Youth cannot stay for long in a condition of inactivity; and so, for
only about a month did things so stand, until a particularly bright
girl in our Organization, thought out a plan for caring for infants of
folks who had to go out, to work; and this bright kid soon had a group
of girls who would join, during vacation, in voluntarily giving up four
days a month to such work. With about fifty girls collaborating, all
districts had this most gracious aid; and a girl would not only watch
and guard, but would also instruct, as far as practical, any such tot
as had not had its first schooling. Such work by young girls still
in school was a grand thing; and Gadsby not only stood up for such
loyalty, but got at his boys to find a similar plan; and soon had a
full troop of Boy Scouts; uniforms and all. This automatically brought
about a Girl Scout unit; and, through a collaboration of both, a form
of club sprang up. It was a club in which any boy or girl of a family
owning a car would call mornings for pupils having no cars, during
school days, for a trip to school and back. This was not only a saving
in long walks for many, but also took from a young back, that hard,
tiring strain from lugging such armfuls of books as you find pupils
laboriously carrying, today. Upon arriving at a school building, many
cars would unload so many books that Gadsby said:--
"You would think that a Public Library branch was moving in!" This car
work soon brought up a thought of giving similar aid to ailing adults;
who, not owning a car, could not know of that vast display of hill and
plain so common to a majority of our townsfolks. So a plan was laid, by
which a car would call two days a month; and for an hour or so, follow
roads winding out of town and through woods, farm lands and suburbs;
showing distant ponds, and that grand arch of sky which "shut-ins"
know only from photographs. Ah; _how_ that plan did stir up joyous
anticipation amongst such as thus had an opportunity to call upon old,
loving pals, and talk of old customs and past days! Occasionally such a
talk would last so long that a youthful motorist, waiting dutifully at
a curb, thought that a full family history of both host and visitor was
up for an airing. But old folks always _will_ talk and it will not do a
boy or girl any harm to wait; for, you know, that boy or girl will act
in just that way, at a not too far-off day!
But, popular as this touring plan was, it had to stop; for school
again took all young folks from such out-door activity. Nobody was so
sorry at this as Gadsby, for though Branton Hills' suburban country is
glorious from March to August, it is also strong in its attractions
throughout Autumn, with its artistic colorings of fruits, pumpkins,
corn-shocks, hay-stacks and Fall blossoms. So Gadsby got a big
motor-coach company to run a bus a day, carrying, gratis, all poor or
sickly folks who had a doctor's affidavit that such an outing would aid
in curing ills arising from too constant in-door living; and so, up
almost to Thanksgiving, this big coach ran daily.
As Spring got around again, this "man-of-all-work" thought of driving
away a shut-in invalid's monotony by having musicians go to such rooms,
to play; or, by taking along a vocalist or trio, sing such old songs
as always bring back happy days. This work Gadsby thought of paying
for by putting on a circus. And _was_ it a circus? _It was!!_ It had
boys forming both front and hind limbs of animals totally unknown to
zoology; girls strutting around as gigantic birds of also doubtful
origin; an array of small living animals such as trick dogs and goats,
a dancing pony, a group of imitation Indians, cowboys, cowgirls, a
kicking trick jack-ass; and, talk about clowns! Forty boys got into
baggy pantaloons and fools' caps; and no circus, including that first
of all shows in Noah's Ark, had so much going on. Gymnasts from our
school gymnasium, tumbling, jumping and racing; comic dancing; a clown
band; high-swinging artists, and a funny cop who didn't wait to find
out who a man was, but hit him anyway. And, as no circus _is_ a circus
without boys shouting wildly about pop-corn and cold drinks, Gadsby saw
to it that such boys got in as many patrons' way as any ambitious youth
could; and that is "going strong," if you know boys, at all!
But what about profits? It not only paid for all acts which his
Organization couldn't put on, but it was found that a big fund for many
a day's musical visitations, was on hand.
And, now a word or two about municipal affairs in this city; or _any_
city, in which nobody will think of doing anything about its poor
and sick, without a vigorous prodding up. City Councils, now-a-days,
willingly grant big appropriations for paving, lights, schools, jails,
courts, and so on; but invariably fight shy of charity; which is
nothing but sympathy for anybody who is "down and out." No man can
say that Charity will not, during coming days, aid _him_ in supporting
his family; and it was Gadsby's claim that _humans_:--_not blocks of
buildings_, form what Mankind calls a city. But what would big, costly
buildings amount to, if all who work in such cannot maintain that good
physical condition paramount in carrying on a city's various forms of
labor? And not only _physical_ good, but also a mind happy from lack of
worry and of that stagnation which always follows a monotonous daily
grind. So our Organization was soon out again, agitating City Officials
and civilians toward building a big Auditorium in which all kinds of
shows and sports could occur, with also a swimming pool and hot and
cold baths. Such a building cannot so much as start without financial
backing; but gradually many an iron-bound bank account was drawn upon
(much as you pull a tooth!), to buy bonds. Also, such a building won't
grow up in a night; nor was a spot upon which to put it found without
a lot of agitation; many wanting it in a down-town district; and also,
many who had vacant land put forth all sorts of claims to obtain cash
for lots upon which a big tax was paid annually, without profits. But
all such things automatically turn out satisfactorily to a majority;
though an ugly, grasping landlord who lost out, would viciously squawk
that "municipal graft" was against him.
Now Gadsby was vigorously against graft; not only in city affairs but
in any kind of transaction; and that stab brought forth such a flow of
oratory from him, that as voting for Mayor was soon to occur, it, and a
long list of good works, soon had him up for that position. But Gadsby
didn't want such a nomination; still, thousands of townsfolks who had
known him from childhood, would not hark to anything but his candidacy;
and, soon, on window cards, signs, and flags across Broadway, was
his photograph and "GADSBY FOR MAYOR;" and a campaign was on which
still rings in Branton Hills' history as "hot stuff!" Four aspiring
politicians ran in opposition; and, as all had good backing, and Gadsby
only his public works to fall back on, things soon got looking gloomy
for him. His antagonists, standing upon soap box, auto truck, or
hastily built platforms, put forth, with prodigious vim, claims that
"our fair city will go back to its original oblivion if _I_ am not its
Mayor!" But our Organization now took a hand, most of which, now out of
High School, was growing up rapidly; and anybody who knows anything at
all about Branton Hills' history, knows that, if this band of bright,
loyal pals of Gadsby's was out to attain a goal, it was mighty apt to
start things humming. To say that Gadsby's rivals got a bad jolt as
it got around town that his "bunch of warriors" was aiding him, would
put it but mildly. _Two quit instantly_, saying that this is a day of
Youth and no adult has half a show against it! But two still hung on;
clinging to a sort of fond fantasy that Gadsby, not naturally a public
sort of man, might voluntarily drop out. But, had Gadsby so much as
thought of such an action, his Organization would quickly laugh it to
scorn.
"Why, good gracious!" said Frank Morgan, "if _anybody_ should sit in
that Mayor's chair in City Hall, it's you! Just look at what you did to
boost Branton Hills! Until you got it a-going it had but two thousand
inhabitants; now it has sixty thousand! And just ask your rivals to
point to any part of it that you didn't build up. Look at our Public
Library, municipal band, occupational class rooms; auto and bus trips;
and your circus which paid for music for sick folks. With you as Mayor,
_boy!_ What an opportunity to boss and swing things your own way! Why,
anything you might say is as good as law; and----"
"Now, hold on, boy!" said Gadsby, "a Mayor can't boss things in any
such a way as you think. A Mayor has a Council, which has to pass on
all bills brought up; and, my boy, upon arriving at manhood, you'll
find that a Mayor who _can_ boss a Council around, is a most uncommon
bird. And as for a Mayor's word amounting to a law, it's a mighty good
thing that it can't! Why, a Mayor can't do much of anything, today,
Frank, without a bunch of crazy bat-brains stirring up a rumpus about
his acts looking 'suspiciously shady.' Now that is a bad condition in
which to find a city, Frank. You boys don't know anything about graft;
but as you grow up you will find many flaws in a city's laws; but also
many points thoroughly good and fair. Just try to think what a city
would amount to if a solitary man could control its law making, as a
King or Sultan of old. That was why so many millions of inhabitants
would start wars and riots against a tyrant; for many a King _was_ a
tyrant, Frank, and had no thought as to how his laws would suit his
thousands of rich and poor. A law that might suit a rich man, might
work all kinds of havoc with a poor family."
"But," said Frank, "why should a King pass a law that would dissatisfy
anybody?"
Gadsby's parry to this rising youthful ambition for light on political
affairs was:--
"Why will a duck go into a pond?" and Frank found that though a growing
young man might know a thing or two, making laws for a city was a man's
job.
So, with a Mayoralty campaign on his hands, plus planning for that big
auditorium, Gadsby was as busy as a fly around a syrup jug; for a mass
of campaign mail had to go out; topics for orations thought up; and
contacts with his now truly important Organization of Youth, took so
many hours out of his days that his family hardly saw him, at all. Noon
naturally stood out as a good opportunity for oratory, as thousands,
out for lunch, would stop, in passing. But, also, many a hall rang with
plaudits as an antagonist won a point; but many a throng saw Gadsby's
good points, and plainly told him so by turning out voluminously at any
point at which his oratory was to flow. It was truly miraculous how
this man of shy disposition, found words in putting forth his plans for
improving Branton Hills, town of his birth. Many an orator has grown
up from an unassuming individual who had things worth saying; and who,
through that curious facility which is born of a conviction that his
plans had a practical basis, won many a ballot against such prolific
flows of high-sounding words as his antagonists had in stock. Many a
night Gadsby was "all in," as his worn-out body and an aching throat
sought his downy couch. No campaign is a cinch.
With so many minds amongst a city's population, just that many calls
for this or that swung back and forth until that most important of all
days,--voting day, was at hand. What crowds, mobs and jams did assail
all polling booths, casting ballots to land a party-man in City Hall!
If a voting booth was in a school building, as is a common custom
pupils had that day off; and, as Gadsby was Youth's champion, groups of
kids hung around, watching and hoping with that avidity so common with
youth, that Gadsby would win by a majority unknown in Branton Hills.
And Gadsby did!
As soon as it was shown by official count, Branton Hills was a riot,
from City Hall to City limits; throngs tramping around, tossing hats
aloft; for a hard-working man had won what many thousands thought was
fair and just.