Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-12-09
For the Good
OF the Town
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By NJ. QUAD

and years after the town Of Wharton
had been founded and named there
was strong talk Of changing the name
to Brotherly Love No one could live
IN it without being good and behaving
himself. This state Of affairs had
continued for thirty years when a
change was observed.
The wickedness started with a good
and respected man. He traded Il bar
rel of new cider for a Spanish rooster,
n beauty of bird. Up to the arrival
OF that rooster not chantiCleer in
Wharton had ever dared to crow until
sure that daylight was at hand. The
newcomer went right at it at 10 o'clock
at night and kept up constant crow
ing until sunup. He crowed vigorous
" and def1antly. His notes reached
every house in the village, ard after
three or four nights there was a row.
The owner was kindly requested to
mu=zle the nuisance. He refused. he
said the rooster was the haudiwork of
the Creator and that II Ge crOwed it
was because he was created 10 crow.
That was the rolling stone that start,
ed th. avalanche. Cows had always
wandered in the streets ut night, but
without bells Now half a dozen men
be!.pd their COWS. and if the COWS gal
lorcA ~ and down the streets AZ mid
night shaking their heads and Gang
ing their bells. all the better There
had always been dogs IL Wharton. but
gCO@ dogs. resprctful and respectable
dog Now dogs of bad degree We're
added dogs that harked and roamed
and fought and cared not for the rep
utation of the town.
Perhaps Elder Shoemaker took things
to heart more than any other man
first because he was q real good
man and next because he owned most
of the vacant lots in the town and was
trying to get the railroad and a boom
there Booms and real good men sften
go together.
The elder was sitting on his door
step one day. bemoaning the fate that
was overtaking his beloved village,
when a pack peddser came along. He
had knives. combs. pins Raa needles,
threads, jewsharps and many other
things in his pack, bat, he did net
eauMerate them. He did not offer to
make a sale. He sat down beside the
good man. RTSpped the sweat from his
brow and said:
Elder. this village has got to be
dinged durn."
YES p
Its the wust in the state"
81 think So"
"Why don't you get up and rhump
yourself and do something's
MY friend, what can be done|
Heaps of Things, but you've got to
pay for your Information. I'm not Civ
ing up for nothing. About $25 win put
this town back to where it was two
years ago"
III give a hundred" exclaimed the
elder.
We'll, that's liberal Let's go out to
the barn and have talk"
They talked for couple of hours.
At first the good man shook his head
and opposed the peddler. but after
awhile he nodded and smiled A good
man with lot Of vacant lots on his
hands can reconcile many things to his
conscience. The deacon's nearest neigh
Dor on the left was the man with the
Spanish rooster, the nearest on the
right the man with the meanest dog in
town. Opposite him was family with
parrot. Indeed. his place was about
the storm center of all the troubles.
The three families nearest him also
kept hives Of bees in their gardens,
but the insects had had no hand in the
rows.
The man who could furnish Spanish
ROSTERS could also furnish Spanish
bees. He might have been able to
furnish Spanish oaths as well. If called
upon. This man sold the pack peddler
three swarmS Of Spanish bees and
guaranteed they would turn the trick.
One midnight they entered the town
&C Wharton and proceeded quietly and
softly and unseen 10 the residence of
the elder, where they were unloaded
and the hiveSNplaced in the back yard
Each hive was securely covered up and
remained so all the next day. that the
bees might get mad about it, During
this day the elder and his wife drove
away on n visit to last four days.
On the night of their going the hives
were uncovered, and the first streaks
of daylight found the bees pouring
out and itching for row.
Hardly any person had left his bed
when things began to be lively. The
old bull rushed here and there like
locomotive. and the cows beloved and
plunged
Then the cyclone began TO hit hu-
manity. Not living. moving thing
escaped them. They tool; possession of
the town and shot it up Even the
two ministers did not escape. When
the elder returned after the four days
he was awed by silence. Not dog
barked.
For week the village of Wharton
was very quiet Then it opened its
doors and stores and removed its
poulticeS and turned to gospel hymns
and to borrowing baking powder and
fiatironS in the same old neighborly
way. It had been chastened. The min
listers said SO, and all others agreed
and there was reform at once-a re-
form that has lasted 10 date The