The below is from a June 1927 Carpenter’s Store News. “Carp,” as he was known, was a gifted writer. Carp wrote under several pseudonyms. Carp signed this story, “DIOGENES.”
In part, it reads:
“Signs of the times
“Been a pretty spring hasn’t it what with the scarlet fever and the rabies quarantine and the mud and everything. Funny – some of the good effects of such a quarantine; it gives the folks a chance to cuss out the docs, and the docs a chance to collect a little unexpected velvet in the way of inoculation fees, and the ministers a lay-off, to say nothing of one for the choirs. You know it takes a choir and an organist to really appreciate a church being closed; personally we wonder if it isn’t more or less a relief to congregations too that can’t duck when it comes time for the anthem.
“But those inoculations or something seemed to do the trick, we dodged an epidemic that would have been serious had it developed…
“Clyde Clark’s new house is moving right along, got the garage up and the cellar in, and by the way a cobblestone foundation that looks pretty slick. Clyde makes the sixth new house in town in the last five years in spite of the discouragement and lack of support on the part of the voters. Believe us, it takes a lot of nerve to go ahead and build in the face of high construction costs, higher taxes and little sympathy from the rest of the folks. And these new homes are permanent additions to the wealth of the town, no fly-by-night shop or store that is here to-day and gone to-morrow – with our money.
“You’d think by the way they acted at town meeting over that exemption business that after five years these houses would get right up and move to Bellows Falls or somewhere. They talk about Vermonters being long-headed, we don’t know, perhaps another four letter word might be substituted for ‘long.’
“Memorial Day is here, practically speaking, can’t you hear the Grafton band as it crawls on under the influence of the dirge, but all we want is just to pass the word to the Legion that some of their friends hope they will wear the old O.D. this year, course we realize Jack Andrews’ is a leetle tight in spots, but no fault of the uniform (!) ‘cits.’
“But to get down to more serious and weighty affairs, – the High School baseball team is half way through its schedule at this writing with three victories and two defeats chalked on its slate, which is not so bad at all when you call to mind some of the recent seasons that didn’t show a mark in the win column till the last game or so. Remember the times of Charlie Goodwin when the great ambition of C.H.S. was to lick Springfield and Ludlow and most generally did…
“In the old days, by which we mean pre-war, May was the month of Sunday afternoon walks, summer vacation hadn’t come to break up pleasant illusions and the woods were full of couples after Mayflowers. Too bad it’s easier somehow now to step on the self-starter and roll up to Plymouth and Woodstock, or over to Derry, or Grafton, or down through Saxtons River, than it is to get into the old clothes and hike along the ridge by the Skinner place or over the pinnacle to Butternut hill.
DIOGENES”
Last call
I’m still looking for a few stories for my upcoming book, “The Story of Us.” February is the deadline for submissions. If you like to write, I’d like to hear from you. You can write about anything you like, here, there, or anywhere. The book is shaping up nicely. This is last call.
This week’s old saying is from 20th century American artist Edward Hopper. “If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint it.”