West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-02-26
JERICHO POSTOFEEE.
How Peddlsr Taught The Citizens To
Know Beans,'
And Brought on Riot Over Bell For
The "Meetin' Hsuse.-

came along and had talk with
Deacon Sparrow and Uriah Good
speed and others and got them ex-
cited over the subject.
81 am telling you," said the
peddler, "that nothing makes me
feel so much like telling the truth
and leaving off swear words as the
sound of church bell. It's the
same with lots of other men. You
want bell on church just as much
as man wants hat on his head.
III you don't have bell, you might
as well put your preacher in stable
to preach. That same bell can also
be rung for prayer meetings, fires,
Fourth of July and funerals. 1t will
come in handy to warn folks agin
mad dogs, and its wild notes will tell
the people for a mile around when
savage bull has broke loose and
taken to the roads. You can't make
no mistake in getting a bell, while if
you don't have one, you'll be
looked down on by the towns that
have"
The peddler went his way and
there was talk and talk. After three
or four days he came back and there
was more talk. Everybody had
decided that it would be a good
thing to get bell, but no one knew
just how to go 10 work to raise the
money. 1t was for the peddler to
show the way.
alt can be done as easy as falling
off log" he exclaimed, "and you
can have, some fun over il at the
same time. Pm going to lay up
here for couple of weeks while
paint my wagon, and I'll see you
through"
His plan was to get gallon Jug
and put lot of beans into it. No
one else should know how many.
Everybody should pay so cents to
guess, and when the guessing closed
the one who came nearest to the
number should get his half dollar
back and the rest of the money
should go for bell. Two or three
of the deacons hung off a little,
thinking the plan looked like
lottery, but after day or two the
thing was go. Indeed, Deacon
Spooner, VINO was always considered
a lucky man, planked down s. and
recorded four guesses, and the ball
was started rolling. Inside of four
days every man in Jericho had paid
at least oie guess, and inside of
week most Of the farmers for FIVE
miles around had caught the spirit.
The peddler had charge Of the
money as we'll as the beans, and
every evening there was a gathering
al the postoffice to talk the thing
over.
When you get a yillager started
he goes the whole hog. Deacon
Spooner got enthusiastic and took
three more guesses, and, not to be
left behind, Deacon Harper and a
dozen Others saw the ante. Men
Who had taken only one guess went
in for two and three, and every
stranger who came to Jericho was
pestered until he came down with a
guess. II business tagged a little
the tin peddler was on hand to say:
let tho good work 90 right on
and weary not in well doing. when
the bell rings out Of Sunday morn
ing il will be the voice Of glad
tidings and you viii all shout for
oy. / never want TO promise more
han ! can perform, but il Jericho
real estate don't jump IS per cent
within month after that bell goes
ding dong, then I1l never show my
face here again"
After two weeks there we're no
more guesses to come ia, and a
meeting was arranged TO count the
money and the beans and send q
committee up to the city to buy the
bell. Everybody turned out to the
meeting. Deacon Spooner took
charge. He didn't exactly know
whether to open il with a Fourth OF
July Grafton or the singing Of a
hymn. but open a hint from silas
Wigfall, WHO bad just got over the
measles and was feeling happy, he
reeited poem and gave Christopher
Columbus certificate Of character
for sobriety.
Then the meeting waited for the
peddler 70 show up, and while il
waited Feamought Pilgrim got up
and started out to eulogizc George