Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1914-07-10

SOu snail nave all the 0g0C you want.
From being one of the most popular
Of. the chief magistrates Of bis states
titles Withefs became one Of the most
hated and. despised. The few that
stuck to him were impelled to loyalty
only BY the patronage be bestowed. i
Among the latter Dennis Finnegan.
the janitor Of the city hall. was the
most Outsp0ken. For twenty-eight
Gays Of eacl, month except February.
when 1t was only twenty-six) Finnegan
was the best janitor the city hall ever
had. but for the other days OF the
month-the two or three Immediately
following pay day-he was the worst
possible. In fact, on these days be
was no janitor at all except for the
empty title.
! Thus. in the heat Of the fight. when
the Banner was roaring its 1oudest.
we find rinnegan descanting to an at
tentive audience in Schlegel's saloon
ON the weeful state of dilapidation to
which this shameless adntnistrati0
had allowed the rope on the city hall
Flagstaff to sink.
Ye're taxpayers an. ye're citizens"
he declared rhetorically. '.an' ye have
the right to know, an I'm a free man
an friend Of the peepul, even II l
am janitor. That rope. gents. is 60
In to the: devil. l done my duty by
the peepul of the city; asked Fred
Withers for new rope. An what
does he say. fellows an citizens? He
says there amt no preparation"
He paused to empty his glass and
resumed sarcastically:
9TH bet new hat IL the trolley
company or the gas company or amy
Of them other robbers wanted some
thin he'd fall all over himself tryin' to
find way to get it. It's a shame,
gents. the way he knuckles down to
them Wall street, New. York. inter-
ests and neglects that there rope. 1t
allus was a good rope until Withers
started m0nkeyin' with them money
barrens. Wan OF these fine days
there'll lie a lot OF trouble about this
same rope; you see it it don't
Too fOrceful to bend. Withers kept
up the uneven battle until something
had to break. Something did break in
the. stiffness Of night-his health.
The next day the mayor left Pill
lingsby.
The true reason-a sudden nervous
breakdown-was announced as the
,.arse Of the mayors departure, but
the ensuing editorial III the Banner
came nearer voicing the general opin-
Ion held by the community.
It illnounced: that Withers was pre-
tending illness and had gone east really
for the purpose of consulting his Wall
street masters and learn how be might
:urther serve them.
The next day the Banner printed q
dispatch from Asbury Park announcing
that the mayor Of Pillingsby, accom-
panied by his wife, two daughters and
his private secretary. was stopping at
me of the most fashionable and ex-
penstve hotels at that resort. and an
1ther sizzling editorial appeared, round
= cOndemning the mayors ostentat ious
display .SS= s. &. "a
The following day the mother Of the
mayors private secretary received a
letter from her son advising her con-
ddentially that. Mr.. Withers was very
sick man and would have to stay in
Asbury Park for some time. The Oil
n x.f r,?F1 v,SNk a. -e01 h4
-,--iend, the wife Of the editor of the
Banner.
The latter lady kept the news a pro-
..ound and guilty secret from every
ne except her. husband, to whom she
vent for consolation. But the latter
,norted contemptuously when he heard
the tidings and commanded his wife
o. tell no one else Of this palpable plot
20 create sympathy.
The morning after the EDITORS wife
lad appraised her husband Of the al
eyed alarming state of Mr.. Withers
health Dennis -Finnegan got up bright
md early to make an attempt to raise
he city hall flag.
He pulled at the rope. Suddenly ne
telt that the rope. would pull no more
and. with satisfied grunt at the ac-
complishmento of this duty. he fastened
its end and went forth on his joyous
rounds.
When Galdorf johnson reached the
square that morning he found a large
assemblage Of Pillingsby's best citizen
ship and it's clerks and stenographers
gathered in the park. each craning his
or her neck and gazing skyward. Fol
lowing the direction of Pillingsby's
concentrated stare. the editor looked
up. 1t the city hall tower. and his hor.
rifiad eyes fell on the flag. 1t few at
hnlf mast.
God heavens!' he gasped involun-
tarily. !. He's dead .@s
Who's dead: 2" inquired a haberdash-
er standing next to J Johnson.
Gee murnured the editor. unhear.
ing. II had no idea he was as sick as
that
Who are you tniking about, Gal =
demanded the haberdasher The pres
ident, the Cover You don't mean
1n1r en,nl,n, IFS Erpd wifheral"