The Saint Paul globe., 1903-12-27


''The colonel had heard Of IT; had, In
fact, been observing the movement fot
some time. and was now prepared to re-
lieve the strain upon the mind of the
worthy auditor
:" Yes said he I've heard Of It. And
closing one eye significantly, he sat there
Ike cyclops for some moments. i have
had a talk with the other solicitors and
some of their tax commissioners and the
heads Of the departments, and we have
about concluded to give those franchise
ag1tators compromise. 1t isn't well, you
know, to antagonize those people too
much; public sentiment is trif1e against
us now, anyway. We are prepared to con-
sent to an increase in our assessments
now, and there will of course be no trouble
in reducing them, when this absurd senti-
ment begins to wane.'
i believe you are right, colonel said
Rounder
'The board met in due time, and con-
cluded its deliberations. Next morning
the papers told, in glaring headlines, of its
patriotic work: Corporations Assess
ments Raised Many Millions VIII
liam Rounder Strikes Blow for the Com
mon People-Advocates Franchise Taxa
tfon-Board's Action Largely Due to
Him. And the Peoples Welfare league
wired Mr.. Rounder it's vote of thanks
The state auditor has also disposed of
other significant mail matters on this busy
morning. He says to Ben Blunt:
Now, Ben, must have my beard am
putated; You can look after this mail as
Well as l. There's one from the Frisco
look that up for him. and give him what
he wants; and here's a blamed fool want
ing to know something about taxing
franchises as high as farm lands-you'd
better refer him to the attorney general
and hold on; wait a minute; I wish you
would please acknowledge receipt Of that
frank from the Fargo, and thank
him for it; and then just drop a little note
to the Western Union, and inclose 'em my
empty complimentary stamp book, and ask
EN- to replenish it for me-won't you
please, sir? Now you attend to that, Ben,
and III make thee ruler over MANY cities
The governor makes his appearance at
a reception given by Mrs Barton" wife
of the state treasurer. Here is the picture
drawn in Ben Blunt:''
THE governor was winking one eve
thoughtfully, and had just placed the
forefinger OF his right hand by the side
OF his nose, as If about to say as he
always did at the close of every private
conversation, All right, but, remember,
It's confidential between you and me-
when 10! the curtain rose. Mr.. Rounder
had stepped aside, and revealed the eau
cus-visaged governor In this refreshingly
frank and knowing attitude.
Ills eXcellency was a man of about
nifty years, medium build, with gray eyes,
very fat neck, mustache and a goatee
which passed over his chin iu a dashing
Wavy curl like cataract. When Rounder's
withdrawal exposed him to the public
view, his countenance quickly lost its
star chamber expression and assumed the
look II usually wore in public; that is, he
placed his hands in his pockets, threw
back his head, screwed down the corners
OF his mouth and looked out upon the
world through half closed eyes. It is
doubtful If both his eyes were ever wide
open at the same time-in a literal sense
When his head was erect, his eyes seemed
cast upon the ground, and only when it
was thrown back would he look one in the
face, but even then he did it only in the
manner just described.
He was one of those ingenious charac-
ters who seem always to be playing at
h1de-and-seek with their own thoughts.
The governor never allowed his right hand
to know what the left was doing. EXCEPT
when he undid with one what he had done
with the other. He was always playing at
pussy wants -a-corner with himself
A Missourian AYERS that this picture re-
sembles Gov. Dockery as he appeared be-
fore having his face smooth -shaven The
oashing Dockery mustache and "goatee''
We're for years familiar to Missourians.
Ben Blunt is induced to become a can
oidate for prosecuting attorney of blue
county, and the story of his campaign for
nomination is told. Also, Ben Blunt has
love affair in which he figures with far
more satisfaction to himself than as a
candidate for office.
Here is the vein In which the author IN
troduces two of his Jefferson City cast.
socially aspiring wife and husband:
The caller proved to be none other
tnan Mrs. Grum, the Identical and nm
questionable Mrs. Grum, of whom men
ton has just been made-AIrs. Grum.
none other but she; Mrs Grum, the very
pompOuS wife of a very diminlItive hut
arge-salaried department clerk at the
capitol She was Of Southern extraction.
was Mrs. Grum, and her extraction like
tnat OF a bad tooth, must have been ouite
painful, for she seemed always troubled
with nervous consciousness of it. She
was pround of the South or 'Sooto as
she endearingly called the country south
OF Mason and Dixon's line, although She
had never lived south of that line. nor
anywhere near 1t, and possibly the only
historic line with which she had ever en-
Joyed aught that reSembled an intimate ac
Quaintance, was the clothes line
Mr. Grum was political brigand. and
nice, gentlemanly fellow withaI. He
never had followers enough to capture q
nomination for himself, but he was fire.
quently candidate, and usually managed
10 hold balance Of power in the conyen-
ton, so that he was often In a position To
deliver a nomination to the opposing
candidate who should offer the richest
booty in the form of patronage. Il care
not who holds the offices of a state, was
a favorite maxim with him, so long as
l control my share Of the official pat
ronage.' While engaged in one of these
sham campaigns, and when his forces
were developed in line Of battle awaiting
a favorable opportunity to surrender. Mr.
Grum had occasion to go forth and recon
noiter the enemy's position. and. quite
unawares, 1t is believed, fell a prey to the
very estimable lady who afterward be-
came his WIFE"
The author of Ben Blunt also brings
upon the stage an imposing figure whom
he labels THE Chief Justice" The
poet mentioned in the story is described
as Jefferson City parsonage ''who yield
ed the palm of literary precedence to no
man alive. He wrote jingles for Sun
day newspaper" The serpent who tempts
the Hon. William Rounder, state auditor
to his ultimate undoing is one Peter Sfh-