Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-12-09
On TIE FIRE ENGINE. IL
WI Its ConinS to Springfield, and What oc- w
Cured Thereafter.
%&&&.s# ,u . p,ss IN = cjnv.IsoS PIai, DeaIar
Cured Thereafter.
w. r. Rose, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Springyille had failed to reallze IN any
serious way what this deprivation OF
transportation facilities meant.
SpringYille was small in area and
moderate in population, and the word
progress was not in her lexicon.
But there were indications that
-Springville was getting Uneasy. When
John Pritchard invented his auto
matte raker and with true SprinGviile
inertness decided to put up his fac
tory In the home village, on Hoop
pole Creek, where the water power
was cheap and good, the beginning OF
the end Of Springville's long slumber
was close at hand.
John Pritchard found that he
couldn't fill his orders with satisfac-
ton to himself and his customers.
He needed the railroad. He told the
selectmen SO. They shook TIER
heads. He woke up, and told them
he would have to take his factory
elsewhere. They didn't shake their
heads quite so vigorously over this,
but he received no encouragement.
The landlord Of the Springvills
House, who had succeeded his father,
and more remotely his grandfather.
in the business, sympathized with
John Pritchard.
t'There'd be a chance for this bunch
OF %stagnation," he said, "if we could
give their walkin' papers to that
aggregation of fossils, the board Of
selectmen-an' the worst Of the lot
is Ezra Mayhem
1That's So" John Pritchard agreed.
And being an individual of few words
he tapered of his remarks with a
sigh.
Three mornings later q young mar
knocked at the door OF Ezra May
hew's Office.
Ezra Mayhew owned a tannery up
the Hooppole, and he had a sawmill
on the SiS-Mile, and he was a notary
public, and an elder in the brick
church and president OF the board of
..s,selectmen.
Ezra Mayhem, gray ana stopping,
was sitting at his ancient desk in his
grlmy little Office.
sCome in" he said.
The young man entered briskly.
Mr.. Mayhew?"
4Yes.n
Mr.. Ezra Mayhew. president OF the
i5boardfof selectmea?"
2 e
M card, Mr.. Mathew"
He1aidthe bit of white pasteboard
] on&the desk and looked down smil-
ing
The old man adjusted his glasses
/ and read the inscription aloud.
arthur Brill, manager of the Brill
Engine COMPANY Aurora. He
looked up at the smiling stranger.
sWen9. he said.
@Glad to meet You, Nj. Mayhem"
the young man cordially remarked.
Z am here to sell you a fire engine"
The old man s%tifened up.
Did you come all the way from
Aurora to tell me this?"
4Yes, Mr.. Mayhem"
aFifty-three miles for nothing"
II believe that is the correct dis
lance. But I decline to admit the
nothingness."
.Springville has no use for a fire
engine" he said, with a strong en-
phasis.
Does the statement admit of argu-
ment?" the young man asked.
NO." snapped the solectman.
"We have a we'll organized volunteer
department. 1t has suficed for our
needs for more than half a century.
The best mer in the village are men,
beers. I myself am connected with
Torrent No. 1. We have q hand n
CINE, a bucket company and a hose
cart. We are fully prepare for every
emergency"
The young man nodded brightly.
az have seen the apparatus" he
said, Ain its Quiescent state. Fate
has not permitted me to observe it in
action. 1 noticed, however, that your
hand engine is a Button of 1856.
Time brings changes, Mr.. Mayhem"
@~SDringville is a conservative viii
lage, Mr.. Brill, and we are a DELHI
crate and we'll ordered peopls. We
find that what was good enough for
our fathers is quite good enough for
u.s.
4But the hand engine must date
back to your grandfathers," said the
young blithely,
The selectman frowned darby.
ut has served our purpose" he
said. @No doubt it will continue to
do So"
4oh," cried the young man, "but
you can't fight fire with sentiment.
You should see u No. 6. That's the
Springville size-light, strong, pow
erful. I'll tell you what I'll do, Mi.
eMayhew. I'll have an engine sent
down from the works. On, it's no
trouble, I assure you. They'll send
an engineer with it, and III be de-
lighted to show it off,"
The selectman turned around.
3You are wasting your time and
efforts, my young friend" he frigidly
remarked. 81 decline to look at your
steamer. The selectmen will decline
to look at it. The people of this vii
lage-I allude more especially to the
taxpayers-will decline to look at it.
We don't want your steamer, sir.