The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-06

fore, flows Sinsinawa Creek, sleepiue
| the summer in leaf-lined, sweet-smeli-
ing pools along the shady streets,
where the boys fish for sinners with
their hats, and where, in October. the
water having dried, the oak and maple
leaves drift deep, so that, by Hallow-
cen all the town is filled with the
pungent smell of the smoke.
Rome is in a continual grandmother
ly quarrel with Sinsinawa Greek;
never has it been able to reason So
| briefly into the laughing jade which
tumbles its June freshets down from
the bluffs, fills every hollow of the
wandering streets and vacant lots,
plays mischief with fences and walks,
and goes its way to the Mississippi
across the bottoms, leaving its mir
rored pools to taunt the ancient dame
of town with its wilfulness Yet
Rome loves the wanton that when
Earlville wanted to divert its water.
in the uplands to run a factory foi
that aggressive metropolis of the
county, the protest that went ur
echoed for years in local politics. Earl
williams called it "Sin Creek" or
Skunk Creek but what could one
expect of Eariville?
In Rome, when a tree interferes
with a sidewalk the walk is not re-
built; in Earlville the tree is cut down
| and the cement laid. That is why
Earlville has the railroad, the furni-
ture factory, and the E1l<s' Club, VIII.
Rome has only its memories, its
fences, and its best families. And
! county courthouse. The court-hot
ofhces and the best families were =
tradition as venerably intertwined 4.
the ivy and bricks of the walls. Rome
knew is position II would have sat
with dignity on its hills, only Skunk
Creek-l beg pardon, Sinsinawa!-
kept pushing it off.
Yet none in Rome more than mildly
censured Sinsinawa. Not even Wiley
T. Curran, of the Rome News, who
was always .bothering the town board
about street Improvements. He ought
to have known better. Every one hav-
ing county business had to come to
Rome. II one didn't like the streets,
one could 60 to-Earlville.
Wiley T. Curran used to retort that
good many had. Rome contained not
nearly so many people as it did when
the war closed Earlville, then, was
merely one of Thaddeus Tanners COW
pastures. Earlville welcomed any one
who would hustle" as the Boosters
Club put il. Ro,ne did not not care to
have people about whose families moth
ing was known. Every one there had
lived in Rome since 1850 at least. Even
the obnoxious Mr. Curran's progeni-
tors; and some of the old families
tolerated the News solely because Pat
Curran found it before the court
house was built. But those families
were few, for Pat Curran had been
one OF the fighting abolitionists, and
Southern Iowa was notably in the
stream of the Kentucky and Virginia
migrations during the secession pre-
lude. To this day these lower coun-
ties are known as THE Reserve" and
have ever stood aloof from the ram
pant Republicanism of the militant
North and West. In Rome still exist
dim traditions of Tully's Raid and the
copperheadism that was smothered in
the triumph of the Northern arms. Il
lends a political conservatism and a
best family air to society, and ac-
counts for the tumbledown fences, un-
paved streets, and Arcadian corner
lots. 1t also furnished Curran, of the
news. with editorials.
But no one who was any one mind
cd Iurran- In Rome everybody who
was ANYBODY had money. In these rich
ana mature Gays, having the static or
ger OF the East and stationary popu..
latioh more tnan generation or
young men had gone on from the
priceiess corn lands OF the county to
the cheaper acres OF the Sanadas, or
me irrigated valleys OF Californla and
view Mexico or 10 the eioes- Retired
farmers moving INTO town tor the
scnoois and freedom from stock-feed-
ing, did not compensate tor the drain
OF younger blood Curran lamented
TINS. But Surran himself had gone OF
TO SWING the circle OF the west for
decade, and had come back a beggar
70 take up the News on his fathers
oeatn. And now the News could
eackie as 1t pleased about progressive
ness ana keeping the young men IN the
county tor their fresh spirit and lustier
IDEALS. NO one minded-none OF the
best people. Anybody who was any
body wouldn't think of moving away.
Except Mr.. Curran. He wondered
why he had come back. Sentiment
brought him as it had sent him forth,
~ x