The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-11-16
A QUESTION
OF CLIMATE

WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
IIIIlIlIIInIIlIIIIriliilIiIIIIIIlIiIill

~ called him Alphabetical" Nor.
rison. and dropped the Colonel" He
came to our part o. the country In an
early day-he used 70 explain that
they caught him In the trees. when
be whs drinking crcek water. eating
sheepsorrel and running Wild with
buffalo tail for trolley. and that the
nrst thing they did, after teaching
him 10 eat out u a plate. was 10 set
him At work IN the grading gang that
was laying out the Cottonwood and
Walnut rivers and putting the lime
stone ln the bills. He was one Of the
original I'VE patriots who laid out the
Corn BELT railroad from the hlssis-
nppl TO the Pacific, and was appoint
al one OF that committee 20 take the
matter 10 New York for the inspec-
zion Of capitalists. and be II said 70
the credit Of Alphabetical Morrison
that he was the only person In the
crowd with money enough 10 pay The
ferryman when he reached the Mis-
souri river. though he had only
enough 20 get himself across. But In
spite Of that the road was built, and
though IL missed our town, II was be
cause we didn't vote the bonds
though old Alphabetical went through
the county. roaring In the school.
houses. believing at the crossroads,
and doing all that a good, honest pair
OF lungs could do for the cause How
ever. he was not dismayed at his fall.
ure. and began Immediately TO organ
ire company 10 build another road.
We finally secured a railroad, though
IL was only a branch.
over his Office door he had sign
LAND Ofice"-paintcd on the false.
board front ~ the building in letters
as big ms a COW, and the first our
newspapcr knew OF him was twenty
years ago, when he brought In an
order Tor some stationery for the
Commercial club. At that time we
had not heard that the town support.
cd a Commercial club nor had any
one else heard OF Il. for that matter
for old Alphabetical was the presi-
dent. and his bookkeeper, with the
Miss dropped on her name, was sec
Rotary. But he had a wonderfully
allurlng letterhead printed, and
seemed 10 get results Tor he made a
living while his competitors starved,
Later. when he found time, he organ
lied real Commercial club, and had
himself elected pre- dent Of u lie
used to rall meetings Of the club TO
discuss things. but rs no one cared
much for his monologues on the fu.
ture ~ the town the attendance was
often light He issued circulars re-
ferring 10 our village as the Queen
CITY N the Pralries' and on the cir.
culars was a map showing that the
Queen CITY Of the prairies was the
railroad axis OF tie West There
was one road running into the town
the others old Alphabetical indicated
with dotted lines, and explained they
were II process ~ construction
lie became possessed Of theory
that canning factory would pay In
the Queen city Of the Pralries, and
the first step he took toward building
II was 10 invest IN a high hat, a long
coat and white vest and pair Of
mouse olored trousers. with these
and his theory he went East and re
turned with a contract The canning
factory went up. hut the railroad rates
went wrong. and the factory was
never opened. Alphabetical hlinked
M II through his g0ld-rImmed glasses
for a few weeks and then organized
a company 20 turn Il into wooden
mill lie elected himself president 81
that company and used 20 bring
around 10 our paper notices ~ direc
tors meetings. and while he was II
the office he would insist that we de
voted too much space 70 Idle GOSSIP
and not enough rs The commercial
ard industrial interests of the Queer
city
Al times he would bring In an ed
tarfal thar he had written himself
hiriHy e1ciiahle and furl u cycloni'
language and n We printed & Alpha
brHeal would buy q hundred cnpie'
~ The paper containing @ and sen,
them east Hls Office desk gradually
Gre8 With woo5cuts ani 2ln etching
81 buildings INT never existed save
IA DIS dear IA head rf shout twir
a wear during the 6a laws De- woHll
bring then round and have 2 circu
lar printed 0n which were the re
fures showing The Imaginary puhit
buildings md theoretical bushes
ttarauel fares II the Queen CITY
TIE vaUen MN naturally didn'
pav and De persuaded some easter
eaHPausts IS Install t1 electric rlan
In as building ana nut sf-ec'ca
lire n ne town thrleh RE lanees
distance from one ~ Is che pr
ta tfs 81 vas less ar En- blocks
pa Airfaheltai urs euthus -
ad ha1 TIE governor cam
r rs rte the @ wka L a
rfriatea and Alphabetical rulie8
"a ara ased O. f1r rruerue..ht {
tls aFce for mans rr1rs andft