Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1858 — GARDEN CITY GLEANINGS. [ARTICLE]

GARDEN CITY GLEANINGS.

The Gazette—The Campaign in Illinois—lmprovements in Chicago City Government, and a Word to the Girls, dfc. Chicago, July 23, 1858. Pear Gazette: Whether or not I have been conferring a favor upon,:your readers by my long silence, I am unable to determine; but that my mind leans to the negative, this communication is evidence. Amid the dust and bustle'of this great city, your weekly visits bring refreshment and food for the imagination. Refreshing, because it rei minds me of times when an inhabitant of a smaller place than this, I reveled in the, luxury of green fields and the shade of forest trees; food for the imagination, because it leads me to wonder how, as a political issue, you can leave out of sight the party straws, and fall to work with such generous liberality and fairness on the more worthy matters of the political world, putting to j shame in many instances, in the minds of unprejudiced men, your older and bombastic city brethI ren. The unobtrusive worth dwelling always I under the garb of modesty must, sooner or later, I carry qpnviction to the most unobserving and i obstinate, and the result is a lasting and well-de- ’ fined impression.' ISuch an impression I feel ' you are making, and your coming is looked for j with pleasure byall who have been so fortunate ■ as to watch your progress from the first number. I The above is my conscientious opinion, and is not by any means intended as flattery. Our city, as well as the entire State, is alive to I the work before us in the campaign, and has been since the returri of Douglas. This reminds me of the many contradictory stories that are afloat in reference to his reception and audatory, and that of Abraham Lincoln on the subsequent evening. Now, I was presenton both occasions, and will, with your permission, give you a fair and impartial statement. The reception that ' Douglas met with on: his return was certainly a ' grand one, exceeding in numbers anything of-the I kind I have seen sinqe I have ceased to be a re’si- ■ dent of our most-coirrupt seat of government. I The display of militairy, fireworks, waste of pow- ! der, &c., was carried through in grand style. To attempt making an accurate estimate of the number present would be impossible. I do not think, however, that there were over ten thousand. lam quite sure of it. . The lion of the evening carried himself admirably; his speech was well delivered and enthusiastically received. As an orator, he far outshines his opponent, who, i by the way, w. s seated beside Kim during the evening. He misconstrued (whether intentionally or not I am unable to say) some portions of a speech delivered by Mr. Lincoln at Springfield, and I must admit that there was more sophistry in that construction than fair argument. As you are aware, Mr. Li neo. n addressed the people on the following evening from the some place. His I speech you made mention of in last week’s issue, and, as you say, “it will give the Little Giant great trouble to get round it.” His hearers numbered more than “three-quarters” of those of the previous evening, and though there was less display, there was as much enthusiasm. The contest will be a close one; both men are popular; both are talented; there will be much maneuvering, and the best general will carry the day; who is the best remains to be seen, and present opinions are based upon mere conjecture. Our city at present, in a business point of view, is rather quiet, the depression arising from the late crisis. Matters will no doubt revive with the fall trade, and we will get along as noisily as ever. Improvements are rapidly progressing; magnificent blocks are going up all over the city, and the streets are being filled and bowldered. They think it unnecessary to pull down a brick block here to rebuild to the new grade, but dig round the foundations, put scjvws under them, and raise them by the inch, without incommoding the occupants. No one but a pure-blooded Yankee would think of undertaking such a tusk, . but Yankee enterprise is to be depended upon on all occasions as much as woman’s ingenuity in cases of emergency. Our present city government is not much of an improvement on that of last year, for the reason that John Wentworth is, in fact, the head and front of it. Mayor Haines is a worthy man, but too honest for Long John, who molds him as his ideas of policy dictate. To let Haines administer affairs as his own mind suggests would result in proper satisfaction, but Wentworth’s dastardly trickery has brought the present incumbent into serious difficulties, but rather too . disgusting to detail to your readers. Our city, under such authority, is fast gaining an unenvia- ’ ble reputation as to morality. Rascality is on I the increase, murder is rife, and the corruption of officials “is rank and smells to heaven.” Seekers after amusements are well rewarded, if excursions on our beautiful lake, and picnics to the groves along its shores, can be appreciated; and why should such pastimes not be agreeable 1 ? Could man desire better amusement, for a time, ; than to find himself safely aboard one of our | magnificent lake steamers, “cleaving the liquid | road”.under soft light of a summer moon, and the jayous laugh of light hearts malting delicious music the while. Yet, strange that amid such scenes melancholy should intrude her unwelcome presence. Strange that at such a time a suicide should choose to launch himself from time to eternity. Deeply depressed indeed must have been the heart that could discard the genial influences of such a scene, to seek the mysteries of an unknown shore. Still, that heart must have been a good one—eye, far to good to have its affections so bad'y centered. The world's hearts are not "all made of such tender stuff, that the heedless folly of a girl could so hopelessly crush. Woman knows but too well the harrowing sorrows caused by neglect and indifference; why, then, should she endeavor to visit its effecta upon undeserving ones? Would a true woman do so? I think not; if she be not true, she certainly is not worth the having, let alone the sacrifice of a life. In the opinion of most men, what the girls call their flirtations and their pretty pleasantries is always detracting instead of adding to the.r attractions. They ungenerously rely too much on their ability to restore themselves to favor when they feel so disposed; that ability too frequently exists only in their own imaginations, and is, therefore, an unsafe foundation. Inad-

vertantly alluding to the late melancholy occurrence that hurt much the pleasure of the late Cleveland excursionists, L have written at greater length than I intended; you can bring an action of trespass, if you wish. Yours, Quiz.