The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-18
The Meddler
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This Il the time Of year when The Med
dler nearly always has occasion 10 emit
la few gentle hints about slippery side
walks A. a rule the highway DEPARTMENT
kcers pretty close watch OF this work,
hut ice forms quickly during nights like
those we have been having South Main
street has been dangerous thoroughfarc
during the rast week Not only have the
sidewalks been almost impossible OF nego-
tia,ion hut the highway has been equally
| dangerous on account OF the number OF
Children coasting on il. The Meddler has
no wish To denrive the young people of
any outdoor pleasure but he submits that
South Main street is an extremely dan
gerous place TO coast on.
No question has been asked The Med.
der any more frequently OF late than that
Of how high the water in the river Will be
raised when the gates OF the dam at Yer.
non are closed The Meddler il just "a
interested in the answer as many other
neople anpear to be. but ne doesn't know
IL. In fact the only peoule who do know
are the engineers and high officials OF the
mower company and their knowledge Is
none too certain in spite OF the detailed
survey which has been made. There, are
many things to be taken into considera-
ton aside from the height OF the dam and
the fall in the river, the most important
Of which is the backwater curve. decid-
ediy uncertain element il we are to be-
lieve what the engineers tell US. This
much may be taken for granted. however.
Ii any person connected with the power
comrany tells you the water is to be
raised 10 feet at certain points You may
be sure that the increase in height will
not be any less than that. When the big
= Al
over the crest Of the spillway IL is certain
that the appearance Of the valley here
abouts will be marvelously altered.
The success which attended the local
health officer in using pocket search
light as a diagnostic agent for smallpox
has apparently spread to the nttermost
parts OF this community. DIR. Tucker, It
viii be remembered. discovered the pres.
ence Of the disease by flashing one. of
these electric lightning-bugs IN the face
of woman who mad been acting sus-
plciously for several days and refused to
let anyone into her apartments. The
impression this method of diagnosis made |
on a woman in the western part OF the |
town was amusingly Illustrated the other |
evening. One of the local mall-carriers /
uses an electric searchlicht after dark. |
I'm the piazza OF CERTAIN uNtlilns it
flashed the light over his bundle OF mail
to be sure he made no mistake in dellv-
cry. This act evidently was noted by
the occupants of the house. for the door
was opened ever so slightly and wo-
mans voice was heard to say; please
20 away, doctor, we haven't any small
pox here
It costs lust 50 cents to ship seven dead
English sparrows by express local
dentist found this out day or two ago
" actual experience; that is, he paid the
,harges on seven birds of this variety
md they amounted to that sum. The
oke originated in the minds of some OF
he dentists friends who knew of his
ntipathy to the aforementioned feath-
red pests. They found the birds on the
treet packed them carefully in box
nd sent it to the dentist in such a
manner as to lead him to think that il {
anne from a friend in Keene, N. II. t
When the box was opened the birds {
ldn't begin to sing but they caused the {
enlist to do some tall talking to him
elf. For several days he held the opinion
hat the perpetrator of the joke was
,llow-dentist in Keene. When a local
IAN who was wise to the joke suggested
game supper the dentist laughed and
apled: THAT Doctor - is a good
lend of mine but he's got the d-dest idea ,
{ a joke of any man | ever saw
The Meddler. {