Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-10

|Wallingford|
| In His Prime /
! By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER /:
) Copyright. 1913. by the Bobbs- /:
; Merrill Co. 4
By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER

IN n0EIlu W. u
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER TX.
Blaekis Falls.
WHAT night Wallingford pored
over his accounts and did some
close figuring. He had disposed
! Of $50 of his 525 portable
houses. over q hundred of them for
cash, which cash was safely deposited
lin his New York bank; the balance he
had sold on payments: he had issued
$50 shares OF stock in the Kimbely
Mine Operating company. Once more
he took out the charter and read anew
the peculiar constitution and bylaws of
that corporation.
!, A stockholders meeting was set for
only few days away, and even II ev-
erybody in the town voted with him he
could control the voting Of only 400 out
of 1000 shares Of stock. This was the
dilemma that confronted Waliingford
and put creases in his brow for many
days, but now he only chuckled at it
The next morning he began looking
after his personal popularity. He sent
ito the city for 500 worth Of books,
all in the Is cent, cloth bound edi-
lions; he gave the butcher an order for
"a cow and two hogs; he gave the baker
Ian order for unlimited bread and
cakes: he gave the grocer an order for
butter. crackers, cheese and pickles ad
lihitum; then he invited the entire town
to the grand barbecue and free public
library opening, which library he was
about to present to his beloved fellow
townsmen in the until now vacant
portable house at "a South Main street.
On the day Wallingford decided upon
this the untiring Brother Ralph In
. New York sought out Blackis Daw.
with a newspaper in his hand.
II suppose you've seen the almost
daily reports Of the wonderful output
Of the Kimbely mine." he suggested.
Haven't you cleaned up on that
yet ?" inquired Blackis in surprise.
Mr.. Dougalbobber was SO shocked
and panied that he was nervous. Look
at this article" he begged, pointing to
q column and a half STORY" telling Of
a wonderful ore shipment, "the largest
shipment ever made in the world" he
explained
81 believe it" replied Blackie cour,
teously, passing back the paper. But
why be 80 mournful about It? You
don't drink enough, Dougalbobber."
And here" went on Mr.. Dougalbob-
Der. with dignity. 'is the weighers
certificate" And he presented fold
ed paper.
II believe that, too" admitted Black
ie, passing It back still folded. Say. I
wish yon'd SO, away. With your Kim
belly mine and let me sigh in peace.
Ny wife's ont Of town"
That grand opening was the apex
ana climax Of Dougalville's history. II
Twas q grand and gala occasion, where
lin Wallingfofd shone at his brightest
1and Toad Jessop as master Of ceremo-
1nies strutted to his hearts content.
AOld Pop Meeking, who ran the donkey
Iengine for the small ore crusher, own
sed beautifully mottled yellow and
green cornet:. Henry Brooger. who
teked out miserable existence mend
ting shoes while he waited, owned an
accordion, and Tom Macnish, whose
business was to curse a mule, owned
q bass .vfol. Wallingford hired the
entire band. He placed that band
where it belonged, right out in the
middle Of the field back Of the Free
Public library and in front Of the bar
.becue,, and when the time was ripe,
which twas just when the good smell
of well cooked flesh filled the air, he
made a speech. 1t was a rousing, pa
,triotic, fraternal speech, calculated to
warm the cookies of the heart, awak-
en- enthusiasm and increase happiness
ION every hand. He pointed with pride
,fo theifact that he was the sole parent
!of this, thriving little city and felt re-
:pponsibIe for it's welfare and its pros
perity. He loved all Of them as broth
sers, he did, and if any of themShad in,
,lliyidual or private troubles let them
come to him, and their firm and ever
lasting friend, J. Rufus WaHingford,
would see what could be done.
/ The free library that he was pre-
lsenting them today was only the
modest beginning of an institution of
which he knew Dougalville would one
day be, justly proud. A schoolhouse
would be his next gift to the city, and
Dc was already dickering with the
ministers of three denominations to
come there and esta blish churches. In
the meantime, the body needed food as
much. as the mind or the soul. That
hood, he could see by the eye of their
expert butcher and chef, was now
ready Let him not keep them from 1t.
Let them all help themselves and en-
10y Themselves to the full. Would the
strike up Turkey In the
STRAW
AS that and one church hymn were
the only. two tunes upon which the
Eorn1 and the accordian and bass
viol could agree, the boys cheerfully
Obliged, and the feast began.
Talk about popularity! Dougalviile
fairly dipped with 1t, and 1t was all
FOR Wallingford- Wallingford, the big,
the Impressive, the pleasant, the mag
nantinous! How they did love Wal
bingford i that night! Women almost
Mept about him, children danced
around him without throwing things,
and strong men, with their mouths
full OF beef and pork and cheese and