insight into the lives of those
e who lived around her and her conversa
s. tion was most interesting.
y But after awhile the farmers who hac
!, telephones on the party wire that rar
y through the Widows house became tireC
'. of having their secrets spread broadcast
10 over the country. Farmer Thompson
70 found out that everything he told IL
u Miller and Bowers was known to ever,
81 member of the Baptist Aid society, anc
e, Farmer Thompson knew well enougl
u that only one or two members OF th
le Baptist church had telephones. Farme
e. Thompson had his suspicious, so HI
~ said, but he decided to wait until he wa
u sure,
" So he sent decoy telephone messag
= to Hi Miller lie told Hi that he intended
~ to set up saloon "st the corners and sci
>, the best Kentucky whisky at two drinks TO
,a five cents.
'e "sho." said Hi KANT do that
=, Thompse," a
Oh eyes, ] kin, said Mr.. Thompson. 1T
le gon' ter be moonshine Ticker, Hi, fror
u down in Kentucky"
N Better look out fer revenooers,' an
~ swered Hi,
u The next day the report was sprea
u, broadcast that Farmer Thompson was goin
u. to start a saloon and sell moonshine whisky
ny Farmer Thompson traced the report dow
he