Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-04-28
CHAPTER TWO-Continued.


Israel Sneed, the plumber, was
working with his weu on Job at Mil
Ierton, but he tool: en- the plumbing
for the Bing house extension, at prices
above all precedent to be done as
soon as he could get to it on his re-
turn. The butcher and grocer had i'm
proved the opportunity to raise their
prices, for Bling never questioned a
bill. He set the pace. Prices stuck
where he put the peg. SO, unwitting-
ly, the millionaire had created condi-
tons of life that were extremely diff
tiCult
Since prices had gone up the vii
iage of Bingville had been running
down at the heel. 1t had been at best
and, in the main, a rather shiftless
and inert community. The weather
had worn the paint off many houses
before their owners had seen the need
Of repainting. Not until the rain
drummed on the floor was the average,
drowsy intellect of Bingville reused to
action on the roof 1t must be said,
however, that every one was busy,
every day, except Hiram Blenkinsop,
who often INDUCED in ante norton
Blumbers in the graveyard or went out
on the river with his dog Christmas,
his bottle and his fishing rod. The
people were selling goods, or teaming,
Or working In the two hotels or the
machine shop or the electric light
plant or the mill, or keeping the hay
off the lawns, or building, or teaching
in the schools. The gardens were
largely dependent on the spasmodic
industry of schOolboys and old men.
so it will be seen that the work of the
community had little effect on the sup
ply of things necessary to life. In
deed, general habit of extravaganza
had been growing in the village. Peo-
pie were not so careful of food, fuel
and clothing as they had been.
1t was a wet summer in Bingville.
The day after the rains began, Pro
fessOr Renfrew called at the house of
the sniffy Snodgrass-the nOuveau
richie and opulent carpenter. He sat
reading the morning paper with a new
diamond ring on the third finger of his
left hand
"My roof is leaking badly and 1t
will have to be fixed at once" the pro-
fessOr announced.
I'm sorry, I can't do thing for
you now" said Snodgrass. ave got
so much to do, don't know which
way to turn"
"But you're not working this rainy
lay, are your" the professor asked.
mo, and l don't propose to work in
this rain for anybody; if I did I'd fix
NY own roof. To tell you the truth, !
don't have to work at all l calculate
that I've got all the money I need. So,
when it rains, l intend to rest and get
acquainted with my family"
He was firm but in no way disagree
able about it.
Some of the half-dozen men who, in
ike trouble, called on him for help
that day were inclined to resent his
declaration Of independence and his
SnOdgrass was well within his rights.
1t was more serious matter when
Judge CroOker's plumbing leaked and
Hooded bis kitchen and cellar. Israel
Sneed was in Millerton every day and
working overtime more or less. He
refused to put hand on the judges
pipes. He was sorry but he couldn't
make a horse of himself and even if
he could the time was past when he
had to do 1t. Judge Crooker brought
plumber from Hazelmead, sixty
miles in a motorcar, and had to pay
seventy dollars for time labor and
materials. This mechanic declared
that there was too much pressure on
the pipes, a judgment of whose ac-
curacy we have abundant proof in the
history of the next week or So Never
had there been such bursting of
pipes and flooding of cellars. That
little lake up in the hills which sup
piled the water Of BingvlIe seemed to
into the village. A dozen cellars were
turned into swimming pools. Modern
improvements were going out of COM
mission. A committee went to Hazel
mead and after a weeks pleading got
a pair of young and inexperienced
plumbers to come to Bingville.
"They must "a plugged 'em with
gold" said Deacon Hosley, when the
bill arrived ..,..