Evening star., 1907-08-03

barked at a republican In his life, but he
seems to git connhption fit every time
democrat goes by the house"
How does he distinguish the politics Of
strangers?" asked the judge.
For the lands -sakesl That beats me!
never could tell. Me and Mr.. Boxley has
talked about that many time but neither
Of us was never able to make 1t out. I
suppose the Lord has gifted him with
that instinct"
DO you know the politics Of all your
neighbors?"
II know the politics Of them that I'm
acquainted with, but the dawg kin pick q
democrat every time. TaiRt no use to
try to fool that dawg He never bites re-
crat passes the house when he's omitted he
lights on him every time."
There Is a quaint old custom in Keene
that has been preserved for many genera
tions, and that Is q rummage sale in the
public square every Saturday morning. The
population for miles around bring in odds
and ends. old furniture. odd china, knives
and forks, farm implements and everything
else you can think Of even old stove-pipes
and shoes and clothing that the children
have outgrown, and have 1t offered at auc-
ton In the public square. The auctioneer
receives a commission Of 10 per cent on the
proceeds for his services. The goods are
spread out on temporary tables where
they can be seen and inspected, and the
offerings of the first comers have the
preference. Everything Is cash and the
successful bidder carries his purchase
away with him. 1t is curious to watch
these sales for 1t is difficult to produce
at least, that somebody won't buy, whether
he wants 1t or not.
In the Connecticut Valley.
From keene we dropped down into the
Connecticut valley, which Is famous for it's
natural beauty, its iich soil and the wealth
and intelligence of its people. The Con-
necticut is a dignifed and industrious
river; it seems to appreciate the privilege
Of watering land of steady habits, and
has contributed quite as much as the soil
to the wealth Of the population. Few
rivers are so useful to mankind; few are
more attractive. The Connecticut valley
reminds one of the Tyrol and of northern
Italy and Of southern Bavaria. The good
roads movement has been here and has
prepared the way for automobile tours.
while the village hotels are well kept hos
pitable and otherwise attractive. They are
much superior to those Of Europe. There
are no abandoned farms in the Connecti-
cut valley, although they are quite numer-
Gus back on the barren hilis4des. The
barns grow bigger the nearer you get to
the river and the pastures are dotted with
herds and black-andwhite Holstein cattle
Walpole is the first village that We no.
ticed north Of Keene. and 1t Is reached by a
lovely road, through forests Of pine woods
where temporary sawmills are turning the
trees into money. There Is a lovely little
occupied by city people who spend five or
six months of the wear In them. Walpole
is the northern limit of the tobacco belt
The Connecticut valley is especially adapt
ed to the cultivation of that staple as l
wrote you from Hartford. and the bottom
lands are all given up to 1t from Long
Island sound to the foothills of the White
mountains.
Bellows Falls.
Across the river from Walpole is the busy
town of Bellows Fails, where are enormous
factories for the production of farm and
dairy tools and implements, wooden cloth,
paper and various other staples. The wa
ters of the Connecticut lose their placid
dignity for a time and come tumbling over
a cascade of rocks in a foaming torrent.
The water power thus created is utilized to
its fullest extent.
Bellows Falls Is me birthplace of that
genial and fluent director Of the bureau
of American republics. Mr.. John Barrett,
who spent his boyhood here, prepared for
college in the academy, graduated from
Dartmouth College In 1889, taught school
for several years. and then went to where
nows the Oregon, and hears no sound but
Its own dashing," until Mr.. Barrett arrived.
He entered the newspaper profession and
continued one Of it's brightest ornaments
until President Cleveland sent him over to
help civlize Siam.
y,
until recently, was Mrs. Hetty Green, who
is usually described as the richest woman
in the world. but / do not believe that Is
true. She Is, however, the only woman l
know OF who has been successful as a stock
iSeculator and manipulation and is proba-
bly, worth several millions of dollars which
she has acquired in New York within the
last thirty years. Mrs Green has always
refused to pay taxes in New York city on
the plea that she Is a citizen of Bellows
Falls. and last year. when the assessors at
that place finally realized their opportunity
and assessed her for n large sum- she be-
came very Indignant, renounced her citi-
zenship and declared II at she would never
return to Bellows Falls aga'n. She is now
"a woman without a country so far as
taxes are concerned.
The Lambs Club Annex.
The little village of Charleston. one of
the prettiest in the long row that orna-
was once the residence of Charles H. Hoyt
| the playwright. author of "A Texas Steer"
"A Trip to Chinatown and a number Of
other frolicsome farces. which were ex-
, ceedingly profitable TO the author Hoyt
made more money out of one of his PLAYS
! than Shakespeare made out of all of his
to Charleston. bought the old homestead
| in which he was born. remodeled it. and
! lived here every summer, accompanied by
congenial companions, who assisted him to
| drink himself to death. Before ne died ha
willed the place to the Lambs Club Of
New York which maintains it as a summer
| annex. 1t is a fine. large yellow house,
| surrounded by a well-kept park. In the CEN
| ter OF one of the prettiest villages you ever
CON- LAST kna A.