Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-19
TIE ORIGINAL LIGHTNING ROD NAN.


day was devoted to lightning rods. The
assertion made and backed up by sta
tistics was that s5 per rent of rods
afford the desired Profession based on
figures taken from Insurance reports.
So il is to be assumed tina, the light
ming rod business is legitimate and
useful occupation nowadays
And that brings rs to the lightning
rod man of days gone by. the gentle
men who drove a SPANKING team TO a
long rakish wagon that glittered WIKI
yellow gears and . black body and
which contained the stock in trade, a
plausible. smooth shaver gentleman
with tongue that would charm birds
out % the trees. Ii he had been LOOK
ing for birds, which he was not. He
was pleasan, and soft-spoken He
smiled and smiled and was a villain
still. When he stopped to ask for
dinner and horseteet. at some rodless
home marked by him for rapine and
robbery. he won the hearts OF all the
women in ,he kitchen from mistress to
hired girl merely BY the deep respect
and thinly yelled a5mira ZION he dis
played for woTankind in general and
these women il particular. His cigars
were good and the flask which; he pro-
duced back Of the granary and urged
Ia - he =,
man alike held stuff of an age and mel
lowness hitherto unknown TO them Ev-
erybody thawed before him. BIZ the time
dinner was over and ne had insisted
on paying two prices for entertain
u1ent and making all the children
present OF dimes and quarters he oc-
cupied the position Of an old family
friend. Then he hitched and drove
away to repeat the process at another
farm. But he came back within a few
days. The farmer himself opened the
gate for him. The hired man hurried
TO unhitch and unharness. The far
ner's wife sent the girl down cellar
after the choicest fruit and the girl
ran as she went. And then the thing
was ripe for plucking.
He plucked it. No tombstone man
who ever mourned with those who
mourn. no book agent who ever learned
his piece could talk as this old time
lightning rod man. He showed the
different kinds OF rods he explained
their extraordinary conductivity. Be
fore he finished the children were COW
ering lest thunderoolt should strike
them into eternity at the dawn of their
young lives. oftimes the matron in
deadly fear went in TO ST, upon her
featherbed and listen thru the half
shut door And he loved them so. He
feared and shu6dered with them in
mind as he drove upon his lonely way
Present payment ne needed not. The
! immediate desire of mis- soul was 10
place upon that roof protection and
security TO those who had in such
short time crept into his heart as no
other family had done Time. any
amount of time. Discount. yes, down
to a substantial loss to himself. The
innocuous paper was signed which set
forth in detail that this 500 equipment
of house and barn and granary had
been thru love and affection and such
like sentiment, reduced 10 $40 TO be
paid IN thirty days or at the option OF
the purchaser extended Indefinitely.
The rods went up. the glittering points
studded the buildings and again he
drove away.
| Incidentally as he went along he
| tore of the end of the contract and Ier.
very complete promissory note that
/ called for 800 in thirty days. Shortly
afterward he met up with the banker
at the county seat who handled his
notes and was partner and particepz
crimiris in his deals. He discounted
| II and a dozen or SO others Is per cent
| to this innocent purchaser and drove
| on to new fields and new conquests. II
| is best to draw a veil over the scene
that ensued when father" opened the
envelope containing the banks notice
that his 500 note would be due and
payable on such and such date ant
suggesting that prompt payment would
save costs, etc. Also fathers Ian.
| guage when he called At the bank !.
| barred by a righteous law from circu
lation thru the mails or as printed
matter. Draw down the shades ant
quit listening.
The real. genuine and simon pur
lightning rod man WAS versatile. Il
times of stress and financial embar
rassment he could when occasion de
manded sell soap on the street corner
Standing In his buggy to which tn
spanking team was always attache.
I and it's driver alert and ready, his def
fingers wrapped $50 bill about tn
cake Of soap and swiftly inserted