The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-05-06
WHEN
FOWLERVILLE
ENTHUSED
By M. QUAD.
Copyright. 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

For years William Strong was the
village cooper. He was called Bill by
old and young. He was lazy and good
natured. He had been married, but
his wife had divorced him, and he kept
house by himself in the rear end of his
cooper shop. Bill had never been
known to argue. He had never made
y speech. He had never taken any In
terest in local matters. He had just
made barrels and kegs and been Bill
Strong. One evening when the usual
crowd had assembled at the grocery
and postoffice Mr.. Strong turned Fow-
lerville upside down. Without having
| given a hint of his intentions he
mounted the horse block and began q
speech.
In the suburbs Of the village dwelt
old. Her husband had left her poor
old house and five acres Of land.
There were COW and horse, and by
hiring the horse out by the day and
renting most of her land and making
her own garden she had managed to
get along after fashion. Bill Strong's
speech was all about the widow. 1t
was an appeal rather than speech
an appeal to the manhood and charity
of his listeners. That's what knocked
the breath out of the crowd. AS Fow-
lerville he'd known Bill Strong, dozen
people might have been starving to
death any time and he would have
taken no interest. The speaker paint
ed the picture of lonely widow, a
grieving widow and hard up widow.
1t was a case worthy of any mans
charity. 1t had brought tears to his
eyes and sadness to his heart.
Spring was here, the speaker con-
tinued. Four out Of five Of the wild
owls acres ought to be planted to corn
and potatoes. He had no money, but
he would give three days work. Who
would furnish the seed, who do the
blowing, who work with him at the
planting? Here was missionary field
at home. 1t was because Bill Strong
made the appeal in such surprising
way that the crowd took hold In FIVE
minutes all was settled. Next day the
widows acres were being plowed, and
within three days the planting had
been finished.
Bill Strong had a second appeal |
ready. He mounted the same horse |
block and thanked his colaborers in |
the name of charity and then proceed |
ed to say that the widows house was |
old and the roof leaked. As she sat |
there in her loneliness the water drip
ped down on her grieving head. He
had no money, but he would give his
work If others would give the shin
giles and nails. Others did so, and
brand new roof appeared Then came
the third appeal. Why not paint the
old house and make it match the
newness of the roof? Two coats
would be the thing, and such was the
enthusiasm that one Of the merchants
insisted ON being one Of the brush
wielders. There was an old fence in
front of the house. Bill Strong made
no appeal about that. He didn't have
to. Others saw the need, and new
fence was built. A new roof was also
put ON the COW shed and the well pro-
vided with a pump. Fowlerville en-
Unused from top to bottom.
The women came to do their part.
They presented the widow with dishes,
carpets and furniture and gave her Of
their wardrobes. They dubbed their
pin money and bought her a sewing
machine. The Sunday school scholars
bought the old horse a new harness
and a stack of hay for their share.
The Young Ladies' Literary club dis
covered that the widows cow was on
her last legs with old age, and the ami
NAL was sold to the butcher and a
young one purchased. Never did so
many gifts reach a Widows hands
She was somewhat in debt, and the
Young Mems Athletic club insisted on
paying them. So many actions, call
ing for so many tears, kept her eyes
red and swollen all the time, while
Bill Strong was looked upon with
more awe and admiration than If he
had won the welterweight champion
ship Of the world.
By the time all these good things
had been done it was time to hoe the
corn and potatoes and weed the gar
den. Fowlerville turned out en- masse
for that. 1t was made sort Of legal
holiday, and over a hundred men and
women turned out to make a picnic
of the work. Those who didn't turn
out furnished the lemonade and sand
witches for dinner. When the hoeing
and wedding had been finished men
and women agreed that there was
nothing more to be done.
But Fowlerville made one more raj
ly. 1t raised clear hundred dollars
in cash and placed the purse in the
hands of the widow She had shed =
many, many tears, but she squeezed
out few more.
Next morning the town beheld Bill
Strong moving his few household
goods out of his cooper shop. He had
a busy air about him. He also had :
changed look. When he had gone to ,
a clothing store and priced a twenty |
five dollar suit and been to the rail
road depot to inquire thu price of a
ticket some one made bold to ask:
"Well, Bill, is everything all right"
Fright as right" was the hearty re- +
ply. I
"You seem to be busy man this t
Eyes, am. Me and the widow Hen !
derson were married last evening, and
we start for Niagara Falls on our bri- /.
dal tour tomorrow morning! Much !