News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-04-13

1--WE work only eight hours a day now.
The men demand it and they must be
taken to and from their work. They
can get all they want to do on those
terms"
"And they demand seven dollars and
half a day at that? It's big pay for
an ordinary mechanic" said ]. Patter-
| son.
There's plenty Of work to do"
| SnOdgrass answered. 81 don't care the
snap O. my finger whether | get your
job or not. I'm forty thousand ahead
O. the game and I feel like layin' off
for the summer and takin' a rest"
Il suppose | could get you to work
overtime and hurry the job through if
I'm willing to pay for it?" the million
aire inquired.
"The rate would be time an a half
are up, but it's hard to get anyone to
work overtime these days"
"Well, go ahead and get all the work
you can out of these plutocrats of the
saw and hammer, I'll pay the bills"
said J. Patterson,
The terms created a record in Bipg-
Vile But, as Mr. Bing had agreed to
them, in his haste, they were estab-
lished.
Israel Sneed, the plumber was
working with his men on job at Mil
lerton, but he took on 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, unwilling
ly, the millionaire had created cond-
lions of life that were extremely diff
ficult
Since prices had gone up the vii
lage of Bingville had been running
down at the heel It had been at best
and, in the main, rather shiftless
and inert community. The weather
had worn the paint off many houses
before their owners had seen the need
of repaintng. 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
slumberS 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-i
industry of schOOlbOys and old men.
So it will be seen that the work of the
community had little effect on the sup
rly of things necessary TO life. In
deed, a general habit of extravaganza |
had been growing in the village. PEG
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 ut the house of
The snifry Snodgrass-the nouveau
rcFe and opulent carpenter. He sat
reading the morning paper with new
ring on the third G-fger of his
left hand
MY rcoe is leaking badly and IL
will have to he fixed at once" the pro
fesSor announced
"Tm sorry, | can't do a thing for
you now" said Snodgrass. 1--WE 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.