The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1921-04-22

little lake up In the hills which sup
piled the water of Bingville seemed to
have got the common notion Of moving
into the village. A dozen cellars were
turned into swimming pools. Modern
were going out Of COM
A committee went to Hazel
mead and after q weeks pleading got
pair Of young and inexperienced
plumbers to come to Bingville.
"They must "a plugged 'em with
gold" said Deacon Hosley, when the
bill arrived.
New leaks were Forthcoming, but
Hiram Blenkinsop conceived the no.
tion of stopping them with pcultices
Of white lead and bandages Of canvas
bound with fine wire. They dripped
and many Of the pipes Of Blngville
looked as If they were suffering from
sprained ankles and sore Threats, but
Hiram had prevented another deluge.
The price Of coal had driven the
people Of Bingville back to the woods
for fuel The old wood stoves had
been cleaned and set up in the sitting
rooms and kitchens. The saving had
been considerable. Now, so many men
were putting IN their time on the
house and grounds of ]. Patterson
Bing and the new factory at Millerton
that the local wood dealer found 1t
impossible to get the help he needed.
Not twenty-five per cent Of the orders
on his books could be filled.
Mr.. Blng's house was finished IN Oc-
tober. Then Snodgrass announced
that he was going to take 1t
easy, as became a man Of his opu-
lence. He had bought farm and
would only work three days a week at
his trade. Sneed had also bought a
farm and acquired a feeling Of opu-
lence. He was going to work when
he felt like It. Before he tackled any
leaking pipes he proposed to make a
few leaks in the deer up in the Adiron-
dacks. So the roofs and the plumbing
had to wait.
Meanwhile, Bingville was in sore
trouble. The ancient roof of its re-
spectabllity had begun to leak. The
beams and rafters In the house Of its
spirit were rotting away. Many Of
the inhabitants of the latter regarded
the great ]. Patterson Bling with a
kind Of awe-like that of the Shep-
herd of the Birds. He was the leading
citizen. He had done things. When
]. Patterson Bling decided that rest or
fresh air was better for him than bad
music and dull prayers and sermons,
and that God was really not much con-
cerned as to whether a man sat In
pew or a rocking chair or a mOtorcar
on Sunday, he was, probably, quite
right. Really, 1t was a matter much
more important to Mr.. Bing and his
neighbOrs than to God. Indeed, It is
not at all likely that the ruler Of the
universe was worrying much about
them. But when J. Patterson Bling de-
cided in favor of fun and fresh air, r..
Observation-Disclosures a like decl-
sion, and II. Purdy was a man Of COM
handing influence in his own home.
His daughters, Mabel and Gladys, and
his son, Richard, Jr., would not have
been surprised to see him elected
President of the United States, some
day, believing that the honor was only
for the truly great. Soon Mrs. Purdy
stood alone-a hopeless minority Of
One-in the household. BY much
pleading and nagging. she kept the
children In the fold of the church for
a time but, by and by, grew weary Of
the effort. She was converted by nerV-
GUS exhaustion to the picnic Sunday.
Her conscience worried her. She real
Iy felt sorry for God and made sundry
remarks calculated to appease and
comfort Him.
Now, all this would seem to have
been in itself a matter of slight i'm
pOrtance. But Orville Gates, the su-
perintendent Of the mill, and John
seayer, attorney at law, and Robert
Brown, the grocer, and Pendleton
Ames, who kept the book and station
ery store, and William Ferguson, the
clothier, and Darwin Sill, the butcher
and snodgrass, the carpenter, and 9th.
ers had Joined the picnic caravan led
by the millionaire. These good PEG.
ple would not have admitted It, but
the truth is j. Patterson Bling held
them all in the hollow Of his hand
Nobody outside his own family had
any affection for him. Outwardly, he
was as hard as nails. But he owned
the bank and controlled credits and
was an extravagant buyer. He had
given freely for the Improvement Of
the village and the neighbOring city OF
Hazelmead. His family was the courl
circle Of Blngville. Consciously or un
consciously. the best people initiated
the BiDgs.