Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1921-03-11

which had rOugheneu the handS anO
bent the backs OF their parents. That,
briefly, accounts for the fewness and
the stiffness above referred to
Early In 1917. the village was
shaken by alarming end astonishing
news. True. the sinking of the Lusl-
tania and our own enlistment In the
World war and the German successes
on the Russian frontier had. In n way,
prepared the heart and intellect OF
Bngville for shocking events. Still, |
these disasters had been remote. The |
fact that the Gilligan sisters had left |
the Crookers and accepted an offer OF |
one hundred and fifty dollars month |
from the wealthy Nixons Of Hazel
mead was an event close to the foot.
lights, so to speak. II caused the news
OF battles to take its rightful place Ia
the distant background. Men talked
of this event In stores and on the
street corners; II was the subject OF
conversation in sewing circles and the
Philomathian Literary club. That
day. the Bings whispered about 1t at
the dinner table between courses until
Susan Crowder sent in a summons by
Martha Featherstraw with the apple
pie. She would be glad to see Mrs. j.
Patterson Bling In the kitchen imme-
diately after dinner. There was mo-
ment of silence in the midst of which
Mr.. Bing winked knowingly at his
wife, who turned pale as she put down
her pie fork with n look of determine
ton and rose and went into the kitch-
en-. Mrs. Crowder regretted that she
and Martha would have to look for
another family unless their wages
were raised from one hundred to one
hundred and fifty dollars month.
"But, Susan, we all made an agree
ment for u year." said Mrs. Bling.
Mrs. Crowder was sorry, but she
and Martha could not make out on the
wages they were getting-everything
cost so much. If Mary Gilligan, who
couldn't cook, was worth hundred
dollars n month Mrs. Crowder consld-
cred herself cheap at twice that figure.
Mrs. Bing, in her anger, was in
clined TO revolt but Mr.. Bling settled
the matter by submitting to the tyr
amy of Susan. With Phyllis and
three of her young friends coming
from school and party in prospect,
there was nothing else to do.
Maggie Collins, who was too old
and too firmly rooted in the village to
leave It. was satisfied with raise
of ten dollars month. Even then she
received n third of the minister's sal
airy. Ills wife being n swell Teddy
who had no time for wurruk, sure the
| boy was no sooner married than he
yelled for help" as Maggie was wont
| to say.
All this had decided effect on the
! economic life Of the village. Indeed,
! Hiram BlenkinsOp, the village drunk
| ard. who attended to the lawns and
gardens for number of people, de-
manded an increase of n dollar a day
i'm his wages on account of the high
cost of living, although one would say
that its effect upon him could not have
been serious. For years the historic
figure of Blenkinsop had been the des-
tination and repository of the CASTOR
clothing and the worn and shapeless
shoes of the leading citizens. For Il
decade, the venerable derby hat, which
once belonged To Judge Croker, had
survived all the incidents of his adj
venturous career. He was, indeed, ms
rcplete with suggestive memories as
the graveyard to which he was wont 10
repair for rest and recuperation In
summer weather. There, in the shade
OF q locust tree hard by the wall, he
was often discovered with his faithful
dog Christmas-a yellow, mOngrel
gOod-natured cur-lying beside him.
and the historic derby hat In his hand
lie had perseverlng pride in that
hat. Mr. Blenkinsop showed sur
prising and cOmmendable industry I'M
der the stimulation Of increased pay
He worked hard for n month, ther
celebrated his prosperity with night
of such noisy rlotous JOY that he
landed in the lookup with black eye
and broken nose and an empty peck
ct. AS usual, the dog Christmas wen
with him.
When there was loud yell In tn,
streets at night Judge Croker useC
to say, "Its Hiram again. The poo
fellow is out a-Hiraming."
William SnOdgrass, the carpenter
gave much thought and reflection Il
tbs good fortune of the Gilligan girls
If hired girl could earn twenty-five
dollars a week and her board, a skillet
mechanic, who had to board him
self, ought TO earn at least fifty s.
he put up his prices. Israel Sneed
the plumber, raised his scale to CORE
spond with that of the carpenter. TIL
prices of the butcher and grocer KEEP
pace with the rise Of wages. A perlo
of unexampled prosperity set in.
Some time before, the Old Spirit o
Bingville had received notice that It
services would no longer be required
1t had been an Industrious and faith
, full Old Spirit. The new generation di
not intend to be hard on It, The
were willing to give 1t comfortabl
, home as long as 1t lived. Its HON
was to be called The Past. There
d. was to have nothing to do but to 81