Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-03-05
city OR TOWN LIFE /?
Tommy wilkins Tries Both and
Prefers StrinyviIe.
"a TALE OF TRUE CONDITIONS

.e-4o~ Youth From a Small Town In
d. vaded Chicago With Tall Notions.
= Things Not What They Seem From
Distance That Lends Enchantment.
This is just the simple little story of
cc1le going up and the coming down of
Tommy Wilkins. No matter where he
LIVES. You have known youths exact
ssy IKE Tommy. You will recognize In
Tommy some old acquaintance.
Tommy Wilkins lived in a small
1xUrrD until he was lured away. vi
:ssiTg1s vi vast wealth and the blowing
liz thereof lured him. The small town
Erian no amusements such as horse rae
ing, pool selling places, big league
baseball games. not even hockey
,Ns1lssatons. There was the lively lit
,szit. main street, with the general stores,
fs4he printing office, the bakery and 9th
-sy places Of business. Then there were
he quiet residential streets. bordered
'ir:th. trees that almost overlapped their
leaves in summer time, with pretty
;,yrnen lawns all around the houSes.
Vic residences themselves were COM
afgytable and cozy, with lots and lots
eyE fresh air circulating around and
;a.hrough them and plenty and plenty
;;N through the windows. In front
TgYs2rs porches with rustic chairs.
In one of these coy cottages dwelt
Tommy Wilkins with his parents and
fd1c'1 younger brothers and sister
$S-;lslnl' was u little older than Tommy,
cp~i,o was just twenty and feeling i'm
Gn,rtant enough for forty. Sister was
IN gagged to the head clerk in De Bow
- Browns general store, who earned
s:!sisasi. a week.
Chuck him, SIS" said Tommy Will
1c's1l2s, You just wait about year, and
MI ind you a man to fall in love with
are'''ll be worth your while. I'm going
2@ ~ chicago to live. l am. I'm tired Of
f@n .rking in Harris grocery store for SO
}7eer. and I'm going where the big OPP
Z ~ rrunities are.'
sclJoLeF laughed SOIuly.
In about year, Tommy" said sis
3-ar ID sisterly way. you can come
z ~ IA here and board with Ned and me.
~ae wont charge you cent till you
ss-s.-sse-1 your old job back or something else
Nv do"
Huh" calculated Tommy wilkins,
who made off next day for Chicago.
Tommy did better in Chicago right
s7rr1D the start. He got job in dry
syn odS store at $12 week. OF course
4 Exs 50 at home wasn't the worst in the
for his parents had boarded him
1r2ae. In Chicago, of course, it cost
lTxLn $3.50 week for board-a tiny hall
o-sedroom at the top of the house, rear,
wFathout heat and practically without
4 hight and air by reason Of the amazing
eisossness of similar buildings. But
linen Tommy had $3.50 left over-to
z9ay car fare, buy standup lunches at
4 -aSa football rush hash joints, purchase
si.hcr1,es with which to shine in society,
1E2Y tlleater tickets, play the races and
.--but, come to think Of it, no use to
baseball, for Tommy never
slad time to attend a game.
Then, again, Tommy really needed no
f7r1Oney for fine clothes, because he had
cxae use for fine clothes. He knew no.
Is0dy in the city except his landlady,
rTEno smiled upon him just once a week
---8ct $3.50 per smile. True, he did
.Snuw, SO to speak, the lady across the
t-St,'e, who worked in De Smiths de-
ssZrtInent store as "head saleslady" at
SsEt- week, but Tommy didn't like the
EDs Smith person. She had spoken to
fa1.N just once. She had said across the
rxEs5is:
~ Where are you from. Mr.. Milkins"
h ~'-fsVilkins," corrected Tommy; evil
Ss11z-s. I'm from Stringville."
"a, What are you doing in the city"
Clerking at Solomon & Isaacs',"
-xNaied Tommy, swelling with manly
.ya.iie.
Huh! You'd better go back to
..:;Tlngville," commented Miss De
ssisl1th, scooping up the final stewed
G-sr,yne from her dinner dessert.
go back TO Stringville," Tommy
Z ftrssz flights of stairs to his cell on
4 w sop tier. well, anyhow, did get
to eat there that didn't give
n1Re the feeling of being stuffed full Of
Z sa1ad hay. And I Wore pretty good
e.:s.silIas there, with fair prospects of
s--snsi1ing a new suit when l needed one,
sssIa1 had friends there-yes, friends!
There's 100000 people in this burg,
sszs not single, solitary one of 'em
csssTes q red copper for Tommy Will
rsIn.s.''
zgommy had been in Chicago eight
s-z5sI i1rs and had saved IS, the price Of
aas Il ca1et to Stringville, when one Sat
sxnzay night after paying his board he
y,xra.iSed letter from sister some
tse,hf3ae like this:
Year Tommy--If you think Ned is good
es4t.s s1ssii Tor me, Wen be married next
Vs. lnesday noon in the Methodist church.
Ir-ng some of your high life friends down
g.sos zttend the wedding, won't you? And
S.sA.ei ssys, If you will accept. he'll get you
e. - in the store at So week, and we
vessra- charge you but So for board.
'E21e only reason Tommy wilkins
G:illz1't wire his acceptance was that he
fxsrsysd all Of his cash on hand to buy