Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-07-10

before Empire, the neighboring town,
but five miles away, got the court
house. Only one who has lived in
small ambitious town knows the bit
terness of the defeated at such small |
triumphs and the ill-concealed exulta-
ton of the successful The people of
Democrat after this blow, sank into |
a doze that might have deepened into
a Rip Van Wiakle sleep in the new
pharmacy had not been located in the
center of the town.
The oldest and the youngest and In
termediate inhabitants watched the
construction of the new building from
the moment when the first load OF
bricks was dumped-watched the evo-
luton from mass of brick, lumber
and mortar of an imposing building
a building that looked down supercili-
ously on the post office and the Metro
politan hotel.
When the stock was in, and a soda
water fountain besides, the citizens
were invited to an opening. Ana
while the amiable visitors gawked
around at the handsome furnishings, a
DnOnORIdDH
Sousas marches, and languish!ng
voice sang "Old Kentucky Home" as
natural as life, and as an encore "Old
Black joe" which made the audience
cheer feverishly. Then the proprietor
urged Phyllis Hackett, the belle OF
Democrat, to sing into the phono-
graph because Lem Bond said she
could sing purifier than it could But
Phyllis refused. Then every one was
treated to soda water and went away
rejoicing.
But it was not of the phonograph
nor the soda water that every one OF
them hummed about when out OF ear
shot. 1t was of the proprietor, julius
Murray, who, during the entire even
ing, wore his soft gray hat pulled
low over his face And it was not long
before the people on the outlying
farms around Democrat had heard that
the boss" at the drug store wore
hat on all occasions.
DO tell" the incredulous yokel
would cry, and drop in casually
staring innocently at the proprietor
in the hat, and before parting would
leave a dime or nickel behind him
taking a glass of soda water or tune
on the phonograph as an equivalent.
The news grew and waxed extrava-
giant. as gossip will and it was full
grown rumor that the bell-boy at the
Metropolitan hotel said that the drug
store man slept and ate with his
hat on.
Phyllis Hackett's father was large
landholder in Democrat and was quite
willing to interest others in this land.
The next time he went over to EN-
pire to attend court he told every one
about the excellently equipped drug
store-and the man in the hat played
prominent part in the narrative.
He so interested a drummer that the
man went over with him in his buggy,
and before he shook the dust of Demo
crat from his feet had left some sam,
pie goods in the drug store, and Muir
ray was to get handsome commits
sion on all that he sold.
This was shrewd move on Hack
ett's part. The drummer, in his own
interest, spread the news wherever
he stopped, and more drummers came
and more goods were left at the drug
store, and the man in the hat, within
a year, had to enlarge his building tC
accommodate his thriving trade.
Phyllis Hackett. following her ia
TIERS injunctions, told her young
friends in Empire about the soda
water and the phonograph, and espe
cially emphasized to the girls the
mysterious proprietor, who was JUS
lawfully handsome" and wore his sof
hat we'll over his face. So 1t became
quite the fashion for crowds of young
people to come over on moonlit nights
to listen to phonograph selections anG
drink soda water
The county paper came out with {
long article with scare headlines-nC
names given-of man who, for some
mysterious reason, always wore hi
hat. 1t cited other remarkable Incl
dents in history, and wound up In {
lurid sea of mixed metaphor and fig
ures OF speech and spoke of "Tht
BLACK Knight who wore his visor anC
iron gloves on all occasions. But tn,
sIllcle dppeaieu W the puollc, dn'
was the best sort of an advertisement
for the man in the hat, whose bust
ness increased with each day, ant
with his growing prosperity the tow
was naturally benefited. And the pee
pie of Empire were obliged to COM
to Democrat for their drugs.
Then. thanks to the drummers, tn
railroad that had been threatening Il
throw out an arm from Metropolis
ten miles away, and for which Empir
had fought and schemed and praye
ever since it secured the courthouse
sent surveyors over to Democrat