Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-02


railroad II was quite possible that
Sprin2vilc had failed to realize in any
serious way what this deprivation of
transportation facilities meant
Sprincville was small in area and
moderate in population, and the wo'd
progress was not in her lexicon,
But there were indications that
>prineSille was getting uneasy When
lohn pritchard invented his automatic
taker and with true Sprinsyile III
ertncsS decided to put up his iactofN
in the nome Village, on Hooppolt
creek. where The water power was
cheap and good The beginning Of the
md OF Springyille's long Slnmber was
close at hand
John Prilchard found that he
couldn't fiji his orders with salisfac-
ton 10 himself and his customers.
He needed the railroad He ,old the
s,Iectmeh so They shook their head
He woke M ana told them he would
haNc 10 take his factory elsewhere.
They didn't shake their heads quite 50
vigorously over this but he received
NJ Encouragement
The landlord of the Springyille
House. who had succeeded his father.
and more remotely his grandfather,
il The business sympathized With john
prilchard
"There'd be chance for his buncl,
Of staenalion' he said, "if we could
give their waIl,in' papers tn that az
2rc2alion Of fossils. the board Of s..
iectmen an the worst Of The lot Is
Ezra Mathew
That's So John pritchard agreed.
and being an individual OF fow words
he tapered Off his remarks with Il
sigh
Three mornings later young man
Knocked at the door OF Ezra May =
office.
Ezra Mavhcw owned Il tannerv M
the llooppole, and he had Il sawmlI
m the Siy-Mlc. and he was notary
public. and an elder in the brick
! church, and president of the board OF
selcctmen
/ Ezra MAYHEM. gray and sIoopng
VAS sitting at his ancient desk in his
erimy little office.
"Come in he said
The young man entered briskly.
mir May hew?'
"Nes."
4 "AIr Ezra Mayhem, president of the
'oard of selcctmcn?"
>"Yes."
| Only card Mr.. MAYHEM"
j lie laid the bit of white pastcboard
or he desk and looked down Snlinel5
The old man adjusted his elasse,
Nnd read the inscription aloud.
arthur Brill, manager of the Bril-
Engine Company, Aurora" He locke
M at the smiling stranger Well -
he said
"Glad to meet YOU. Mr. MAYHEM.
the young man cordially rcmafied
Il am here to sell Won fire engine
The old man stiifened up
"nid YOU come all the way from
Aurora 10 tell me this?'
Yves. Mr. MAYHEM"
"Filtylhrtc miles for nothing
81 believe thai is the correct dis
lance But decline TO admit the moth
inenesS"
The old man frowncd.
"SprngNiIe has no use for a fire
cneiuc," he said with Il, strong en-
lhasis
docs the statement admit Of argu
lnent?" the young man asked
NO" snapped the selectman "N,
nave well organized volunteer de
,artmont II has suliiced for mr. reed
fer more than nalf century rhe be-
men in the village are members | my
sell am connected with Torrent No !
We have = hand engine a bucket con,
lany and hose cart. We arc full
prepared for every emergency
The young man nodded brightly.
81 have seen ihe apparatus h.
said, "in its uuiosccnt state. Fate ha
MOI permitted me to observe it in a,
ion noticed however that your ham
engine is Button of 1886. Tre bring
changes, Mr.. Mayhem
"Springville is a conservative vi
lage MIR. Brill, and we are Il delbe
ale and well ordered people. We FIN
hat what was good enough for on
fathers is quite good enough for us.
But the hand engine must dat
back to your grandtalhers," said til
young man blithcly.
The solcctmun lrowncd darby.
1T has served our purposes" II
said No doubt il will continue {
40 So"
, oh cried the young man, "bt