The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-05-29
The Meddler
N ihs eoai f,i, ,es, pat IL on.

When clothed with authority some poo
pie bear striking resemblance 10 TIC
small boy who apIsars for the lint time
in a new suit aud tries ~ hard 20 look
unconscious that be- becomes the most
conspicuous figure on the horizon, thiei
OF Police Evans looked something like tins
Saturday evening when he was attempt
ing "a make people ON Main street move
on IN compliance with his lnierpfeta'
ton OF an cdict issued BY the hailiiis.
What the bailiiIs wanted was the SUI
precision OF the unnecessary and annoying
loaiing ia front OF stoTcs-a perfectly
legitimate desire What Chief Evans at
tempted was the prohibition OF all stand
ing IN front OF stores, all looking into
store windows and the OCCUPANCY OF all
store doorways-a wholly ridiculous pro.
position. Chief Evans gave move ON
orders TO men who were waiting IN front
OF stores while their wives traded within,
10 men who were examining the contents
Of store windows and 10 men who were
sitting on stoe.steps chatting with the
proprietors. In some cases the orders
were gwen in such tone as 10 arouse I'M
mediate antagonism; IN all cases the
orlcrs were received with astonlshment
and Incredibly The Meddler = thor,
oughly in sympathy with the ballliis and
'
ing on Main street, particularly on Sun
day evenings, but II things have come TO
such pass that people cannot stop to
look into store windows after dark with
out subjecting themselves TO police inter.
ference Il is high time the local mer-
chants shut up shop at sunset. lnciden'
tally The Meddler would call the atten.
ton OF Chief Evans 10 the great value OF
tact. a virtue with which he has eyidenc'
ed more or less unfamiliarity in the past.
The first warm weather has brought
forth the suggestion that an organization
known as the Suiferinsilence Club be
formed with the requirement that each
member pledge himself not TO mention
during the summer the fact that the
heat is excessive or ask OF any TREND
or acquaintance whether or not the hu.
nudity is OF sufficient quantity to sat
isfy him. If the formation OF such a
club would put quletus on those name
expressions 'hot, isn't it, and is tins
warm enough for your" it would have
an indisputable right to existence.
Much as he dislkes to admit the lead
ership OF Bellows Falls in any civic move
ment in which this town has an oppor.
tunity to take the initiative The Meddler
cannot in fairness refrain IRON comment
ing in a spirit OF congratulation upon
the success which has attended the efforts
of the Bellows Falls board OF trade. IN
securing for that village a public play
ground. Brattleboro has needed such an
institution for long time and the need
was never greater than it is today. Now
that we have let slip a chance to show
our neighbor the way in this direction
can we not at least follow in its lead:
That would be the next best thing.
Discussion as to the cost to the village
of the water fight of two years ago has
been renewed this week by the report
that a special meeting would be called to
ask the voters to appropriate $50 to set
tie the fees of the lawyers connected with
the case. A petition for such meeting
was circulated and presented to the bail
ifs but they were afterward asked to do
nothing until further notice. While the
bailiffs will be required to call meet
ing If petition signed by the requisite
number of voters is presented, 1t seems a
pity to go to this expense when the mat
ter of attorneys fees incurred by the wa
ter board might have been brought up for
settlement at the regular village meeting
the first of this month. Many people
are wondering in Just what way the law
yers connected with the case earned SS0O
and it is not too much TO expect that a
infinitely itemized bill will have to be
submitted before the voters of the village
will be satisfied. Such bill, however, the
voters are entitled to.
The Meddler.