The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-07-04
The Town Was
Money Mad
By Adelaide D. Huff


couple of general merchandise stores.
two or three country boarding houses
that took summer visitors, a handful
of struggling mountain families. mag
nificent scenery.
The few summer people who came
to the boarding houses were almost
as poor In their way as the noun
taineeers were in theirs StenOg-
raphers they were, and clerks with two
weeks off and scarcely enough money
to finance even so short vacation.
"If somebody would come along and
put up decent hotel here" they would
say, "he could make real thing of
this place. There's fish In the river
and good views, but as 1t is nobody
can stand the place. This Is my last
trip here"
But, of course. 1t wasn't. The same
old crowd came back each year be-
cause 1t was cheap. The country folk
knew nothing but privation and skimp-
ing, skimping skimping. They raised
little food on their rocky, hilly pieces
of land4 and occasionally drove q cow
or calf some forty miles to the nearest
older folk were Injured to the condi-
tions. the younger ones who could,
left, the others became weary In the
futile struggle for existence.
"It don't seem right" said Joe Will
son desperately to his fiance. when
mans willin' to work he ought to
have the chance. There amt nothn'
can do to make some money SOS we
could get married. Seems like l can't
stand 1t any more, honey. If l could
only leave home like Bill and John,
but there's Ma fiat on her back and
she can't stand not to be turned every
few hours. She gets to hurtin' So"
Mary crept little closer to her lover
and her grip frightened over his big
rough hand.
don't you reckon? Wen just wait till
somethin turns up"
But Mary, can't Pm plumb wore
out with waitin'!'' His voice broke
on the words and suddenly he rose,
caught her to him almost roughly, held
her for moment in q frenzy Of
despair then let her go.
Honey, it's drivin' me crazy.
amt comm back till / can marry you,"
he said as he turned and walked
swiftly away.
AS she stood there, straining her
eyes to see In the dim light swift
loneliness swept over her and sense
Of irrevocable loss. If he could only
have understood that she would
rather be hungry all the time and
watch over his old mother and turn
her and feed her-anything rather
than to be left without him. 1t was
like dying yet still being alive
AS fall came and the long winter
set In Mary grew restless and weary
with waiting.
And all the time without a single
glimpse of Joe.
Then at last came spring. Softly,
swiftly 1t stole over the mountains,
touched the bare trees with its magic
wand. With spring came some strange
men to Watertown. They surveyed
and measured and dickered and bought
wanted so they bought it, too. and
gave him more money for 1t than he
had ever seen In his whole life before
The day he sold he rushed up the
mountain side to Mary's little cabin
and, breathless, he caught her In his
arms in an ecstacy Of JOY. MARY, It's
comm, it's comm! he exclaimed
wildly.
Mary had no idea what was coming,
but her fiance's JOY was contagious
and the mere sight of him was enough
to make her happy after the months
of hopeless waiting. In moment he
had told her all and had gone rushing
back down the hill, leaving her stand
ing In the doorway, bewildered, speech
less, her sudden happiness almost suf-
locating her.
On the heels of the buyers came huge
shovels that bit at the earth like giant
monsters. All day long they roared
and screamed for weeks. These at
last gave way to the bricklayers and
carpenters and by the end of summer
an enormous building stood where last
year had been only trees and tiny
house or two. And across the brick
building was q sign which read:
United Blanket Factory No. 4.
Joe worked from the first day, faith
fully, happily; digging dirt. carrying
brick, mixing concrete. A new pur-
pose could be seen In his face and q
new hope was in his heart. In early
September, he and Mary were mar
ried. Later he got a permanent Job
in the boiler room while Mary carded
in one of the big airy rooms upstairs
with dozens Of other girls from the
hills. With part of the money they
made, they hired an old woman to
take care Of Joe's mother. The two
country stores put in stock of silk
underwear, cosmetics, and cheap silk
dresses Youth primped and laughed
and loved.
Prosperity had come to the hills
and with it new life and Joy and
happiness to the country folk. Joe
and Mary sang as they went home
from work together-home to one of
the little mill houses that had electric
lights and running water.
But people passing through on the
trains grumbled and said:
'vThey ruined a beautiful summer