Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-04-28

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 picIic Sunday.
Her conscience worried her. She real
ly 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
Seaver, attorney at law, and Robert
Brown, the grocer, and Pendleton
Ames, who kept the book and station
cry 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 peo-
pie would not have admitted it. but
the truth is J. Patterson Bing 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 f0mily was the court
circle of Bingville. Consciously or un-
consciously, the best people initiated
the BiDgs.
Judge Crooker was, one day, dis
cussing with a friend the social condi-
tions Of Bingville. In reSard to picnic
Sundays he made this remark /:
George Meredith once wrote to his
son that he would need the help of
religion to get safely beyond the
stormy passions of youth. 1t is very
| truer
The historian was reminded of this
saying by the undertow Of the life
currents in Bingville.
| The dances in the Normal school
and in the homes of the well-to-do
were limitations of the great party at
J. Patterson Bing's. The costumes of
certain of the young ladies were, to
quote clause from the posters of the
Messrs. Barnum and Bailey, still cling
|
and amazing bareback performances
in the history of the circus ring"
Phyllis Bing, the unrivaled metropoli-
tan performer, set the pace. 1t was
distinctly too rapid for her followers.
If one may say it kindly, she was as
! cold and heartless and beautiful in her
act as a piece of bronze or Italian
| choY Nd Ofb h
self. She did it SD easily and grace
fully and unconsciously and obliging-
ly, so to speak, as if her license had
never been questioned. 1t was not so
with Vivian Mead and Frances Smith
and Pauline Baker. They limped and
struggled in their efforts to keep up.
To begin with, the art of their
modiste had been fussy, initiative and
timid, 1t lacked the master touch.
Their spirits were also improperly pre-
| pared for such publicity. They blushed
and looked apologies and were visibly
uncomfortable when they entered the
dance hall.
On this point, Judge Crooker deliv-
cred a famous opinion. 1t was: 81 feel
sorry for those girls, but their mothers
ought to be spankedl"
There is evidence that this sentence
of his was carried out in due time and
in most effectual manner. But the
works of art which these mothers had
put on exhibition at the Normal school
sprang into overwhelming popularity
with the young men and their cards
were quickly filled. In half dn hour,
they had ceased to blush. Their eyes
no longer spoke apologies. They were