Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-08-27
THE TURNING
POINT
b NJ Quad
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press. .lt..

I
looked up and down Swan Greeks only
! business street.
'So. stranger, I can't stay as we are,
but there's a good reason for it. This
burg was jest ADJOINING when
preacher headed It for its downfall
and thought he was doing wondrous
good thing.
1T was twenty years ago and there
we're more liars to the square foot In
Swan Creek than In any other town In
] America, when one OF the churches
changed its pastors and got a high
stopper. One day as met him on the
street he stops me TO ask:
Brother Hopkins. can you, tell me
why Il Is that about thirty OF our lend
ing citizens gather at the postofhce
every week day evening OF the Year,
We'll, It is the Liars club. II
meets there every evening except Sun
day and would meet then II the post
office was kept open
"'Iet me understand this thing says
the good man. DO you mean that these
citizens knowingly falsifyT
Certainly
But whyr
$50 as to be at the head Of the class.
There's Uncle Hezekiah Davis. He
was once chased by a rattlesnake.
There was only one snake when he
FIRST told OF 1t, but now he has got the
number up to thirteen and Is still gain
ing. There's Deacon Spooner. He had
a brother
"'But you don't mean that Deacon
Spooner liesT
"'You may Judge for yourself. He
had brother who went west and was
chased by Indians. After telling the
story three or four times a week for
ten years the deacon has got It that he
was run for seven miles and shot
through the calf OF the leg.
Cant you come down tonightf
asked. Josiah Flintheart is due to
tell his He always tells his lie Tues
day night. His hired man found a
tramp In the barn years ago, but Jo-
siah makes out that It was be who
found two robbers under the bed In the
house and captured both Of them. Our
Liars club Is going over TO Dobbs
Ferry some day soon 20 hold lying
match with the liars OF that place.
THE good man went away with 3
stern look on his face. and it was not
long before we heard from him. He
called US up one by one and said that
the club had 70 be broken up forthwith,
and two evenings later Deacon Spooner
announced the solemn fact from the
postofics steps. Two days later Ebene-
ger Jackson came back to town after a
visit to Troy. He heard of the calam-
ity at once. and he stood upon barrel
and said:
" In the name OF Liberty protest. ]
have just returned from Troy with a
new lot OF Lies about Troy laundries,
and propose to set them Off or perish
IN the attempt ! respect ministers Of
the gospel as much ss the next man,
but they can't gag me- Let the club
meet as usual tonight and hear my
new stock Of Hes
''But the club didn't. The ex-members
wouldn't even listen to Ebenezer as in
dividuals.
"EbeneEer had = wife and three chill
dren. In about a week. without saying
a word to anybody. the house was $
up and the family were gone. II
were away for a week. When they
turned they moved about. among 9th :
families more than ever before. and
four or eve days later there was. a
scare. Ebenezer came down with the
measles. His wife had some sort Of
epi1ootic.. one of the children had
whooping cough, another had chicken
pox and the third had the itch.
Uncle Jed knew where these things
could be picked up replied Ebenezer
when charged with bringing them back
10 town on purpose. and so ! thought
l would make old Swan Creek lively
for a little while When a fellow can't
so down TO the poatofiice OF an evening
and swap few gentle lies with other
liars he must find amusement IN some
other direction
"No one living IN Swan Creek that
summer viii ever forget It. Tho dis
ease took hold OF old and young. and
we had to send for extra doctors and
| uuIrths No QUE OlcO~ Dul lOi n hhoNih
the place was like a graveyard. Ac-
cording to the doctors, the minister
who was responsible for this state OF
affairs had measles, epiEootic and
whooping cough all at once. and II was
when he was the sickest that he sent
for Deacon Spooner. who could just
crawl around. and suggested that the
club be resurrected. but the suggestion
could not be carried ont for lack OF
liars. All the rest Of them were on
their backs.
4In time everybody got well and busi
ness picked up again. but the club was
never re-esta blished. and the town ha:
never fully recovered from the blow
Of its dissolution. Nearly all the male
Inhabitants come down TO the post
office OF an evening to get their mail
b and they sit around and whittle and
look at one another in a longing way.
> Sometimes a tin peddler or pariol
: srgan man staying in the town over
night and not posted on its past history
/, viii start out to tell q whooping lie tc
8 Interest others. but there is never any
! comment OF applause. His story falls
r nat. and he rises up. brushes the dust
Q and WRITINGS OF and saunters away
{ saying to himself: ....
y "'Well. by thunder. n this isn't th,
v durndest town ever struck in all my