Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-07-31

representative residents Of the place
meet ar the town EalI 70 celebrate the
founding Of the village Speeches
1 congratulations. suggestions for civic
+ improvements comprised the features
Of the program Then a banquet
Dawes vas always the chairman CT
the functions. and SO felicitOus was
his handling OF the various toasts PRO-
posed that he had Won the title Of
THE Cheer Master"
They could hear the distant echo. Ct
al engine whistle across the valley
as they sat in the town hall on the
present occasion. II reminded some
OF the sore ones of their disappoint-
ment Dawes. however, was in great
fettle that evening, and when the
banquet board was reached his
buoyaut optimistic air communicated
I itself TO others.
They never had anything stronger
than clear, sparkling water at these
celebration functions They had moth
ing stronger, because in the first
place no one seemed to want it, and
furthermore the big artesian well
that supplied the town ranked third
in the state as TO purity Of outrush,
so. as q matter of local loyalty, the
toasts were drunk in aqua pura.
"Hopeville-her splendid past and
her glorious future" was the toast
read
"Humphi" grumbled Bross, y think
Dawes will have to take back seat
this time
But Phillip Dawes arose, looking
brighter and prouder than he had
ever seemed He took no back water
on the buoyant predictions Of past
years He looked quite da2zled as he
spoke Of the golden stream of good
fortune now knocking at their doors.
And then they drank the toast. And
then most everybody made grimace,
set down the unfinished libation, and
looked queer.
Something the matter with the wa
ter, friends?' smiled Dawes. That's
the merit of it, 1t is Hopeville water,
though not from the home well. Gen
tlemen, you have drank of the soon
to-be-celebrated Lithia-Magnesium
water, specially presented to you to
introduce the last requirement this
beautiful district needed to make it
famous"
Say, what are you driving at, any
how" inquired Bross bluntly.
"Just this explained Dawes. Il
reasoned from the first that the new
railroad would open up popular out
ing resort somewhere along it's line.
The noisy railroad has spoiled Byron.
Besides, they have no such magnifi-
cent scenery as Hopeville, nor lake,
nor q trout stream, nor the model |
town Again, tourists like to ride |
from terminus in a stage-think |
they're diving into the primeval will
derness, Well, gentlemen, for two |
months ] have been negotiating with |
wealthy promoters in the city. The |
deal is closed big hotel is to be |
built at the head of the lake, and peo- |
pie will come to Hopeville next sea- |
son dead loads of them"
Voices arose in eager demands for
more detailed information. Property I
and rents would go up! The town
stores would quadruple their business!
The rich golden harvest was coming
at last
But what about this horrible tast-
ing water?" queried Bross, with a
wry face,
pronounced by chemists the most
healthful beverage in the world"
boasted Dawes proudly, "a true min
eral water When the promoters
learned that, they offered ten thou
sand dollars cash for the spring it
came from. "
And where is that?"
Down in a forgotten corner of that
poor, neglected farm your boy lives
IN over in the ravine. Now, Neigh
DOR Bross, as all the town is happy
over the grand general prospects
ahead of US, suppose you go, down to
he ravine farm and congratulate
Jour son, Bradley, and his wife on
heir share in the general good luck?'
And thus it was that the name OF
he popular Cheer Master became a
word in Hopeville for all
imo TO come.
(Copyright 1912 by w G. Chapman)