New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-27
| d e p e n d
Bv CHARLES BATTELL LOOMS

tires would have been relieved of air. But
the tourist was content. He had decorated
4 the road with an eighth of mile of pet
dog and he and his companions went on
their way with glad hearts, thinking no
y more of Joel Beecher and RIdge-st
"a That evening at mai-time Joel improvised
~ Indignation meeting IN the post-ofhCe.
n Most of the residents OF Rldge-st- and the
n parallel roads were there, and all of them
were serious in their determination TO put
a stop to the speeding OF automobiles on
the venerable highway that had been sacred
TO the Ox-team ever since RldgeVIle was
settled by adventurous Windsor people.
Who owns the roads, anyhow" said
Joel. Who pays the taxes up here?-dO we
let any of our own people play steam engine
on this old street, Not by Jugful. And
we amt go'n' to let those smart Alecs come
up here to their bad-smelln auto
mobiles I'm go'n' to fasten piece of tape
across the road at BIJah Weldon Just as
a hint TO stop. Our own teams can hit 1t
over their heads like clOthes-hnes and stand
the inconvenience for the public good"
No one objected to this reasonable idea,
and Ioel continued: And | thought
'twould be a good idee to have Just beyond the
tape say in front OF my house. couple OF ropes
meetin' across the road and snapped together by
clips Our teamSters can unbuckle EN- and pass
on and buckle em up again; but automobiles will
be brought to a full stop, and then | II go out and,
bein justice of the peace. ii tine EN- II they We
been gO'n too fast.
"Supposin they amt got any money!" said one.
"That's all them fellers have got. Amt got any
brains, or they wouldn't ride in the pesky toys"
Ioels scheme was voted good one. There was
not a man on the street. with the exception OF the
summer resident, who had any sympathy tor auto
rnObiStS
Next day the tape stretched across the road,
about an eighth of a mile beyond the brow of Chest
nut IIill and about fifty rods beyond that the ropes
were snapped together, and proved etfectual bar
rier for ali teams Indeed there was much grum-
bling on the part of the women who that day drove
by on their way the meeting of the sewing society
" at the home of Mrs. Israel Palmer.
But Joel who had appointed himself inspector,
was on hand TO open the "tOll-gate for them, and
he was audaciouS enough to say TO pretty Madge
Pierson that forty years earlier he would have
demanded the regulation toll from her
Forty wears ago. | would have lacked twenty
wears of being here. Uncle JOEL laughed she, and
chrruped TO her horse
You'll live to see automobiles abolished by law
That's the advantage OF havin' been born so late
in the century.
At that very minute an automobile. driven
furio11slv was starting up Chestnut Hill. The
chauffeur did not stop to read the notice, and the
pretty girl by his side had for nothing but the
rear of the road. She acted as If she expected
pursuit Why do you go this way, Harry"
Because he'll naturally expect us to take the
valley road and when | get TO
Ridge-st III 90 like Sam Hill and
well get to the Baptist minister's ~
ahead of Your father.
- If nothing stops SS$%Z>~
us" 49, 49,
Nothing will stop sss.S-~EAN &
us, my darling. This &&$HN 49,
machine isn't afraid az No
{ h ON n