Connecticut western news., 1911-04-06
MILF RORABACK'S CAPER

Maligned Canaan and CanaanItes
 This is reminisceuce that doesn't go back beyond the reach of the middle-aged mans memory. and refers to the abrupt aud effective squelching of a presumptu- ous travelling entertainer who made the mistake of referring in an objectionable manner to the palpable lack of apprecia- tion on the part of Canaanites in general, and those in particular who declined to acknowledge the attractiveness of his amusement outfit.
 He was Punch and Judy man. and was accompanied by his wife and his automata. He pitched his "tent" on the edge of the walk on the Railroad street side of Parsons store, the Cummings block, and began to "bark" for the crowd to assemble. The crowd heard him distinctly-it was in the good old summertime and plenty of people were about and lounging on the stoops of the various stores. Failing to get an audience stampeded ill his direction, the entertainer, proceeded to get mad and backbite the town and all the people in 1t; he said they were too ignorant to appreciate merit in art and refined amusement, and set them down for a a breed of numbskuIls.
 Among those who heard his diatribe was the late Milton Roraback. the most incorrgible practical joker of his day and generation. Milt had an office on the second floor of the Cummings block, and on the same floor was situated The News office In the southeast corner of the second floor was barber shop run by Charlie" Fowler, colored sport. We'll, when Milt heard the Punch and Judy man abuse the whole community, he suggested to a fellow in The News office, who was just as bad, in a way as Milt, that they ought to teach the snowman a lesson in manners. The suggestion took. A big tin pail was filled with water from The News faucet, and the two conspirators took it stealthily up into the Masonic lodge room, on the third floor and silently raised window directly over Punch and Judy. .-s
 By that time the man had succeeded in collecting little crowd of curious loungers. to his ''tent," and had begun his show. Milts confederate watched for the psychological moment, while Milt stood back pace from the window. with theswater pail poised in proper aim. When he got the word he letter go, just as Punch was singing "White Wings or something equally as affect ing. The whole pail of water went down with smothering splosh, squarely into the open top of the square tent and the song was instantly hushed. while the crowd broke into a roar of laughter. 0
 Punch and Judy was wild and half-drowned. He knocked his tent oyer in getting out of it, and started madly up the stairs leading to the barber shop, with blood in his eye, accusing Barber Fowler of having perpetrated the deed. Fowler told him to get out or he'd throw him out. His wife flew around scolding and sputtering like crazy women. The man offered all kinds of rewards to anybody who would tell him the name of the man who had drowned him, and raved more abusively than ever about the unciyiIized tribes of Canaan.
 About this time Milt accompanied by his assistant conspirator, strolled up, and innocentTy inquired what was the matter. The stranger, won over by Milt's friendly attitude and sympathetic manner, related his troubles and pointed to the drenched tent and saturated puppets With long face Milt con- doled with him, assured him that the ''better element" of the population would not countenance such treatment, and volunteered to ferret out the guilty wretch and see that he was properly punished. The deluded victim finally got his paraphernalia packed up, and started for Massachusetts, expressing sentiments of mingled wrath against the inhabitants in general, with the most proufound gratitude for the friendly Milt, and without once suspecting that he was talking with the veritabls perpetrator of the outrage"
 Milt never, to his dying days. got over laughing at the incident.
 Any way, the backbone of last fall is broken.
 Tbo ak,,,IoS,obara in and arou md and