ANCE had been in Waterville something over a week, and his enthusiasm was noticeably subdued. One evening he discovered that a great many citizens were assembling in the Town Hall. He joined the crowd, and found it was composed of representative of nearly every family in Waterville.
The meeting was called to order with J. Arthur Boast in the chair. It was an indignation meeting. Instead of huzzaing for the Waterville Town Company, its members were being vigorously denounced. A speaker addressed the chair, and among other things said:
“Where is our sash, blind and door factory? Where is our foundry? Where is our woolen mill? Where are our canning factories? Where is our great smelting plant, and other manufacturing enterprises which have been promised us by the Waterville Town Company? When we see anything in a newspaper we have a right to believe what it says. Outside of Waterville, the newspapers claim the members of the Waterville Town Company to be a lot of restless town site boomers. I believe what I see in the papers. The dog-fennel is already growing in our streets—our town is dead; not one stranger in a week alights from the train at Waterville. We have been deceived, and it is now time for an indignant community to assert its rights, take the reins of government, so to speak, in our own hands, and give the Waterville Town Company to understand that no more bonds of any kind will be voted or subsidies given.”
A number of other speakers expressed themselves in bitter terms against the Waterville Town Company. The chairman, J. Arthur Boast, finally addressed the meeting, and with his thin, piping voice advise moderation.
He said it was true that, during his absence, prices had been unfortunately inflated, and a reaction had set in. He reminded his hearers that he was still in the real estate business, and by listing their property with him he would try to put it on his “special bargain list,” and thought possibly he could, in time, re-establish confidence and create a new era of activity in the real estate business.
Boast was very careful not to openly charge the depression in Waterville to anyone in particular, but his insinuations left no room to doubt he meant the Waterville Town Company.
It seemed to be the sense of the meeting that retrenchment was in order. One speaker advised the closing of the public school. The suggestion seemed to meet with favor. Old Dick Ballard pushed his way through the crowd, and addressing the chairman, begged the crowd to listen to reason. “You know,” he continued, “that I’m your school director in this township. The office sought me; I didn’t seek the office. Retrenchment in any other line exceptin’ the closin’ down of our public school is, perhaps, all right; but do not take a step backward. Our public school system is our pride, and should appeal to the patriotism of every one here.” In conclusion, he offered to give an entertainment with his State Militia Company for the benefit of the public school of Waterville. Hi is remarks would probably have been effective had not a fiery speaker followed him and advanced the idea that by discontinuing the public school it would be a direct rebuke to the Waterville Town Company.
“Let it be noised abroad,” said he, “that the residents of Waterville refuse to pay any school taxes, and then the Waterville town Company will begin to understand that we must be consulted, or we will thwart their schemes of booming this town. All they care for, anyway, is the money there is in selling town lots.”