The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-02-24
REFORMING PIKETOWK
BY MAY CUNNINGHAM coeB.


now. same as it used to be. Set down
while | draw you a 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 it.
Mrs. Tuition and 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 1t 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 a feudal castle arose
on the site of the old homestead.
You'll see It when you get over the
brow. but the buffers and footmen is
gone
Next thing was a 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.
We'll. 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 foxesT 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. If Polly wanted one, but
he got lonesome smoking the long
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 to
sneak round to Joe Edsons place
nights and set and chaw and smoke
his clay pipe with him.
Joe, he'd say, things is going
from bad to worse. That Mrs. Tuition
is a-running my place and spelling my
gal. and I'm pretty well through with
It. What would you advised?
Between them they Matched up
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 and
a-touching their hats to Mrs. Tuition
and the gentry. It was Yes, ma'am.'
and No, ma'am' every minute. And
the minute they let the tame fox out
of the bag Joe Edison sets 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 each
aide NJ the feudal castle a-hnhhing
and a-curtsying as Mrs. Tuition and
her followers swept past. Mrs Tuition
looked a little worried; guess she
had begun to catch on to the game,
though she didn't know 1t was Uncle
Josh had set it.
After that. whenever Mrs. Tuition
in the village the girls and
young fellows would stand at the
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 before
Uncle Josh.
"What they haven't got. but wants.
is an aristocracy.' he said. Can't we
rake up a few dukes and earls in Pike
town, JOSH
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 liveryman, was chris ]
tened an earl, and hung out a shield
with horse rampant on It. Tom Big
gar. the saloon man, became the Wis |
count Schoonersuds, and we gave Sam
Higginson a title also.
Then the fun began fast and quick. |
Next time the hunt met there was our
aristocracy at the meet, wearing |
crowns. which Bill Smith, the black |