davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-07

. a 49, 3.
the Cotton Belt Railroad. He in
aigurated the policy Of looking at
the public's side of complaint
and even overstepping the bounds
of absolute justice in an effort to
make peace between the complain
ant and the company. lie drifted
gradually into the work of pouring
oil on the troubled waters. having
handled several recalcitrant travel
.ers whom no one else could man
age, and then his fame as clear
sighted Solomon spread through the
town. I'll so and ask Marsh how
this thing looks to him." was by
word among his friends long before
the complaint department was even
I contemplated. When a secretary
for that department was required.
n dozen citizens said in chorus,
'Marst1's the only man in town. who
won't he driven raving mad by hav-
Ing to listen to peoples grievances"
Varied indeed are the kicks
which come to the secretary of the
board. Complaints against public
service corporations are made in
writing. Most of the complaints are
sent in by mail. but there are hun
dreds of kickers who call in per-.
son and talk to the buffer machine
Of the city.
This morning after the building
was opened in came serious
faced man, He looked across tho
railing at the man who sat in the
revolving chair before the big oak
/. desk. and he said:
us dis de kick department..
YES" the man returned, beckon-
ing him to come within kicking dis
lance. What do you want to kick
about?" rss
1T don't want 10 kick. I.ain't got
no kick. I'm doing de best I can"
Then why did you come here?
This Is the complaint Office"
Yes. ! know. It's my grocery
man dat's kicking. He says got
to pay my bill. I got laid of. where
(. 1 work for sixteen years, and don't
get no money. We eat gust so little
MS We can. and Ifpay him up, Just
Z so kvicls as I get a yob. Ifnever
owed him a bill in sixteen years.
and don't want to owe him dis
one. Vat / do about it?" b
I'll tell;you what to do,' the man.
said, earnestly. ...You go and have,
Z a good talk with that grocer Tell
him I said you were an honest man
and he ought to carry you along till
You get your job back. Times are
going to be better pretty. soon, and
he ought not to press you too hard.rr
The man went his way comforted.
Next came two complatnants. the,
one middle aged man and the 9TH
er Handsomely clad lady Of pos
Y sibly 30. The man insisted that he
had the precedence and the wom-
!, an gave way. graciously. with. a
great flourish, the man tossed out a
1 lengthy petition with many names,
In many kinds Of ink.
What are you people going to do
about this?" he demanded. pointing
to the closely written statement at
the head OF the, sheet, which In
formed him that the man had been
discharged by the City Eotester,
y and that he ought to be restored to
his Job at once" q Il {. - I;
!, 'sTbatsis this name : can't make.
1T out...;S Mr. aiarsf asked
The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-07


when they fail TO get good service
IL something new in government.
The politicians long ago learned to
: kick and make political capital out
of their kicks, but for an ordinary
IMAM who, never has been arrested,
meyer ran for office, never made %
public speech, never quarreled with
his @wife, always paid his bills, and
always etiid his work satisfactorily;
Y for such a man never was chance
provided for him to kick about the
city government State government.
county government. or any other
government. JOSS
That sort. of man hurried away
TO work, every morning. hurried
back home every evening, and he
had NO time for kicks.
The department stores recognized
long ago the inalienable right of
Z man or woman to kick and have
provided kicking clerks to whom
Z customers can make complaints.
The gas company, the electric light
company and sometimes the street
railway company provides a per-
son to whom grievances can be told.
Until recently the man who didn't
Ike the way his city was run had
nothing to do but wait for some
leader running for Office or some
other AK to grind This leader did
all the kicking, got all the glory,
and then ran for office or accom-
plished his ends.
But the theory that the ordinary
man does not know as much about
his individual rights MS the Mayor
3 or some other official has long been
discarded. Men do have rights. and
( they have wisdom to know their
rights.
A man who has been shoe cob
bier all his life has Just about as
much training to be Mayor as
man who has been making fortune
selling inflated real estate, yet when
the honest shoe cobbler tries to run
for Mayor the people View with
alarm tho audacity of such an ig-
norant fellow trying to get into the
Mayors chair.
With the discovery that the shoe
maker Is q man Of brains the kick
board had its beginning. The whole
thing started in the newspaper Of
fees In New York, where the peo-
siple were invited several years ago
to write anything they wanted to
tell to the papers. That was novel
idea to say the least, Before that
the editors were supposed to be the
only people In. the wcrld who could
write. For a common SIS week
clerk TO be given space in the daily
newspapers of New York to tell
& what HE thought, soon showed that
I the world was well supplied with
people: with different ideas from the
ones who are running the govern
Ssnient. The idea of the peoples
column hassnow spread all over the
country and every day hundreds OF
letters are written to the daily press
fkicking about the government.
II With that fact in mind, recent
makers Of city charters have tried
10 provide an outlet for those MAX
Ing complaints and the result has,
been better government because the
The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-07

plant organization in the United
states and has paid secretary
whose only duty is to listen to com
plants and make a list, of them.
SECTION UNDER WHICH
COMPLAINT BOARD WORKS.
The complaint board is provided
for in the city's charter in the fol-
lowing languages: s-
1T (the Complaint Board1 shall
receive complaints against any de- 3
partment, board, division, officer or
employe Of the city, or against any
public utility corporation, and ex-
anime the same. It shall recon-
mend to the proper city or State
authorities any action deemed advis-
able.
Under the old. regime the man
with grievance could never get a
hearing unless he had some sort OF
political pull. And there was the
other disadvantage that honest city.
officials and boards were constant
ly hampered in their work by com
plants which they had no means OF
investigating or settling. Feeling the
need Of some definite clearing house
for all complaints, both Just and UNI
Just, the trainers OF the new Char
ter called for suggestions from
civic experts. They sent forth a
junketing party, commissioned to
collect Ideals for municipal govern
ment, from a score OF American
cities. The men who did the work
of investigation were. commanded
to find an antidote for the kick dis
ease which has long afflicted st.
Louis. In Cincinnati something WINS
found which offered suggestion.
That suggestion was developed, ex-
tended, enlarged and rendered con-
crete. 1t resulted In Article XIV,
Section 2, OF the Charter. which
was submitted to the people and
. Subsequently adopted, 1T provided
for a board consisting of three
members and a secretary, the lat
ter to handle all details Of the Of
flee. 1t placed at the disposal OF
the board all the judicial and exe-
cutive machinery, Of both city and
State. No such board has been uti-
lized by any other city, and to a
certain degree Its work is only an
experiment. II Is the purpose of
f ASSWio. IL fA.dhGt GnduGlGGA. y INSttHSIQya
and Hanford Crawford to make this
now department a model for other
cities to copy. II 1t serves to pre-
vent the machinery OF city govern
ment from becoming clogged by
thousands Of protests and COM
plants, and4f it gives the man with
a real grievance an, opportunity, for
swift redress, It will place st. Louis
at the very head in the march to-
ward civic perfection X
Among the first complaints re-
ceived by the complaint board was
i one from man who tried for years
TO get a neighbor TO make his gate
swing inward instead of outward.
The complainant was employed in
Q position which kept him away
from home until 10 o'clock at,
night. Gong home DIN, the dark he
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
WEST BRATTlEBORO

Homer Iligley will 90 to Boston ia.
morrow to receive treatment for his
hand ms
Mrs. Henry Lamb is gaining in the
Memorial hospital, but she is not able
to sit up.
There will be regular meeting Of
the Western Engine company in En-.
glne hall Tuesday, Oct >.
Daniel Crowley of Putney. who is III
IN the Melrose hospital with rheuma.
tIsm, is greatly improved.
t. C. Fletcher of Lowell Mass.
spent the weekend in the home of
+: A. Knight, a guest of Miss Martina
Phil.
Prof. L. B. Patton and family of Hart.
ford, Conn, who spent the summer at
their home on Ames hill. went to Hart.
ford Saturday.
Mrs. Nellie Morgan was called last
week to Ludlow on account of the i'll,
ness OF her daughter, Mrs John Saw
yer, who received a sunstroke.
James LeRay left Saturday for
Washington, d. c., to attend the ma
tIonal encampment of the G. A. R. He
expects to be away about a week.
Mrs. Lizzie Bassett, who has been
here year with her sister, Mrs Jane
Reed, will leave this week for her home
IN Carthage, ILL.,, where she makes her
home with her daughter
1t was found necessary to cut down
the large maple tree ins front of L. H.
Stellman S house. One of the larger
limbs was blown down last week and
several others were dead.
Hayden Squires, who went to Boston
to consult a specialist in regard to his
eye, has been spending a few days in
Worcester with his sister. Mrs Johnson,
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
Trouble With the Sunday Law.
st. Adams Messeng er.l

tSt. Adams Messenger.)
If anyone wants to brand himself
as the most unpopular man in his
community, all that he needs to 10 Is
TO start out on a crusade to see that
the Sunday laws are strictly enforced.
lie will find himself swamped with op-
portunitles to make complaints; he win
ind that in his net will be drawn the
best citizens of his communitv; he
may even find himself ensnared because
II his own pernicious activity in hunt
ing up evidence on the Holy dav. The
trouble with the Sunday law is that. as
It now stands, it is unenforeeablc. II
ought to be modified to meet present
day conditions. There is no cali for =
VIDE open Sunday in Vermont neither
IS there any excuse for one which de-
mes mankind any freedom on the one
DAY when his freedom is for his own
edlfleation and enjoyment. SUNDAY
vas made for man, not man for SIM
aay, and when the law tries to twist
fhls fact around, it goes too far. The
reasonable middle ground is what Yer
mont wants, and what it will have
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
Repudiates the Primary.
(Rutland Iferald.)

Joseph T. Ryan Of New York writes
the New York Sun protesting against
the primary system. He declares that
the press of the Empire state, which
fathered the primary bill, now ere
fuses to nurse the child for which il
lis responsible.
This leads the Sun to make char
acteristic rejoiner:
'tWe deny all responsibility as to the
paternity of the direct primary law.
We think the system is ineffective,
cumbersome and unsatisfactory; we
know it is expensive and complicated;
and we decline TO be held accountable
simply because Mr.. Ryan has tried to
deposit this political infant on our
doorstep. We hereby summon the po-
lice to take the brat to the psyche
pathic ward of the Statesmen s hos
pital, where it belongs
An editorial in the Manchester Mir
ror and Farmer last week, too long for
reproduction, took practically the
same ground The Herald is inclined
to think that the people of New Hamp
shire and New York have a definite
grievance against their newspapers if
in fact, the press can be held response
bic fog primary laws of such an obnoxi-
Gus type.
Certainly the press, of Vermont can
not be held accountable for the ny
brid primary law which came forth
from the legislature this year at the
bidding of sundry party platforms
But here it is.
incidentally, the small vote in We'd
nesday's Massachusetts primaries
leads The Brattleboro Reformer to say:
The primary is more important than
the election, we are told repeatedly.
but the experience in New Hampshire
and Massachusetts shows that the vot-
ers will not come out to the primary. =
As matter of fact, Vermont has a
primary law now, which, with a few
easily achieved amendments. would
probably prove superior to those OF
other states. Certainly it would cost
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

in the Balkans. To outward appearances,
Bulgaria is preparing either to let the Aus
tro-German armies through to Turkey by
sort of benevolent neutrality or else
to enter the war on the side of the leu
tons, If Bulgaria lets the kaiser's armies
pass across her soil, she will by so doing
invite invasion from Russia and will thus
be forced into the war and become a cock
pit of armed conflict. Bulgaria wants to
get back from Serbia the territory taken
by the latter country in the Balkan wars
a few years ago. The question is whether
the fear of becoming another Belgium and
the fear of being made the vassal of Ger
many in case of Teutonic victory, viii pre-
vail to keep Bulgaria out of the war, de
spite present appearances. II Bulgaria
joins the German allies, Greece and Ruma-
MIA will join the Anglo-F Franco Russian
combination. The latter alliance will gain,
it is estimated, 100000 troops, while
Germany and its friends viii gain an APP
proximate 100000.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

An encouraging feature of the bust
ness situation is the Improvement that
IS taking place in certain industries
that have not been up to "concert
pitch' the past year. This is notably
true of shoe manufacturing. the coal
industry, railroad traffic, the railroad
equipment industry and other enter
pflseS winch have no connection with
war orders. There has been a decided
betterment in various lines lately and
1t is believed that they are merely at
the entrance of a still greater pros
perlty. Merchandise traffic is steadily
increasing, and when to this is added
the great crops soon to be marketed it
IS evident that the railroads will soon
be pushed to the limit of their carry
Ing capacity.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

The equal suffrage movement is ex-
peeted to make an important advance
IN Alberta, Premier Seton having an
nouneed that a government measure
viii be brought into the forthcoming
provincial legislature placing men and
women on basis of absolute equality
so far as provincial matters are con
cerned. The majority of liberals is
such that the premier s promise is vir-
tualIy a guarantee that the rights of
suffrage will be extended to 100000
women. Provincial equality also means
admission to dominion suffrage, as an
act passed at Ottawa Is wears 400
made the dominion electoral qualifca,
tlons those of the several provinces.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
Good Roads in Small Towns.
bennington Banner. }


In an automobile ride from Bcnninp-
ton TO Brattleboro it is shocking for
bennington people to observe that
bennington roads are poorer than those
OF their little neighbors, Woodford and
oearsburg, and both Of them have a
bigger mileage in proportion to their
grand list than Bennington. Sears
burg has been hit hard this year
through having to build a new bridge
over the Deerfield, but Searsburg has
perhaps the best mile of mountain road
IN the state CT Vermont. 1t is on the
steepest part of the pass over the
Oreen Mountain range, but there ism t
water bar on the whole stretch and
even the tremendous rains of the
past summer have not washed the road
enough to do any serious damage.
Woodford has even better roads than
Searsburg and we are inclined to be-
heVe that the Woodford roads as a
whole average the best of any town in
bennington county. Why wouldn t it
be a good idea for Bennington to petit
ton the legislature to annex Woodford
70 this town so that Bennington can
get the services of the Woodford road
commissioner?
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

SO poorly that my folks thought was
going into consumption. One day
found piece of paper blowing around
the yard and picked it up and read it.
1t said Saved from the Grave and
told what Lydia E. Pinkham s Vegeta-
BILE Compound has done for women. [
showed it to my husband and he said,
Why don't you try it?' So did, and
after | had taken two bottles | felt
better and said TO my husband, Z don't
need any more, and he said you had
better take it little longer anyway
SO took it for three months and got
well and strong. - Mrs. ALoNzo E.
BAKER, 8 Tecumseh ST., Adrian, Mich.
Not Well Enough TO Work.
In these words is hidden the tragedy
OF many a woman, housekeeper or wage
Garner who supports herself and is often
nelping to support a family, on meagre
wages. Whether in house, office, fac
tory, shop, store or kitchen, woman
should remember that there is one tried
and true remedy for the ills to which all
women are prone, and that is Lydia Z.
Plnkham's Vegetable Compound. 1t
promotes that vigor which makes work
easy The Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine
Co., Lynn, Mass.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

George B. Mcclellan, former mavor of
New York city, who is now professor of
economic history in Princeton university
writes very Interestingly of conditions as
ne observed them in a recent Journey
through Germany and other European
countries. There are fewer young men in
the streets of the German cities than for
merry and more people are in mourning.
but otherwise everything is normal. The
food supply is limited, but there is no indi-
cation OF want and even the prisoners of
war are well fed. The economic conditions
are far better than in Italy, France or Swift
zerland. The people claim to have adapted
themselves to war conditions and to be self
sustaining, and say they can continue the
war indefinitely They are absolutely conf
dent that the allies will be defeated. Mr..
Mcclellan says German sentiment toward
the United States can best be described as
one of ''pained establishment. The Ger
mans cannot understand why the majority
Of American newspapers and so many of
the American people are pro-ally.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

The celebration of the golden wedding
anniversary of DR.. and Mrs \. F. Moore
OF Woodstock last week revealed the fact
that the doctor is one of the men who be
ileVes 1t IS never too late to learn. .
After he was G4 years old he began the
study of the Gregg system of shorthand
and mastered it so thoroughly that he now
does court reporting for his son, w. H.
Moore, who is editor of the Woodstock
Standard.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

away to a quart. Strain and seal
This is fine flavor to add TO catchup
for fish sauce.
Many of the herbs used in aromatic
Vinegas-s may be raised in the home
garden. 4 mint bed, nasturtiums
parsley, thyme, marioram and others
are all attractive flavors to be pre-
served in some form to be used in
sauces.
Dry tarragon may be purchased if
the fresh plant cannot be obtained
Allow half pint of leaves to a quart
Of vinegar, steep in the vinegar for
two weeks, strain through flannel, bot
tie and seal.
Horseradish Vinegar-Pour a Quart
Of boiling vinegar over one and a half
cupfuls Of grated horseradish, add two
tablesroonfuls OF sugar and one of
salt and let stand one week, strain,
bottle and keep to serve with meat
and fish, to flavor salads, salad dress
ings and many other dishes.
Spice Vinega r.-Place the spices in
3 small bag and take them out when
the vinegar seems sufficiently spicy.
as otherwise the spice darkens the
vinegar. For all these vinegars use
cider vinegar for the foundation. Take
TWO ounces each of parsley, thyme,
sweet marjoram, mustard, celery seed,
and one ounce each of allspice, cloves,
pepper and mace; place in jar and
cover with a quart of vinegar; let it
stand three days, then strain through
a cheesecloth and bottle
Celery Vinegar.-Pound three table
spoonfuls of celery seed in a mortar,
add to pint of vinegar and shake
every day for two weeks, then strain
and keep for use. Mint is prepared in
the same manner. A large bunch Of
fresh mint, bruised, is placed in a pint
of strong cider vinegar Let stand for
two weeks, strain and it is ready for
use. Mint vinegar made three years
ago IS aromatic and fine-fiavored yet.
Neut. }n~4 writ.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

less and would bring the cost mostly
ON party organizations rather than on
the town, the county and the state, as
now proposed.
Fosslbi y, however, Vermont needs
TO experiment with this progressive y
system OF direct nomination before
reaching the point already arrived at
by ITS neighbors. The Herald will in
s1st, however, that such is not the
Vermont way.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

got SO weak that |
could hardly DO my
W ork. W h en- I
washed my dishes /
had to sit down ard
when ! would sweep
the floor I would get
so weak that I would
have TO get a drink
every few minutes,
and before l did my
busting would have
to lie down. I got
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
TO ADVERTISERS.

transient advertising-Ru of paper.
90 cents an inch for first insertion; 25
cents an inch for each subsequent inser-
double rates.
Space rates on application.
Classlfed advertisements - Five cents
discount for each subsequent insertion
without change of copy.
Reading Notices-Ten cents per line
Hrst insertion with so per cent discount
for each subsequent insertion without
change of copy.
Position 10 per cent extra
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

The press agent who sent out a state
nent OF an attendance of 1850 at the
four days of the state fair in White River
junction was reasonably modest, compared
with the claims that are made at some
other fairs in neighboring states, but the
actual figures were 32,04G. and the total
number of paid admissions was u, 2S3.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
Valley Fair Well Managed,
bennington Banne2.)

Inc Brattleboro fair is not as bio
Is the state fair at White River june
ton, but it is better managed. The
state fair directors, who work hard
and get up a big, creditable show can
we'll learn a few things from tbeiI
down-the-rive friends.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

Charles John Brand is the newly ap-
pointed chief of the bureau of mar
kets at Washington. He will dig out
valuable information for the farmer
about shipping his produce to the best
advantage and win make a study of
rural finance, credit and insurance. Mr.
Brand was born Oct. "A, 1879, and he
graduated from the University of Min
nesota in 1902.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27
TO SUBSc RIDERS.

1t is the aim of the management to
secure efficient service in the delivery
OF the paper each night, and it solicits
the cooperation of Subscribers to that
end Prompt reports should be given of
each failure, to receive the paper on the
morning following the omission, in per-
enabling the cause of the error to be
promptly and accurately discovered and
the proper remedy Immediately applied.
1t is only by this method that the pub
Usher can secure the desired service
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

When man of great wealth dies the
value of his estate is almost invaria-
bly, exaggerated. Ex-senator Nelson
W. Aldrieh was commonly rated as
man worth $30,o0O,00o, but the actual
amount is about $5,O0O,000
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-27

Unless Sweden is willing to make
concession to Great Britain to allow
certain shipments to pass through to
hussia, there viii be a continued en-
barge, policy now taking form of with
hoidmg coal, which Sweden needs
badly.