The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-02-10

ton IN the legislature OF my intellect
up to its last session. Then we got q
bill through for local improvements
and the governor has approved the
appropriation. Suddenly we discov-
cred that there was no money in the
treasury. But Samson Traylor has
offered to buy an issue Of bonds OF
the amount Of fifteen dollars"
I'm glad % hear you declare in
favor Of external improvement" said
Kelso. "We've all been too much alb
sorbed BY internal improvements.
You're on the right trau. Abe. You've
been thinking Of the public ear and
too little Of the public eye. We must
show some respect for both"
"Sometimes I think that comedy
dress ought to 60 with comely die.
tion," said Abe. But that's a thing
you can't learn In books. There's no
grammarian Of the language Of dress.
Then I'm 80 big and awkward. It's
. rather hopeless problem"
"You're In good company" Kelso
assured him. Mature guards her best
men With some sort Of anGulsx1ty.
not attractive to others. Often she
makes them odious with esneslt o.
defoTmity or dumbness OF gaSfullty.
Dante was. such q peer talkof hat
no one would eve ask him T. dinner.
II It had not besn % I prssuns his
muse would have bssn sadly crippled
By indigestion. II you had bseo Z
good dancer and . lady's favorte. 4
wonder II you would have studied
Kirkham and Burns and shakespeare
and Blackstone ana startde. and ths
science Of surveying 1n6 bssa elsetsd
to the leg1slature. I wonder u Jon
could even have whipped Jack Arm
strong"
nor have enjoyed the friendship q
Bill Berry and acquired q national
debt, or have saved my imper1led
country In the wal With Black Hawk"
Abe laughed.
In the matter Of dress the postmas.
ter had great confidence In the taste
and knowledge Of his young friend,
Harry Needles, whose neat appear.
ance Abe regarded with serious ad.
miration. So he asked Harry to 60
with him on his new mission and help
to choose the goods and direct the
tailoring, for 1t seemed to him a high
" important enterprise.
"Our appropriation is only fifteen
dollars" said Abe as they came in
sight Of 1.-THE big village" on a warm
bright day late in October. "Of course,
I can't expect to make myself look
like the President Of the United
States with such a sum-, but I want to
look like a respectable citizen Of the
United States, If that is possible. I'll
give the old Abe and fifteen dollars
to boot for a new one and we'll see
what comes Of it."
Springfield had been rapidly chang
ing. 1t was still small and crude, but
some of the best standards of civiliza-
ton had been set up in that commun-
ity. Families of wealth and culture
in the East had sent their SOM and
a share of their capital to this little
metropolis Of the land Of plenty to 60
into business. Handsome. well-gr0omed
horses, In silver-mounted harness,
drawing carriages that shOne $50 you
could see your face In them" to quote
from Abe again, were on its streets.
The two New Salem men stopped
and studied q big sign in front Of .
large store on which this announce
ment had been lettered:
"Cloths. c~assinettes, cassimeres. vel.
vet silks. satins. Marseilles waistcoat-
ins, fne, calf boots, seal and morocco
pumps for gentlemen, crepe lisse. lace
wells. Thibet shawls. fine prunella
shoes"
Reads like q foreign language to
me-" said Abe. "How would you like
q little Marseilles waistcoating1"
Suddenly a man touched his shoul.
der with a hearty "Howdy. Abel"
It was Eli, 1.-THE Wandering Jew"
as he had been wont to call himself
in the days when he carried a pack
on the road through Peters Bluff and
Clary's Grove and New Salem to
Beardstown and back.
dis is my store" said Eli.
"Your store" Abe exclaimed.
"Ya. look at de sign"
The Jew pointed to his si%gn-board
some fifty feet long under the cornice
ON which they read the legend:
ELI Fredenberg's Emporium"
Abe looked him Over from head tC
foot and exclaimed:
my conscience! You look as If you
had been fixed up to be sold to the
highest bidder"
The hairy. dusty, b~ow-legged. thread
bare peddler had been touched by
some miraculous hand. The lavish
hand Of the West had showered hel
favors on him. They resembled In
some degree the barbarc pearl and
gold OF the East. He glowed with
prosperity. Diamonds and ruffled lin
en- and Scotch plaid and red silk or
his neck and a blue band on his hal
and a smOoth-shOrn face and perfum
cry were the glittering details thai
uurro,,rdnd tho OorSOD If Eli