The Enid Daily Eagle. (Enid, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 70, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 8, 1911 Page: 3 of 8
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K SWEENY jerked his feet from their
M elevated position on the rosttum of the
1 Pawnee Democratic Club, pulled his
pjug hat tighter dowrk on his head, and
flapped venomously at the newtpaper
he iiad been reading
"Politics td most people Is just like
Santa Claus or colored eggs at Easter
to the kids—it's a superstition I" he
shouted. "You can't make 'em under-
stand politics is a business like anything
else—a cold, hard business proposition
where what you get away with is profits, an' what
you don't is loss. What business men won't do when
it comes to grabbin' coin ain't been thought out yet;
but let 'em think some politician is gathering a little
on the side, without hurtin anybody, mind. an' they
let out a 'yelp that'd shake the :-ingcr Tower.
"Look at that! Smeared all over with headlines
big a; your hand! Business organizations demand
business government so politicians can't graft! Grat-
itude, ain't it, after what the organization's done for
business men?
"They're all alike if things don't pan out their way.
But, of course, when it concerns them or their own
bank-roll it's a little different. They're ready to do
business then. An' what's more, they'll ask a man
to take a chance for a measly contribution that
would make the late Jesse James back up an' fly to
a den of Hons in order to be safer. An' what hap-
pens if you do get 'em hooked up right, huh? Why,
even then they can't get hep. Any minute, they're
liable to let the old superstition get 'em an' put
everybody in wrong. Look at the way it worked
that time me an' Mor^n tried to help the Gum-
blitzs!"
Mi Sweeny shook his glass until the ice jingled
seductively. He flushed his mouth and throat, and
II fued out the lemon peel with dubious thumb and
^ I ^ ibtflitiger, and nibbled o(T it a bit. Then he began:
It wouldn't of happened if it hadn't been for the
hot campaign thai fall. We were hoarse from
shoutin' "sure thing" for our candidates, which
means we was guessin'. Then one day Isaac Gum-
blitz 'phones that he wants to sec Moran important,
up at the store. Me an' Moran is at headquarters
with the chief at the time. But Moran couldn't see
it. Says he has important business, the same bein' a
sweet little filly in the herd at Jamaica, that's goin'
to tear holes in a ten-to-one shot that afternoon.
The chief gives him a call'. Says he:
"I want you to go, Moran. We ought to do 'em
Javors They got .good solid names for mass meet-
ings. .^Besides, it's goin' to be a hard election an'
some of these big concerns has got to come across."
"You're jokin'," says Moran. "Gumblitz & Co. has
come across," says he. "They always do fall big,
an' this time I Jacked 'em an extra notch. I can't
iilvent no more reasons. An' there ain't any favors
in sight but what's been paid for."
The chief looks at him very sarcastic. "Ain't there
now?" says he. "Moran," he goes on, regretful,
"I'm afraid the ponies is leading you off your legiti-
mate profession. While you all' Sweeny there has
been dopih' over them past performances, I've been
figurin' out how we can do em a big favor. I was
expectin' Gumblitz to call any-minute for us. I sent
up an inspector from the Department of Encum-
brances yesterday, to do some pryin' around an'
make 'em nervous. I sent Mehaffy—makin's of a
good leader in that boy, can pull the independent,
fidelity-to-duty bluff so convincin' that you'd be
afraid to ask him to have a drink for iear it might
looki like a bribe an' insult him. Anyhow," says the
chief, "come on an' bring Sweeny for a stall. I'll
ride part way uptown an' pass along some of the
iope."
No use botherin' you with trivial details. Every
fool knows the regular way to shake-down some one
is by first scarin' 'em, an' then savin' 'em. Well,
anyhow, me an' Moran went. After we had fought
through about a million women, we hit the elevitor
that took us up to Ike Gumblitz's office. He's the
oldest of the brothers and bosses the bunch.
"How are you, gents?" says Ike, reachin' out his
liOoks with one of them glad smiles that is always
handed by any one that's goin' to ask a favor. "Have
a cigar," says he. "How are you.'"
"Not very well," says Moran. "What'd you send
for me on a bargain day for? You ought to call out
the reserves for a bunch like that!"
Old Ike grins an' does a swimmin'-stroke gester
with his hands. "Now, now, Mr. Moran," says he,
playful, "forgive them women for our sake. They
have built up the great white-goods establishment
of Gumblitz & Co. But for them we would never
of been able to erect these twin buildinrt. each r°v-
erin' one city block an' joined by the famous $120,000
bronze bridge. That bridge is our best advertisin
feature." .
"It's a sure-nufT famous bridge," says Moran, with
a side wink at me. "1 don't know what you'd do
without that bridge."
"That's just it," says Ike, grabbin' the come-on
like a starvin" fish. "It's necessary in our business.
That's what I wanted to see you about. I'm afraid
somethin' might happen to it!"
Moran looks puzzled fine. "What s that? says
he. "I don't know nothin' about bridges. 1 ain't no
architect." |t
"No, no," says Gumblitz, "you don't understand.
An' then he begins to unload his troubles, which we
knowed anyhow, but maybe you don't.
It seems when that bronze bridge was put up, the
Gumblitzs had forgot to do one or two little things
like gettin' the right kind of permission. Knowin'
how much time it took to get laws repealed an'
ordinances passed allowing 'em to cover a street,
they had took a chance an' put it up anyhow. As
they were right with the organization, an' the adver-
tisin' of the store looked sweet to the newspapers,
there wasn't riot chance of a holler, they figured
But old Ike goes on very pitiful, an' wails about
an impudent inspector named Mehaffy bein' up from
the Department an' threatenin' to make trouble.
"What's that?" says Moran, springin' up, so sore
I'd 'a' thought he meant it if I didn't know different.
He sprinkles around a line of choice remarks he's
saved up since he drove a horse car. "What s that,
dear Mr. Gumblitz?" says he. "Hase some piker
done that to you? An' you have always been so
generous to the organization—you that I know will
stand by an' help us still more this campaign! Mr.
Gumblitz, that man will be canned. Do not worry;
we will take care of you!"
This bein' as far as the chief had framed for us to
go, Moran aims for the door an' beckons for me to
come along. But old Ike waves for us to sit down
again. He still looks worried.
"Just so, just so, Mr. Moran," says he. "You
always was a friend to be trusted. But this thing
has got ine thinkin'. Look here," says he, "s'pose
the Citizens' League was to win out, what would
happen?"
Moran thinks he smells some kind of a duckaway
bein' tried on him «i ' comes back quick. "In that
case," says he, "some reformer would be put at the
head of the Encumbrance Department, an' then,
good-by bridge!"
Say, old Ike's hand shook so bad he missed his
mouth with his cigar an* stuck- it agin' his jiose.
"Mr. Moran," says he, pleadiu'-like, "we been good
friends of yours an' the organization. An' we never
asked for much, only to take that sidewalk back
of the store an' the bronze bridge. We just got to
keep them things. Speakin' as a pure friend—does
it look like there's any danger?"
Moran shakes his head kind of sad an' looks at
me as much as to say, "Did vou hear him?" Then
l e goes at old Ike confidential.
"Mr. Gumblitz," says he, "I can't deceive a valued
friend like you. There is danger unless the organ-
ization is supported strong. There's been so many
lies told by these muckrakers, so much defamin' of
the fair name of our city."
"Yes," conies back old Ike, goin' still paler on the
spots where his whiskers don't meet, "but nobody
can'tvsay nothin' against your candidate, for mayor.
The colonel is respected by everybody. His char-
acter is O. K."
"Of course it is," says Moran. "That s why we
picked him. lie's our strong headline. We're hop-
in' he'll pull in the weak ones on our ticket. But
even so "
"But," says old Ike, all of a sudden, smihn, its
knowed you've bet live thousand dollars that he
would he elected!"
Moran gives a lourl haw-haw. "What .do vou
think of him, Sweeny?" <ays he to me. pitying-like.
Then very stern to Gumblitz:
"Of course it's knowed." say; he. handin' him the
icy, sorry-for-you stare. "I took blame good care it
was knowed. S'pose we leaders want voters to sur-
mise we ain't got confidence? What ain't knowed,
Gumblitz," says he, "is that through a friend, sub
rosy, I got another five thousand up that he won't
be elected. I'm playin' safe, I am, these spasmodic
times!" ,
Say, did you ever see a paper bag blowed up an
then smashed? That's old Ike. He wilts down
sudden, all the stiffenin' gone. There's tears in his
voice when he says, "Dear Mr. Moran, do tell me
how it can be done. Put me straight. I'll pay most
liberal." ...
I see Moran's ears twitch, an' knowin* him through
several campaigns, I can tell by his sympathetic air
that this hint of personal reward has put an extra
speed on his brain engines.
"Mr. Gumblitz," says he. very confident, which
shows he's still stallin' for ideas, "Mr. Gumblitz,
everybody wants to be showed this year. Maybe
you think that every guy that's took a pavement or
a pier or a sky or somethin' ain't also guessin'. Big
as you are, Gumblitz, you ain't got nothin' on a rail-
road. An' everybody is after us to put 'em in the
combination!"
Gumblitz looks at him puzzled. "Combination."
says he, "combination? Sure, we'll go in! Who is
it? What is it?* What's it cost?"
Moran looks at him very thoughtful and critical.
He really didn't see him because he's too busy
thinkin'. An' Moran can think aome when he Rets
goin'. He thought himself up from pilotin' a horse
car, through three saloons, et cetery, to the second
place in the organization. I'm listenin' hard as old
Ike. I know the combination, all right; but I'm
curious to see how it's going' to be swung to fix up
Moran for losing a chance at that filly. Then he
says, smilin': >
"You don't need to join the combination. Mr.
4 Gumblitz. You got it good enough right here!"
, "How's that?" says Gumblitz, springin' up excited.
"How many of you brothers in the firm?" comes
3 back Moran.
"Three," says Gumblitz, lookin' puzzled; "me, Jake,
an' Abe "
"That's the answer/' says Moran. "How many
tickets in the field?"
"Why, three," answers old Ike, wonderin'. "The
organization, the Republicans, an' the Citizens'
League. But I don't see "
"Well, open your eyes," says Moran, harsh. "Get
wise. You're three, there's three tickets—all right!
You stick to the organization; Abe, he goes to the
Republicans, an' Jake turns reformer. You all yet
in right, an' there you are. It'll cost consider "
Gumblitz interrupts him. "But, Mr. Moran," snvs
he, "we're all Democrats. It's our principles an' "
"Principles," cuts in Moran. "Look here, Gum-
blitz, you, a business man. ain't fallin' for that stuff
yet? Nowadays, party principles is like vaccination,
so to speak. You can't tell whether it's took per-
manent or not till after your party's in or got the
worst of it. You want to keep the bridge, doncher,
no matter what way the bug jumps? Well, then,
play a combination -both ends against the middle
an' forget the T. Jefferson stuff!"
Would you believe it? Me an' Moran has the
time of our life to show Gumblitz. Here was a fair
an' square proposition a schoolboy would of seen
through in a minute. The wa\ Ike gropes around
you would of thought he was tryin' to dope out a
railroad time-table. By an" !>y they get Abe an' lake
in, an' then you'd of thought it was a waist maker's
strike committee advocatin' for peaceful arbitration.
All at once, an\everybody knocks everything that
everybody else says. Then Moran goes up in the
air, an' snoots it at 'em straight:
"Look here," says he, "here I am doin" the unsel-
fish thing—showin' you how to play safe, though it's
agin' my own interests. If 1 knew what way the
votes is goin', I could get a million dollar* I'm
no Palladino about the ballotin'—but I do know the
men that's got their names on the ballots. The only
difference in the parties is the emblems at the top
of the columns. Also the way they get then's.
Why," says he, "the American freeman would rebel
if they didn't get a chance to holler that some one
was gettin' graft!
"It makes me nervous," goes on Moran, "to see
how easy it is worked. If these SulTergestes ever
passes through our hands. What goe9 over ain't
liable to put our campuign in any danger."
That kind of satisfies the chief. "Moran." he
says, "the playin' the combination part is all regular.
What I'm kickin' about is distributin' theiu three
yans to the parties. They're amatchures *n ome-
tliin' is liable to happen. However, politics or not.
we should stand by^the Gumblitz*. But be sure,'
says he, "an' keep account of all them funds, so I
will he posted on what's doin'."
Well, the split in the Gumblitz brothers started as
per schedule. Moran was bent in havin' a real ar-
tistic getaway. Make it convincin' so there can't
be no come back," he argues. So lie fixes it frith
his intimate enemies in the oppositions that the
brothers are announced to speak at three rival
meetiu's on the same night. Them announcements
are all timed to hit the newspaper offices at the same
time. You can figure what happens. Inside an hour,
reporters is as thick as bargain chasers over Gum-
blitz & Co.'s.
The brothers done the trick in fine shape—seen
the reporters in different oflice« an' j.*ave out digni-
fied spiels about business administration, public
economy, an' municipal pride. Of course it wen ti
Next tnornin' the papers were kind of cautious as
they hadn't got a good line on the mixun, an' didn't
want to take chances with page ad people.
The stuff was a bull's eye an' we really had to
hand it to the Gumblitzs. They was there with the
biain stuff, only they hadn't been brought up right
in politics Me an' Moran told 'em what to say
an' how to say it. so they wouldn't be sayiu' any-
thing. But the trouble was the newspapers all said
the interviews was magnificent expressions of lofty
sentiments, an' s(, « n, et cetery, an' it went to their
heads. Each of 'em thought he did it himself; an'
the hardest part <>f our jobs was to listen to 'em
boastin' an' complimentin' each other, an' have to
hold ourselves back an' keep 'em jollied into thinkin'
we thought so, too. But, as Moran said, the kind
of glory we was after wasn't that kind.
The start off of the brothers as spellbinders was
big. All of 'em made a big hit an' the papers played
'em up for straight, place, an' show.
Anyway, inside of two weeks the brothe ire he-
ginnin' to complain about what each other i 1 >in'.
Ike Gublitz is particular sore. Says Jake i slam-
min' him an' the organization too hard.
'Mr. Gumblits! says he, 'I can't deceive a valued friend like you. There is danger unless the organiza-
tion is supported strong.'"
get to studyin' real politics, it'll be us men that'll
be goin' around shoutin', an' throwin' bricks, an'
goin' to jail like martyrs in the hope of bein' al-
lowed to vote. Did you ever notice," he goes on,
gettin' stronger with the talk, " tiiat no matter who
wins, the street railways, an' the gas companies, an'
the big contractors don't ever lose? It's because
they all play a safe combination. An' that's all you
got to do!"
That talk lands 'em, but there's another mixup
about how they was to split up. All of 'em wants
to stick to the organization, but in the end, what
Moran said went. Jake, who was slated to become
Cit.'a League, was dead sort- because his worst
enemy was runnin' high up on the ticket. But Mo-
ran shows him somehow tfiat he'd really be doin'
the double cross on -aid enemy, so he was brought
around. However, he sure did rear up some, an' his
language" was actually surprjsin' for a respectable
business man.
"All right," says Jake, after a while. "But how
do I know that mucker won't give me the double
cross if they do win?"
"Leave it to us," says Moran. "That fellow'll have
nothin' to say. 1 wiil get the railroad man to look
after you. They got a man on the campaign com-
mittee of every candidate, even the Socialists. A
campaign committee counts some even to a re-
former. ' ,
Then Abe, who's natcherly sore at bein' forced to
be a Republican, butts in. "S'pose the papers get
wise?" says he. Me an' Moran laugh.
"I s'pose," says Moran, "the newspapers just hate
that advertisin' of yours. Why about the worst
scandal ever printed against you is that you give
away too much money tor charity." They all smile
at that. "Besides," gor.-. on Moran. "we'll play
safe. You won't pas- the money direct. I'll get
each of you a manager that kne ws the game. I'll
take care of Ike, seem' he'- organization. Mr.
Sweeny, here, will repre-ent Abe; an' I'll get Larry
Hogan to look after Jake "
There's a few more d 'ails fixed, an.' then me an'
Moran blow, arratigin, to get busy to morrow morn-
in\ ♦ ♦
The chief ain't tickled to death at first when he
hears about the new frame-up.
"It's bad politics to iiu tie up funds for the par-
ties you're "figfuin', an' also get big names for their
mcetin's. Besides," say^ he "look at the good coin
driftin' from u It ain't ensible. If we win, we
got to look after tlieni, don't we? An' if we don't
win, we don't care who looks after 'em, do we?"
Moran is back at him, quick, indignant. Says he:
"It's also bad politics to be hogs These Gumblitzs
have been loyal, ain't they ' So it's our duty to look
after them. The others ain't scheduled to get near
as much as us. an' anyway, all the coin for them
"I got to do it, ain't I?" says Jake. "I'm a re«
former, ain't I?"
"You're worse than that," snaps Ike. "Besides,
you ain't stickin' to politics. You're takin' advan-
tage. You're hintin' at things about me that vou
been thinkin an' would of liked to say to my fact
only you hadn't the nerve!"
"It's a lie I" says Jake. "It ain't a question of
nerve. It's fambly pride. I wouldn't allow mvself
to hint at some things that 1 might. But in speakin'
of modern Ben Arnolds, that's traitors to the coun-
try, you used trimmins' that don't leave much room
for guessin' that you're slappin' at me."
Moran has to talk straight tc 'em. "Don't act like
kids," says he. "Go on an' say what you like. You're
brothers, ain't you? Words never hurt nobody yet,
except on a- Midictnient. You know what you want.
Forget the woids an' remember the bronze bridge.
The stronger you talk, the mbit on the level it'll
look." The brothers all sheik hands an' says all
right.
Well, the Gumblitzs followed instructions, an' the
words did How after that. Kven Moran is surprised)
which is sayin' somethin.' Ike, Jake, an' Abe went
after each other like a new district attorney after
wealthy malefactors, before he's elected. They for-
got political issues inside a week, an' began contra-
dictin' each other. Then they slid into usin' real
names. By an' by everybody was sayin' they didn't
speak to eat h other when they met. Me an' Moran
had to admire how close them brothers got onto the
idea of the proper bluff. An' it seems they even got
their famblie workin' along the same line, which
shows how thorough business men are in details.
Their wives didn't speak to each other any more,
but spoke considerable about each other outside.
All in all, I figgered it was about the most artistic
play 1 ever seen, though 1 couldn't exactly see what
the uce of it all was.
When the la t week come arou 1 it was all Gum-
blitz 1 hey was sueakin' on the minute an' gettin*
so frank in the talk that the police was thinkin' of
editin' the speeches, an' would of only Moran is in
This was all right, bein' what we intended, but
say, them reporters went too far. Me an' Moran
had figgered the page ads. would protect us, and'
they did only too much. The newspaper business
oftu-t ■, keep orderin' writeups for the Gumblitzs. an',
for the lust time in history, I'm told, the editors
don't make a holler. Most every election keeps
movin' along in the same old, comfortable, miid-
throwin' way, and' it keeps the newspaper boys
fagged out thinkin' different means, to shoot t.'ie
same old bu-hwah in a new form Also to put
across a hot sensation every day, so'S all the women
readers won't get sore at bein robbed of scandals,
divorces, an' other feminine news which is crowded
out by politics.
An' here was the Gumblitzs ofTerin' somethin'
brand new an' interestin'. Three affectionate
brothers raised up together since young babyhood,
gplittin' up on politics. It was sonieihin' evgry
woman in town would eat up an' wonder if it would
put a kibosh on the famous bargain sales w ith double
trading stamps, which the Gumblitzs pulled every
dav. . • ■
Say, before we could put the brake" 6n, that there
campaign become the Gumblitz campaign. People
began to pick out Abe, Jake, or Ike as the favorite,
an' you would of thought it was them runnin' for
office Their pi< tures was printed every day an'
also -ketches of their lives from the cradl: up. The
boyhood days was made kind of hazy, hem' scattered
all over the United States, one afternoon paper, in
a hurry, -ayin' they were triplets an' further down
mentionih' casually that they wa- proud sons of
Ohio, Delaware, an' Georgia. At that, you couldn't
blame the papers, seein' that the .actual slartin'
point was somewheres you couldn't say the name of.
Tbe Gumblitz like it as first, 'specially Abe. who's
been on the wuitin' list of the Vftion* League for
fifteen years. Then it got so they had to turn over
the business to managers in order to look after the
political nieetin's an' interviews. They wasn't so
cordial to us any more an' kept hintin' that they'd
like to chuck the job. But there was nothin' to that!
Me an' Moran show 'em that if they stop they'll be
called uuittn >. an' also that they ain't losin' nothin',
seein' they're beat in' even Roosevelt for free adver-
tisin'. But our king argument is that it's too late—
that if they pull away now that they've become so
important, every party'11 get sore, an' no matter
who win41, good by bronze bridge! That settles it;
an' 1 will admit the Gumblitzs was real thing stick-
ers when you could show 'em it would do 'em good.
It would have been ea>y sailin' after that but for
the natural instincts of them Gumblitzs. They went
after the second lap eager, like they probably went
after everything from the time they was boys. It's
all right in business, but not in politics unless you
know the game. It's like babies fightin' for a stick
of dynamite because it's got a pretty wrapper on it.
strong with the Commissioner.
"Let 'em be," says Moran. "It's all part of the
game an' the finest game of con politics I ever saw.
The only thing is they're amachures. They're goin*
a bit too far. There ain't no sense in tellin' fake
stories about each other's private amusements an'
sic h Bein' a married man, I know they ain't ever
goin' to siiuare their wives so they won't alwayi
think there s somethin' in what was said."
Sunday before election all the papers gave ai
much space to the Gumblitzs an they did to the
candidates. There was several editorials callin' for
moderation, in general terms. Also a couple of min-
isters grabbed off the chance an' preached sermon#
regrettin' that the intemperateness of political ex-
citement had created such sad spectacles, or some-
thin' like that. Me an' Moran an' the combination
bunch got together that afternoon an' pulled •
laugh that almost shook the old hall. We had ttt
agree them Gumblitzs was real actors. They hid
made themselves prominent enough to head a ticket
any time.
The brothers was all at their different headqutr-
ters to get the election returns. As everybody knoWtj
the colonel managed to get elected, though between
me an' you it was his own swe'l reputation did the
trick. He wasn't strong enough to pull any of the
others on the ticket, though. 1 ept for him, oUr
candidates had sure enough got hckin'. At that,
the colonel didn't begin to get as many congratula-
tions as Ike Gumblitz. who had backed him.
An' to tell the truth, people was sorrier for Abi
an' Jake than they was for the licked candidate!.
Larry Hogan, who was with Jake at Reform head-
quarters, reported that the way he took the news
had Chauncey Olcott beat for swell actin'. He was
pullin' his whiskers, breathin' hard, an' his eyes wai
tryin' to lay over on his chin. Larry didn't dar«
to open his mouth for fear he'd bust out laughtn'
an' give the thing away.
Me an' Moran meandered around to the Gumblitzs
next morniu' to collect the extra fe' that had beef
promised for expert advice. When we got up
the offices. Moran puts on his famouc •.mil rv' pulls
open Ike's door. The smile froze right th Sap,
that room sounded like a Boxer nprisin'. m
a corner was Ike an' Abe an' Jake, all shouto ?
once an' wavin' their arms, like somethin' v. of
to break loose any minute. Moran runs o\c ni*
gets between 'em.
"Are you guvs goin' crazy?" he says. With H '
they all break loose again with a fancy line of ti<,
shoutin' thieves, an' sneaks, an' crooks, an' chargin'
each other with ruinin' 'em.
"Gents," say9 Moran, "what kind of politics it
this?"
Says Abe: "My wife's goin' to get a divorce ac-
count of their stories."
Says Jake, groanin'. "1 been ordered to resign
from my congregation."
Says Ike, wri^gliij' his finders through his hairi
"That ain't nothin'. The business is ruined! Eighty*
four ministers an' such kind of charge customer*
have wr<?to iq sayin' their parishioners have passed
resolutions not to deal with such disrepuatabie
scamps!"
Moran tries to soothe 'em. "It'll blow over," says
lie. - "The things that's been said is fakes. It's easy
enough to crove they was untrue."
"No, sir!' yells Ike. "Them unprincipled sneaks
has double-crossed everybody. I wouldn't of caret
if they -tmk to lies; but what they said can't be
unproved!"
"Well, anyway," says Moran, lookin' nervous,
"think of it*—jrou saved the bronze bridge!" With
that, me an' linn make a quick getaway, liggerin' it
ain't wi>e to mention finances till they quiet down.
Mr. Sweeny meditated a while, meanwhile having
deep recourse to his throat elixir and a fresh cigar.
Then he continued with a naive smile:
"You got to admit that me an' Moran acted hon-
orable throughout, eh? Well, we got cheated out
of the monev comin to us! Maybe if Moran hadn't
got an attack of rheumatism an' had to hike off to
Mount Clemens, takin' me along, it would of been
different It's the middle of January when we start
back, an' the new administration is at work. Comin'
over in the ferry we have spoke of collectin' the
Gumblitz account, an' then M- an buys a fresh
newspaper.
"All at oncet he groans. 'Swe ny.' says he, it'f
all off! That's what comes of ele^tin' independent
mayors. Look!'
"I look. It's a big picture of the famous Gumblitx
bronze bridge, an' underneath, the words, in big an'
little type, "Bronze Bridge Must Go, Says Mayor.'
"Then Moran reads the story that the bridge ha#
been ordered tore down; the new mayor says polit-
ical or personal pull don't count in honest govern-
ment; that the law has to be observed by rich an*
Koor; nn' that seein' the Gumblitzs is so prominent.
e's goin' to make a first example of theml" _ ^
AI IMO.
r; iK ; '/ ti
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Wright, M. H. The Enid Daily Eagle. (Enid, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 70, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 8, 1911, newspaper, June 8, 1911; Enid, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metapth350717/m1/3/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.