Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-08-09
GALE ALLEN.
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...GENlUS
e
The Whimsical
carriage.haker
Of carmel.rown
BY HoL MAN DAY

cider the next time you come around
to my house. And a genius does
even his counting little different
from the ordinary run OF men; but
we've got such an almighty matter-of-
fact set Of women in Carmel that
you can't make them understand
such things.
1t always has been a little differ
emit with the men. We acknowledged
that Gale Allen was genius and put
up with him. 1t was mite tough
on Doc Bragg to have to ride around
In that sleigh, with the body made
like duck, and to have the boys go
"Quack. quack!" after him; but Doc
can take joke. and we all know him
IN Carmel, and it didn't hurt his bust
ness any, and so 1t was all right.
Gale. you understand, has been our
carriage. and sleigh maker in Carmel
for thirty years. and he'll do a job
that you can't match this side the
golden chariots. It isn't very hard to
put up with the eccentricities of gen.
ius when you know you're getting
something for your money. bought
one factory-made top buggy; but that
was enough for me. 1t was a good
sample of crochet-work; but it would
MT stand up any more than ice cream
in hay field. So l went back to
Gale. and he built me a wagon that
looked like a pumkin sawed in two
and set on four wheels. He allowed
that 1t would remind me that was a
pumkin-head.
took 1t. l had to take 1t or moth
ing. That was Gales style. Teller
went to him and ordered carriage
or = sleigh. and he got it; but Gale
never allowed him to say a word as
to what the model should be. Being
a genius. he insisted that he knew
hotter than the customer. OF course,
he had to stick more or less to
straight patterns on carriages; but
when snow-time came, then you
would behold In Carmel the result of
Gale Aliens ingenuity in invention.
When Carmel folks drove into other
towns with their sleighs the people
would run to the windows. Once
when We took Squire Avery over to
the Etna Tomb in February, with a
procession OF sleighs from Carmel
about half mile long, we drew big
ger crowds than Haskell's Hippo
d.Ome Circus.
There was the old red-cradle style
for new-married couples and the
rockingham style for old folks, and
the minister drew one that had the
Bible painted on the high back and a
hymn book on the fender and COW
ering like a sounding board. He GER
tainly always showed good taste.
Gale did. Folks wondered where he
ever thought up all the styles and all
the colors he slapped on; but when
you come to analyze the thing it al
ways hit OF the owner just right.
When about fifty of those sleigtls
were hitched around the church door,
Teller would kind of banker for a
piece of smoked glass to look at 'em
through; but they certainly did add
lot to the landscape. Oh, yes, |
suppose some folks did find 1t hard to
get along with all Of Gales notions;
but you had to consider that ne was
genius and entitled to some of his
crankiness. and then you didn't think
anything more about it.
Widower, Gale was, and the women
folks who had watched him for ten
years allowed that he wasn't ever go
ing to hitch up again. First wife
didn't get along with him very we'll
genius. you know; and ne kept her
guessing all the time.
Well. the first any of us in the vii
iage suspected that q hen was on was
when Alp Hanson's boy came into the
grocery store one evening and snick-
cred awhile side OF the stove, and
finally out and said he was just COM
ing down past Widow Sprague's
house and saw Gale going up the
front walk. lie said that Gale was
hurryine like sin, as though he was
afraid s'me one would see him, and
struck elary place on the walk and
fell down, and paper bag he was
carrying busted, and more'n a peck
of apples scattered every which way.
Boy said that the way Gale talked
to himself when he was picking up
those apples was certainly comfort
ing to cold ears. Boy brought along
one OF the apples that had rolled his
way. and showed 1t to us to prove his
story, for 1t certainly did sound unbe-
lievable. The apples was a Tallman
sweeting, aud old Ike Elwell snuffed
of 1t and said that he didn't know
how 1t was in city places and high
society, but when a widderer or an
old bach started out in Carmel with
bag of sweet apples to call on a
wilder 1t meant more than simply
passing the tome O. day.
Hes beginning to show atten-
lions. that's what he's doin'," said
Ike.
And that was the general opinion
OF all those in the grocery store at
the time. Some remembered back,
and those that couldn't remember
could guess how 1t might be II they
had the chance. Some of the citi-
zens said they were good mind to
put the thing right to Gale the next
time he came to the store: but there
wasn't anything SO mighty definite
about 1t, and then you never know
how genius ia going to take hec-
toring. We let things hang.
The aext item that happened was
nearer to the point.
Uncle Cy Bryant, who is a kind of
near sighted old poke, came hump.
ing into the store one evening lit
tie later-it was in March, II re-.
Su6uueI, duOuI tuo Ilm0 Luo CRUST got
hard and icy-and he said he believ-
ed the Sprague sugar orchard was
ha'nted. He was kind Of all up in a
heap about 1t. old Cy was. He said
he was coming along the road at the
foot Of the slope and from away up
amongst the trees came sky-hooting
some kind of a contraption that look
ed like-well, old Cy called 1t IAN
assitrich."
Ostrich, you mean don't yer" ask
ed the storekeeper.
"Wal. the long-shanked bird with
millinery store on his tail" said
Cy. Don't buther me when I'm tell
in story!" So we kept still.
He went on to say that this thing
seemed to be letting the blue yells
out Of him or her for all him or her
was able. He explained that some
of tie yells were way up squawky-
Ill, and some we're down gruff, and
60 he couldn't say as to whether 1t
was him or her. Anyway there was
q terrible TODD on, according to his
tell. First 1t would scoot one way
and then the other. and finally some.
kLl.- m oouIAosk faN u,4,o shot M