Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-03
BILLS BLUFF WORKED
William Townsend Saves Oyster
Bay Money.
BANE OF THE BUZZ BUGGIES
Speeding Autoists Brought Inexpen.
sively to Time.
NOW RANKS WITH ROOSEVELT
Gallant Constable With a Camp Chair
Solved Momentous Problem.
Popular Hero.
BANE OF THE BUZZ BUGGIES
NOW RANKS WITH ROOSEVELT

special Dispatch to The Star.
OYSTER BAY, L. l.. N. Y. August g.
How Bill Townsend. the village constable,
put It all over the smart Automobiles yes
terday on q wager that he could bring them
to time without the expenditure Of any
money IL q moving tale Of the summer
capital. For many weeks the whiz wag-
ons made life miserable in oyster Bay and
they were going from bad to worse until
Bill put Q stop to all that. Now the vii
layers are thinking of running the constable
for sheriff. In fact A-.n can have any
thing he wants. but as he 8 modest. he
will probably ask only to have his shining
constable's shield returned to him for an
other term when his present one expires.
Bills plan is so simple that it will probably
come into fashion all over Long Island
unless he patents it in. some way. Already
Glen Cove. which is madly jealous Of her
sister village. because the latter has the
distinction Of being the home Of the Presi-
dent Of the United States. has adopted the
scheme and is trying to palm It or as her
own.
Last summer one Of the biggest problems
that ever confronted the village with the
bivalve name was how to curb the speeding
automobiles. The village has one main
street. which enters the place on the west,
continues to the post office. where an abrupt
of block through the main part Of the
village. when 1t swings around Moores
grocery store, over which are the execu-
tive offices, to the right. and continues thus
out past, Sycamore Hill. the home Of the
President
This street being the main artery Of the
village. is naturally patronied by all the
motor cars. Hundreds of them flashed
through the village all day long. going and
coming from Sycamore Hill. The automo-
bilists did pretty much as they pleased, as
the road was we'll oiled and no one tried to
curb them.
The Villagers Groaned.
So many complaints were made, how
ever. that something had to be done. The
members OF the Sewanhaka-C orinthian
Yacht Club put up money for the hire OF
constables. to be stationed at convenient
points just beyond the village limits, to
warn the drivers and to arrest persistent
Offenders II possible. The scheme worked
well enough. but 1t was costly. So mucK
So in fact, that this year the club mem
bers refused to father the plan any Longer
and the village authorities did not see their
way clear to spend the money themselves.
Consequently the nuisance became almost
unbearable. Along Main street a cloud of
dust, kicked up by the whizzing cars al
ways hung in the air Almost daily some
one narrowly missed being run over until
| the people were afraid to cross the street.
The village fathers were appealed to,
but they were helpless. Finally, when every
one else gave up suggesting things, Con-
stable Townsend modestly asked II he
might be heard. They expected that he
would ask to be permitted to use q shot
gun or call on President Roosevelt, but
nothing of the kind happened.
II just want q red flag and a stool" he
said. mysteriously
what good would that dor" asked the
Justice Of the peace.
Just leave that to me- was Bits reply
I've got plan that will put the double
kink into them fellers or my name is not
Bill Townsend"
Turned the Trick.
Half the vlllace followed the constable
through the town until he came to the mill
pond a mile beyond There he planted his
chair under a shady locust and waited
The villagers hid in the underbrush. Soon
| a car came snorting along like Vanderbilt
cup racer.
Bill did not even get off the chair He
simply looked grim and waved the red flag
The chauffeur slowed down Immediately
and glanced apprehensiyely behind. He
evidently came to the conclusion that the
village had at last awakened up. and that
he would run into another constable little
further along II he did not shut off speed
The thing worked like charm. The news
got among the Automobiles somehow that
Oyster Bay was policed again and few at
tempted to go through the main street on
the. fly The exulting populace bore the
and proclaimed him the most popular indi-
yidual next to President Roosevelt