Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 Louis T. Chapuis

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, July 28, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 23

LOUIS T. CHAPIUS (sic - CHAPUIS)

Attention! The assemblage will arise while the band plays "Hail, The Conquering Hero Comes!" Vehicles will park next the curb! Sound your klaxons in a grand salute!

For we would introduce to your notice today one Louis T. Chapuis, who bears the weighty title of Superintendent of Public Work with becoming dignity and grace. The same Louis T. that you have known for years and now unchanged by reason of his accession to the exalted position he occupies as boss of the City of Fairfield.

Louie is pictured here as wearing a mustache. He used to wear one, you know, and he is so much handsomer with one that the cartoonist has added it to please Louie's many admirers of the fair sex. This is a concession to the ladies in view of the fact that Louie is presented here attired in his working clothes. The ladies, of course, think he is much more handsome when dolled up, but the men rather like the idea of seeing Louie in his working clothes. So this department of the Tribune, while never deviating from the absolute truth, nevertheless seeks to please all people.

It will be noted that Louie is not wearing his title, Superintendent of Public Work, but that he is carrying two very useful implements, a pick and shovel. Louie wears his title only on Saturday nights and on council meeting nights when he has his monthly salary bill in before the council, and on state occasions. For the rest of the week he is just "Louie" to most folks, and the goat to a great many.

A while back the city of Fairfield voted on the question of adopting the city manager plan of government. It was defeated by a close vote. Then a new council went in that was smart enough to want to get away from too much responsibility. So they looked about for a man who would be the goat. They didn't exactly want a city manager, because the people had voted that down, you know. But they kinda wanted a man who would do the work of a city manager and be satisfied with less pay and a smaller title than a city manager would have. But they wanted a good, live, strong goat--one that could stand a lot of kicking. The council discussed the matter, and discussed several prospects.

"Now, there's Louie Shappy, he------," began the mayor.

He was interrupted by a shout of acclaim.

"Just the man,' ' cried the council with one voice.

And so it was ordained that Louis T. Chapuis should be the official goat for the city of Fairfield, and that the should carry the burden of the title of Superintendent of Public Work. They asked Louie if he would tackle the job. Louie said he would, and he was at the city hall at five o'clock the next morning.

Louis T. didn't have any hifaluting ideas of his job. He didn't come to it dressed in his Sunday clothes, carrying his overalls under his arm--he had the overalls on. He brought a pick and shovel and a box of carpenter tools along, not for others to use but for his own use. He doesn't wear any badge, either.

Now, Louie has made a first-class goat for the city. He just seems to thrive on kicks. Men don't bother him so much because most of them think he knows his business better than they do. And, as far as the kicks from the women are concerned,--well, Louie handles them easily enough for he has a nice pleasing way with the ladies. Sometimes he has to out-guess them--and he always does. One time he was having a gang of men starting to do some necessary excavating work which would play hovoc with the parking in front of a residence. The lady protested--vehemently. Louie was unmoved. So she sat down in front of the horses and dared Louie to drive over her. What did Lous T. do under such circumstances? What would you have done? Well, Louis T. called to his men, winked, and allowed they had just as well go ahead with cutting down the big shade tree which graced the parking if they couldn't do the excavating. They went to the tree; the woman followed, protesting ever more vehemently than about the excavating. Louie and his men talked at length about the best way to cut the tree, paying no attention to the lady. In the meantime the man with the horses got busy and did the excavating work unnoticed; then Louie left the tree.

You will gather from this that Louis T. has a way of getting around obstacles, even though that obstacle be a determined woman with fire in her eye. And this brings to notice the fact that Louie is finding plenty of obstacles just now in his work of repairing the city of Fairfield. He has overcome all of them except one, and that one he stands in fear of and is afraid he can't overcome it. It is the fact that the city hasn't enough money to do the work which should be done.

To some Louie is known as the King of Fairfield. That's the conception they have of his job when they see him in his Sunday clothes on Saturday night and smoking his three-for-a-dollar cigars. But the fellow who sees Louie in action on week days hasn't any notion of that king stuff in connection with Louis T. When he took the job of bossing the city repair work Louie expected to be called lots worse things than a king.

But there is this much about it. You may call him what you want to, you may curse or praise him, it's all the same to Louie and it won't get you any place. For, be it known, Superintendent of Public Works Louis T. Chapuis is working for the City of Fairfield, and for the city only. He hasn't any favors to bestow--he's trying to get the city affairs in the best shape he can with limited funds, and he's going to continue doing the best he knows how. And his "know how" is a little the best of any man's that has ever been on the job.

So that's that.