Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-12-08

Inc ulll6 lOWuy dS ACGttlA III was
of just enough dignity and dearth of
the same to be an ordinary county seat
In Indiana-"the grand old HooSier
state" as it was used to being howl
ingly referred to by the forensic stump
orator from the old stand in the court
house yard-a political campaign be-
ing the widest delight that Zekesbury
might ever hope to call its own.
Through years the fitful happenings
of the town and it's vicinity went on
the same-the samei Annually about
one circus ventured in, and vanished,
and was gone, even as q passing trum-
pet-blast; the usual rainy season
swelled the "crick," the driftage chok-
ing all "the covered bridge" and back
ing water till the old road looked am
phibious; and crowds of curious town
folk struggled down to look upon the
watery wonder, and lean awestruck
above it, and spit in it, and turn mute
ly home again.
The usual formula of incidents pc
culiar to an uneventful town and its
vicinity: The countryman from "Jes-
sup's Crossing" with the corn
stalk coflin-measure, loped into town,
his steaming little gray-and-red-flecked
roadster" gurgitating, as it were, with
that mysterious utterance that ever has
commanded and ever must evoke the
wonder and bewilderment of every
boy; the smallpox rumor became pre-
valent betimes, and the subtle aroma
- 4. A. n
graded schools "from turret to founda-
lti0n stone" the still recurring expose
of the poorhOuse management; the
farm hand with the scythe across his
shoulder, struck dead by lightning; the
nOng-drawn quarrel between the rival
editors eliminating in one of them
assaulting the other with a 'sidestick,"
and the other kicking the one down
stairs and thenceward ad lbitum; the
tramp, suppositiously stealing a ride,
found dead on the railroad; the grand
jury returning a sensational indict-
ment against a bartender non est; the
temperance outbreak; the revival ;"
the church festival; the "Free Lee
Aures on Phrenology, anu Marvels of
Il
was during the time Of the last-men-
tioned sensation, and directly through
this scientific investigation, that l
came upon two of the towns most re-
markable characters. And however
meager my outline of them may prove,
my material for the sketch is most ae-
eurate in every detail, and no devia-
1iOn from the cold facts Of the case
Eball influence any line of my report.
For some years prior to this odd ex-
perience had been connected with a
daily paper at the state capital and
aatterly a prolonged session of the leg
islature, where l specially reported,
having told threateningly upon my
health, / took both the advantage of
a brief vacation, and then the invita-
hon of young bachelor senator, to
get out of the city for a while and
bask my respiratory organs In the
Tevivifying rural air of Zekesbury-
the home of my new friend.
"It'll pay you to get out here" he
said cordially, meeting me at the lit
tie station, land I'm glad you've come,
for you'll find no end of odd char
meters to amuse you" And under the
very pleasant sponsorship of my SEN
atOrial friend, was placed at once on
genial terms with half the citizens of
the little town-from the shirt-sleeved
nAbOb of the county office to the droll
WIG of the favorite loafing place-the
rules and bylaws of which resort, by
the way, being rudely charcoaled on
the wall above the cutters bench, and
somewhat artlstically eliminating in
an original dialect legend which ran
thus:
afr instance, now, VIXEN some folks
gifts
To relyin' on theyr wits,
Ten to one they git too smart
And Spite 1t all, right at the start!
FeIler wants to jest go slow
And do his thinkin first, you know.
y l can't think up somepin good,
set still and chaw my coodr
And it was at this inviting rendez-
y0us, two or three evenings follow
ing my arrival. that the general crowd,
acting upon the random proposition of
0ae of the boys, rose as a man and
wendell it's hilarious way to the town
hall.
".Phrenology," said the little, old,
baId-headed lecturer and mesmerist.
Stumbling the egg-shaped head of a
young man l remembered to- have met
that afternoon in some law office
'phrenology." repeated the professor
"Or rather, the term phrenology-ls de.
rived from two Greek words signifyina
znind and discourse; hence we find EN-
bodied in phrenology proper, the sci
ence of intellectual measurement, to
Eether with the capacity of intelugen
communication of the varying menta