The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-03-20

balls Of merchandise every s's't ~
streets should be made not only pass
able but safe aud comfortable. An Idle
road roller might be made 10 do good
work when snow i sof,ened, by crush
ing IL down and preventing dangerous
rnis; aud the surplus 81 snow IN some
nlaees should remedy the lack OF u IN
a,bers il conditions outside th. va
lAge neeessitAie the use OF runners
rather than wheels No city or town
In modern times thinks OF building
wall around itself. but u may have
barriers NOR. OF less effective N the
,or, Of roads aud streets IL furnishes.
The points in this letter are wen
taken and should receive consideration
hy the town S road commissioners IN
expanding all our energies IN summer
highway work We are inclined 10 iot'
81, that the roads need attention IN
winter. especially those OF US VINO
have no occasion 20 drive In ana our
Of town. The suggestion IN regard 70
covering bare spots with snow Is es'
n.eially worthy OF consideration NJ
his time Of year when runners nave
10 be used outside the village.
The following story well illustrates
the attitude Of some OF the dam en-
nloyes toward life ON the cheshire
county farm and explains IN part the
siye of the Hinsdale police court rec
ord this winter; A hobo went into
drug store in that town to get PM
az whiskey. He was perfectly frank
In stating what be wanted the iiquor
fot-namely, 10 produce jag when
would bring about his arrest and com
mi,ment 10 the Westmoreland institu'
,ion which he understood was "a pref
~ good place 10 stay. When ne
found he could not procure the liquor
the man left the store and was soon
engaged in an apparently violent hs.lc
encounter with one of his fellow EN-
ployes. The alteration had the DE,
sired result for the man was arrested
and sent 10 the county farm for ais
turbing the peace.
The Meddler was surPriseuI!e'
startled-to receive yesterday letter
from his old friend and predecessor,
The Wise Guy, who has been living IN
retirement since his discharge from
Newfane Jail six years ago. discipline
was strict in those days and The wise
CIV was summarily discharged from
the institution for putting water IN
the whitewash which was being used
10 make the Jail mantight. Being out
of one job and in no disposition 10
seek another The Wise Guy made ev-
ery attempt to get reinstated but .he
taller was obdurate. Naturally The
Wise Guy was greatly Inundated at
being summarily fred out OF an easy
bertb and since then his once trench.
ant pen has lain idle. However, his
powers of observation have remained
unimpaired as the following epistie
will show:
Steady, old man, don't jump or cry
out when you look at the signature
It's only I-your old friend-who
took a demit from the Amalgamated
Association of Knockers to the Down
and Out Club. Since my enforced re-
tirement as an ink.squirter Ito borrow
a pbrase from T. Lawson) I've been
living low in the tall grass ON the
edges of Brattleboro and watching the
nassinp show. And l have heard as
well as seen, for my ear has been
pretty close to the ground. On several
occasions have been on the point OF
brushing the cobwebs from my erst-
while rapid typewriter and applying
my once nimble fingers to the keys
thereof; of putting you wise to some
of the things that are visible and aud.
ible from my point of advantage. l
have refrained however, until now,
but I can refrain no longer. It's some
glorious news about the Thompson
fund which impels me to break my
long silence. Make all you can out OF
it, old man, for it certainly is hot
stuff. right off the bat, exclusive, full
of human interest and all that sort OF
thing. No more tedious waits or an
moving delays; no more futile appeals
from benefciaries who happen to be-
long to the wrong church or employ
the wrong physician, or whose third
cousin once removed ought to be able
to help them away with red tape;
down with the iniquitous rule of 1901;
to the woods with the idea that seam
stresses, needle-women and shop girls
must take a civil service examination
and then spend three months in the
poor house in order to establish a
claim to what rightfully belongs to
them. The solution has been reached.
The trustees have appointed as agent
resident of Northampton, Mass.-a
maiden lady whose knowledge of local
conditions (although she has never
lived in Brattleboro) will enable her
to handle applications for aid far more
Understandings than anyone else
could be expected to handle them.
She s not going to make her home in
Brattleboro; that would be a step in
the wrong direction. But in order to
save car fare the trustees are going to
buy her six-cylinder automobile, and
chauffeur, so she can make trips
from Northampton to Brattleboro and
thence to Boston. To one of your
newspaper sense the Importance of
this announcement is obvious I shall
expect to see it featured between dou
BILE leads with three column portrait
of r. NJ. B. in the role of the good
Samaritan. Remember me to the
folks and expect to hear from me oc-
casionally now that I've walked up.
Yours truly,
W. G.
P. s. Perhaps you could borrow a
cut of the automobile from the fac
tory. The trustees have decided on a
Thomas in memory of the testator.