Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1916 — Short Furrows [ARTICLE]

Short Furrows

"Abe M»rtin" in Indianapolis News.

Ther’s few things more interestin' than watchin’ th’ gradual spread o’ • • osT-rit ■■ as it feels its way through th' crowd- , business centers an’ reaches out in ever’ direction, throwin’ its golden ray* on ’ ' lowjv cot1 : .workman: an' th' palatial tiled roo kame o’ th' nabob alike, ’cept that it prob'ly hit* th’ tiled roofs a little fuller in th’ face. O' course /we should be in on th’ prosperity t’ fully enjoy its spread. Tlj’ whole atmosphere o’ life changes • her. everbuddy j* workin' an’ payin' ther bills. No matter /what catises prosperity, or what political party happens t’.be in power when it shows up, no buddy kin quite corner it, so ks blessin's fall in ■ yuryin” degrees on one an* all. It’s in th’ li tle com'i.’unitie.* that th' magic / hanaes caused by general prosperity are .most noticeable- in little towns where th’

file mill, or some Other important industry, has been closed fer months an’ th’ store keepers are on ther last legs, an’ th’ fire department haint been paid fer six months, an’ timothy thrives untrampled in front o’ th’ People's bank. An’ a town pump seems t’ feel a business depression th’ worst o’ anything, for it's a well established fact -hat th' deader a -town ,is th. longer yop have t’ pump T gi* a ,’rink. But what a change cones over a little town with a - :r* O’ good times! A new awin’ graces th’ ’ront o’ th’drug store, th’ erican House is painted yeller with white trimmin’s, cement pavements : ppear over night, a new famiJy moves inf th’ ole Jones home, th‘ ’ and blossoms Olit in new uniforms, th’ personal an’ social column o' th’ hon e : per run? over on fh’ fourth axe. th' commissioners order th’ irtorior o’ th’ jail whitewashed, th’ mayor resigns f go int' business, garages spring up like mushrooms, depot is reshingled, th’ leadin' grocer smokes a se-gar on hi? way back ‘ro - dinner ah', after th’ last

loafer disappears from th’ court house steps, an’ ther is ever’ indication that •h’ prosperity is t’ be lastin’, th’ richest man in town seriously ’contemplates erectin’ a modern an’ imposin’ one-stpry cement block business buildin’ on th’ ground annually occupied by a merry-go-round •or a tin type gallery. .But it has t’ be a cinch that th’ industrial revival has come U stay, fer K ther’s any ; feller in th’ world who has t’ be j shown, it’s th’ richest man in a little ‘own. He’s th’ first t’ view with i alarm an’ th’ last t ! breathe easy an’ natural. We’ve often wondered how 1 • j th’ riclrpst man in town kin stick ar Ou nd in off years an’ look on while Iris, neighbors an’ towhsihen suffer • an’ scramble far th’ bare necessities 1 6’ life; Rut h’ richest man in a little town hain’t got no sentiment an’ he hain’tlookin’ fer diversion. He knows ther’s a Niagary Falls fer j young fools an’ a Miamy, Florid .5 . fer ole Spendthrifts, but th’ leadin’ line o’ business With him is geftin’ th’ money, ah’ his wants are as few ■as his friends.