Locomotive, Volume 7, Number 7, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 January 1849 — Page 1

n: w . rm mr m . wm BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT. VOL. VII. CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS, SATURDAY, JANMUY 13, 1840. No. 7.

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THE LOCOMOTIVE IS TRINTED AND PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY, AT THE BOOK AND JOB OFFICE OF DOUGLASS & ELDER, OPPOSITE BROWNING'S, BY DAVID R ELDER & CO. . . ; . Terms For 3 months, 25 cents, &5in advanceG '"''.' "One Dollar a year. No paper will be continued to mail subscribers after the time for which they have paid expires, unless the subscription is renewed. -Advertising For the first insertion 5 cents per line; each subsequent insertion 4 centser line. Religious and benevolent notices, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, gratis. -

Communications and subscriptions must be addressed, Jrost Paid, to "The Locomotive, Indianapolis, Ind or handed in to the Publication office, opposite Browning's.

- For the Locomotive: Gents: There are in our community, persons who .have a holy horror of vice, yet encourage it ;

who have a great detestation of evil, yet connive at the opportunities that are given to do wrong -who

piously exclaim against the effects they see pro

duced daily yet in their zeal forget the causes that produced these effects. . They suffer obstructions

to lie in the paths that are daily trod, but are ever ready to damn all who stumble over them.

And upon those who are thus unfortunate, they look

coldly, visiting them with their severest displeasure; is it not so ? You see the stream all brackish and

muddy rolling before you ; you seek not to know,

you care not to ' inquire, how that stream, in its hidden and tortuous windings under the earth, was

thus contaminated, thus rendered impure. You think not of the fascination vice throws around its

form, clothing itself with the glittering beauties of

the serpent, and. creeping into the Eden of many hearts, to make those hearts a hell. Yon know

not, you will never know, the many dark and bitter

hours some have passed ; when the heart well nigh

bursts with the vexed and troubled thoughts that

brood over it like an incubus, has striven in unut

terable agony to tear off the Nessian tunic that

burned to their very souls. You see individual ' happiness wantonly destroyed, mourning over its

ruins, and sneer at all efforts that are made to re

build the fair fabric that enshrined it. You suffer

a plague spot to exist in your midst, but you shun the contamination of those that are infected with its

pestilence. Yes," within a stone's throw of the altar

you have erected to the living God, you have suffered a Temple, devoted to Bacchus, to be erected, where nightly his worshippers meet to celebrate their orgies. Until the stars pale in the heavens are they engaged in their mad rites. Characters unblemished high human hopes bright prospects and unsullied honor are burnt offerings, freely offered up, and the smoke of these sacrifices hang heavily over every rank and condition of society. Here the church Js seen touching its glass with the unbeliever law and medicine drink hael to the loafer and rowdy the merchant tosses off his horn to the health of the old bloat the blush of shame has mantled the cheek of many young men, when accosted by persons on the street, with whom, at this palace, the n'ght before, they were "hail fellows well met." Here some Sons have laughed' to scorn the vows

they have taken, and drowned their perjury in a glass of improved lemonade. There a long thin line of light has escaped, from the carefully closed windows; by that light, Fortune, with her well known capriciousness, dispenses her smiles and frowns alike upon the young and old, upon those in high places, and in the humble ranks of. life. Yes, in this place, the Wolf and the Tiger preside, fit compeers

for such a den, outvieing each other in despoiling their victims. Families, do you not feel its influence, and see its effects in the cheerless fireside and scanty cupboard. Fathers, terribly do you feel it in the ruin of your sons. Young men do you not see your friend, the companion of your boyhood, the pride and ormament of your circle, steeping, in senseless

inebriety, the talents God has given him. Sons, your efforts avail not, the bulwark of your order is but a bye-word. Christians, in vain do your Sabbath bells toll their weekly call to. prayer. Yes,

citizens of Indianapolis, the pure altar of your sacred religion violated, the springs of your boasted morality poisoned at their head, the majesty of your law insulted, your public order, foully outraged, make their melancholy appeal to you in vain. You sit supinely and suffer this thing to be, content

with the feeble efforts a few more zealous than

wise, are using to destroy it. ' Max.

Tiger for the information of the uninitiated, a, Faro box,

in sporting parlance, is called the Tiger. M.

For the Locomotive. Permit me, sirs, to indulge in a few reflections on a matter of interest to the young portion of society of our city, which, like a young damsel, is just strutting forth into the world, in. all the turgid vanity of aristocratic feeling. Of course my strictures will be met by the prompt response from all imme

diately interested, "take care of yourself, and you'll

have enough to do," but in answer to such, let me

say, such a. principle of action is both selfish and undutiful. Every man is a part of society. Society, in order to be kept up, has to be guarded.

Whose business is it, then, to guard it ?, As much

mine, of course, as any' other person's. Such is my opinion, and my action shall follow it.

Before touching the subject directly, it is a duty

to state, that the society of our city is much divided.

There are, in the young female portion, other per

sons than the few who excel in street walking and

dancing. There are hidden from the eye of the stranger, beautiful flowers, who spread their modest petals in the shade of domestic retirement. Who

do not, like the sunflower, rear their tall forms, and spread their brazen glory alike to the eye of the

vulgar and refined. There are those who, when they come forth, come veiled in native modesty.

Not, perchance, in the green lattice work, through which, unseen, to cast the lingering glance of lasciviousness. Of these it is not my object to speak. They are beyond my reach. They are to be spoken of only as poets speak of angels.

But is it not a fact, that there are young ladies in our city, whose principal avocation seems to be to wear off the rough corners of the bricks on Washington street sidewalks? "Of course none will be so foolish as to say the shoe fits. If there are any who feel like saying it, let me advise them not to do it." It is laudable in every young lady to go a certain distance in order to obtain a partner and protector throuffn this life. . But there should be, it

seems, a ne plus ultra point to mark the borders of gentility. But lest this should cause some to reflect too - seriously, and induce depression of spirits, we'll take a glance at another portion of animated nature. : v Here, again, the remark may be made with propriety, all are not of this class. I mean (not to say anything about polished minds and manners) the joung gentlemen of polished boots, and soap locks. The young gentlemen fashionably tailorized, barberized, and oysterized. The young gentlemen

who are perfumed in all the strength of a mink in . in a wet morning. ' The young gentlemen who ride well, drive well, walk well- and talk well in their way. In a word, tho ahem! demme's, of the city. Is there a reader who says the shoe fits ? If there is, please extend a former remark to yourself, my dear sir. I am sure you are not the fashionable of the fashionable's, are you sir? You are not a tavern roper, are you? You are not a gentleman who keeps an eye to the tavern registers, and can discover a gentleman by the style of his hand writing, the cut of his coat or his whiskers, are you ? You are not a gentleman who introduces, with great ' cordiality, such gentlemen, so discovered, to the fair ladies of our city, are you ? If you are, you are excusable in part, for some of them, it must be confessed, thank you for the favor. But it is much more pleasant to presume you are not a man of the kind described."" Answer this question, however. Have you not, since your residence in this city, known some such young man? Your honest reply is easily guessed. . It would be right to say some other things, but for fear the editors will quarrel

with me, I must bid them good day. '

Thanking you, gentlemen, &c," Lynx.

. . For the Locomotive. The Monday Night Dance. Fancy yourself in the Ball room, the bronze

lamps burning brightly,' casting an incomparable

brilliancy over the scene,' which enables one more

fully to catch the tints of silken drapery and spark

ling gems. The throng was gay, and the music sent a thrilling sweetness to my very heart, as the dance went merrily. I looked on those fair faces, and

was glad, in the exciting hour of mutual joy. All were promenading, and as I sat conversing with a friend, I was particularly attracted by the merry' laughter of a prattling little maid, who, apparently just arrived at the age of sweet seventeen, was tossing the curl of innocence and beauty as she came