The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1908-07-25
Jim Cradlebaugh, Head-Liner
BY VIM. Hamilton Osborns

Copyright, by sho
When old bleary Mccartney. the
town inebriate, was accidentally killed
big Jim Cradlebaugh apprised the
widow of her bereavement.
What am I a.goin' to dot" walled
the widow.
Now. don't you worry. Missus NC
Carney" said big Jim Cradlebaugh
ostentatiously, "the town'll see that
you don't suffer. I'll see to 1t. I'll
make the boys shell out" He laid
coin down on the window-sill. There's
half q dollar for your immediate
needs, Missus Mccartney" he told her,
land don't you worry. I'll make the
boys do their part, too"
He started in to do 1t. Down in the
ONCE of the Donaldson Daily they
we're waiting for him-the boys.
Now, boys" he said, as he hustled
into the ONCE of the Daily, gimme
sheet of paper. This here is for con-
tributors for Sarah Mccartney. the be-
reaved. There you are. There's my
name at the head. where 1t always is
in this here town. l subscribe half a
dollar, do you see? Come. now. put
your names in. Don't be afraid. The
list II be printed in the Daily Just as
usual. give half dollar. Who'll
give more?"
Young Bill Mathewson, the hard
ware man, stepped forward. Mr..
Cradlebaugh," he said. and his lip
curled as he said 1t, I'm worth about
one-tenth the sum that you are. Put
me down for five dollars-I'n give ten
times as much as you"
Jim Cradlebaugh was never feezed.
"Hurrah," he said, example is conta-
gious. give so cents. and the next
man gives five dollars. Who'll give
more? Come. now. your names1l all
be printed. don't you know. Won't
they, BARTLETT"
Bartlett, editor and proprietor of
the Donaldson Daily. nodded. AS
usual" he responded. But his lip
curled Just little. too. For the only
thing that the town could give Jim
Cradlebaugh credit for was that he
could make other people give. He was
the originator of the published lists In
the Daily. He had started them dur
ing the smallpox scare some three
years before, and the editor acknowl-
edged to himself that the idea was q
good one. Charity il q pleasant weak
ness, but 1t becomes much more at
tractive when 1t is set before the eyes
of men, with names and amounts In
full
But Cradlebaugh-the town was dis
gusted with Cradlebaugh; the Donald
son Daily was Disguised with him.
though 1t did not dare to say 80. Jim
Cradlebaugh could have bought and
sold many men in the town of Don
aldson; he was fat with prosperity.
But never yet had be given q ave-dol-
lar bill on any one occasion, though
1t. Cradlebaugh took care to let them
know 1t. He was more than laugh
ing-stock in the town; he was the sub
ject Of bitter jeers. But he never
realized 1t, SO 1t seemed.
The Mccartney subscription was
ended by a $500 gift from "a friend"
Old Terwilliger, who lived at the
end of the street, was comparative
stranger in the town of Donaldson. He
had lived there for Is years. No one
knew whence he had come. All that
was known about him the banks
knew. Every six months he made sub
stantial deposits In the First National
and in the Dime Savings bank. At the
end of each six months the deposits
dwindled to cipher. The banks did
not know where the money went-cer-
tainly old lean Terwilliger did not
spend it on himself. And he had no
vices, NO Injuries. He was a plain,
simple. unsophisticated old man. But
the eyes of Editor Bartlett always
twinkled when the name Of Terwilli.
ger was spoken, and sometimes moist
ened. Then they would harden when
he thought of Cradlebaugh.
What a difference between two
men" he thought to himself. Cradle
baugh, a blatant, ostentatious egotist.
man"
But II Terwilliger had q secret. and
IL Bartlett knew. 1t. he never divulged
1t to his best friend.
And as time went on. and the char.
ity Lists in the Donaldson Daily multi
piled, 1t was invariably Cradlebaugh
who headed the list-with a dollar;
and 1t was invariably Constant Read.
err" or PRO Bono" or "A Friend"
who closed it out-with hundreds.
But the small town of Donaldson
never knew what fate had In store for
Der. She had given bounteously to
all her neighbors. She little knew
how much she would need charity her.
SELF
1t was the Widow Mccartney who
started 1t. By night the rising little
town of Donaldson lay in ruins-ruins
black and stark and uncompromising.
Donaldson was city without a home.
Yes. there was one home that es-