The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-10-09
Tales About
Town

g EPTIMUS STILL lived In the most
- fashionable part Of Canton and
associated only with people reputed
for their high morals. OF course Septi-
mus Still was not his real name, but 1t
will servo for the purposes OF this hum
bic narrative. Septimus was sedate
gentleman, who taught class in Sun
day school and was looked upon MS n
model of propriety and goodness. Fond
mothers pointed him out to their sons
as an example to pattern after. One
Of his fads was the subject Of temper
ance, and he discussed it whenever the
opportunity presented itself. Rum was
a scourge, he said, and a piteall which
young men ought to avoid.
One day Tankard Van Smith was in
a Pullman car on his way to Stark's
capital. During the journey he had
occasion to adjourn to the smoking
room, where several good fellows were
having a good time and drinking high
balls. Tsnkard's name did not belle
his taste and his visit to the young
men in the smoker was mainly for the
purpose Of soaking his hide with the
rare old lighballs which were on tap.
I!e dallied longer than he expected, 4,
and he did rot return to his seat uniil
the train was near his destination
When about to leave the car he dis
covered that his grip, containing a lot
of linen and some valuables, was miss
/ ing. -: es.
There was another grip in its place,
a very cheap article, compared with his
own. 1t contained practically nothing
os any value, and Tankard began to
| look about for some trace of the owner
After a search he found some papers
in the grip showing that it was the
property OF Septimus Still. His address
was also given.
Tankard might have thought that
Septimus, who was a stranger to him,
had stolen his grip, but he was not in
clined to jump at conclusions. 1t had
been al unintentional exchange. and
when he went to his Office he locked
in the telephone book, where he found
the name of Mr.. Still, who had a tele-
phone at his house, as well as at his
place of business. Tankard called the
gentleman up, but ne had not yet ar
rived at his Office. He then asked for
the residence. A woman with power
full voice responded to his call and he
told of the incident. "Oh, yes" said
the woman, "Mr. Still got in from New
York this morning and by mistake he
got your grip. Your name and address
Is on 1t and he Is now on his way to
your Office with the lost property"
OF course Tankard was delighted and
the woman expressed the sincerest re"
gret that the mistake mad been made.
The young man was not aware of the
fact that Mrs. Still, who was talking
a. ~. Ixots L. t,,t
bands sincerity on the temperance
question, nor was he even aware that
Septimus was an ardent foe of rum.
Under the circumstances he was hardly
to blame when he incidentally re-
marked that the grip of Mr.. Still con-
tanned no more valuables than an
empty whisky bottle and hair brush.
Bnt of course it redounded to the
everlasting disgrace of Septimus Still.
Ed ]. Meyer, proprietor of the ST..
Edward hotel, whom the Democrats
lately honored by position of trust on
the county ticket, is not taking any
chances in this campaign. That is, he
is not putting in his time making a
canvass without having a cinch on the
returns. When the votes are counted,
IL Ed isn't elected treasurer of Stark
county, he will at least have rolled up
big majority of trade for his new ho-
tel, and that will probably be more re-
munerative than the Office itself.
When a delegation of Democratic
voters entered the lobby of the st. Ed
ward a few weeks ago and notified the
proprietor that the clarion voice of the
Ieople called him to public life, Mr..
Meyer, like Cincinnatus, left his plow
standing in the furrow, SO to speak.
and dashed to the nearest print shop.
He had provided himself with first
rate half-tone, which originally ap-
peared in a stock-iarm annual, and on
the way he decided upon the inscrip-
tion. He left the cut and the copy"
with the printer, ordered 100000 cards
and returned to the hotel, where he
resumed his task of shooing the flies
from his works of art In day or two
moving van backed up and delivered
the cards. Mr.. Meyer pulled one from
the consignment and looked at 1t anx-
iously. A smile of satisfaction lit
up his countenance That's the kind
of campaign card" he said as he
handed it to friend, ut combines
politics with business" The friend
glanced at 1t and saw something like
this: