The Lamar register., 1914-12-30
REFORMING PIKETOWN
BY MAY CUNNINGHAM COBB.


on the map no more. IL T4heto"h
now. same as IL used to be. Set down
while / draw you glass of milk. and
I'll explain.
You remember Mrs. Tuition, you
say? Well. she amt here no more,
neither And IT'S all because OF Uncle
Josh Pickering, what put down the
naughty and exalted them of low de-
gree.
You remember Josh Pickering. who
struck oil in Californy and come back
to the old homestead with twenty mil
lions? And his niece. Polly. who'd
been engaged to Sam Higginson, the
undertaken, until her uncle come home
rich? Well, that's the start OF 1t.
Mrs. Tuition and a lot OF them rich
New York grafters got hold of Uncle
Josh and decided to run his affairs for
him.
Josh fell for Mrs. Tufton's game
at first till he caught on it was his
money she was after. First thing. she
transferred Piketown into Grange
Manor. She got Uncle Josh to build
a country seat He had English but
lers with calves mean leg calves
and footmen. and feudal castle arose
on the site OF the old homestead.
You'll see 1t when you get over the
brow. but the buffers and footmen Is
gone
Next thing was pack Of hounds.
Soon all Piketown got wise TO the
game Mrs. Tuition expected the young
fellows to touch their caps when she
went riding by, and the girls to curtsy.
Well, sir. the climax began when
Joe Edison shot a pesky fox what had
been prowling round his poultry. Mrs.
Tuition heard OF 1t and come riding up
to him.
"'How dare you shoot foIesT she
began, Viciouslike. Don't you know
they're meant for hunting. In England
you'd be shot for doing that
Joe was so scared he forgot to
touch his forelock. same as Mrs. TUT
ton wanted. But about this time Uncle
Josh woke up. He hadn't minded the
feudal castle. II Polly wanted one, but
he got lonesome smoking the Ions
cigars she made him use. and he
couldn't chaw nowhere. except in the
stable, and even then the English
coachman objected So he used tic
sneak round to Joe Edson's place
nights and set and chaw and smoks
his clay pipe with him.
Joe he'd say. things is going
is s-running my place and spelling my
gal. and I'm pretty well through with
II. What would you adviser
Between them they Matched up a
scheme They formed the Give En-
What They Want club. And that's
how we got Manor Grange back to
plain Piketown.
Next time the hounds met half the
village was at the meet, a-bobbing ano
a-touching their hats to Mrs. Tutor
and the gentry. II was Yes, ma'am,
and No. mann every minute. Anc
the minute they let the tame fox out
OF the bag Joe Edison sets a tin trum
pet TO his lips and hollers Gone away!
like they do in the storybooks.
When the hunt come home there
was all Piketown lined up on eacf
and a-curtsying as Mrs. Tuition anc
her followers swept past Mrs. Tutor
looked a little worried; | guess she
had begun to catch on to the game
though she didn't know II was Uncle
Josh had set it
After that, whenever Mrs. TUTOR
appeared in the village the girls anc
young fellows would stand at tho
DOORS bobbing and scraping at her
We were giving her what she wanted
But that wasn't enough Joe Ed
son had an idea which he set befor,
Uncle Josh.
What they haven't got, but wants
is an aristocracy,' he said. Can't VI
rake up a few dukes and earls in Pike
town, JoshT
THAT idea seemed good. and at the
next meeting of the club titles was
bestowed Uncle Josh couldn't take
none. being a sort OF traitor from Mrs
Tufton's camp, but Joe Edison made
himself the duke of Chicken Hollow
Jim Bates, the nyeryman, was chris
tened an earl. and hung out a shield
with horse rampant on 1t. Tom Big
gar. the saloon man, became the Wis
count Schoonersuds. and we gave San
Higginson a title also.
Then the fun began fast and quick
Next time the hunt met there was oul
aristocracy at The meet, wearing
crowns. which Bnl Smith. the black
smith had mazda ont NJ old horseshnes