Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-11
AS YOU LIKE IT
Some Stray Leaves From Reporters
 Note Book.

e~S-A%O " - ~~J
 Note Book.
 Two employees of a local business establishment met to-day over pot of Hellmann's book beer and as they smacked their lips and talked of the wonderful curative qualities of the bev- craze they got in a word or two now and then about the game the coal men are said to be playing upon the public. One had a card from a dealer inform ing him that the price, $6.75 per ton, was the lowest and that he could have all he wanted of it at that figure pro- yided he should place his order at once. He said he had accepted the invitation because he supposed it would not be any cheaper this year and he didn't care to run the risk of having the same trouble he experienced last season. The other fellow told the bartender to fill lem up again at the same time ex- hibiting his card which stated that the price was the lowest, $7, and inviting him to place his order right away. He said he had done so and then the man with the $6.75 card kicked up his heels and indulged in fit of laughter while his companion turned pale with rage and declared that he was going to have satisfaction. He didn't say what he intended to do, but he acted as if he felt like walking straight to his coal man and giving his Hail Columbia. /
 
 The town appears to be full of pa triots today but they were very scarce a few years ago when President Nc Kinley called for volunteers to take a .4eSH, A v.3.n T took a stroll over to the armory the night Captain Wolff and Captain Ged- dies requested Waterbury boys who were willing to risk their lives in de fence of the flag to drop in and see them. There was big crowd about the place so many that Captain Wolff said that that it would be impossible to attend to all of them but curiously enough none of the parties who have since cropped up as great patriots was anywhere insight and as matter of fact they never showed their faces until the row was over. Then they came from under cover and declared s.we did it'' with a yehemence that would lead the uniniated to believe that they had charge of the whole shooting match. At the present time there is no limit to the number of men who stand ready to step forward and pro claim their good citizenship by finding fault with somebody else, but perhaps if Roosevelt needed the services of the same men he would find it as difficult to induce them to step into the arena as did the martyr president. 1t is an easy thing to be a patriot in time o1 peace, but it requires a different kinG of fellow to assume that roll wheI there is something doing"
 These are troublesome times for ev erybody. the man who wants to minG his own business as well as the perso1 who is devoting all his spare time tt keeping tabs upon the movements o1 his neighbors, so that the citizen wht manages to keep clear of obstructioni has reason to feel thankful. It | a faultfinding age so that even thougl one may be jogging along through th' world without any intention of wront doing on his own part, he stands in al most as much danger of being charged with evil doing as if he were sitting up all night planning the destruction O his fellow man. That's what promi nent member of the fire departmen said week ago tomorrow when hi >wife's mother met him on the wa. home from church and reminded hin that while he had the reputation of be ing among the first to show up at fire for the past twenty-six years, she no ticed that he failed to report for dut. at the blaze in her home that morning It will be remembered that fire was<dis covered on Grand street week ago to night and while 1t didn't amount t much still it gave the family quite
 scare and naturally the good lady Wh owns the place expected to see her sor in-law, Janitor Loughlin of the Git hall building, who is a fireman, trooI ing around before the sound of tn alarm had died out. But he didn't hea it at all for a wonder. He had jus returned from a trip south and slep like top that night and knew notl ing about the fire until seven or eigh hours after it had been put out. NJ Loughlin was fined $2 for failing to rt spond to the alarm, but he says that h didn't care a cent about that. Whs worried him was the idea of that bein the only fire he missed with one or tw exceptions since he joined the depar ment in TT. He says he does nc blame the old lady to feel sore about and admits that he is ashamed of hin self