Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 5, Number 31, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 30 January 1875 — Page 1

Vol. 5. No. 31

THE MAIL

A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE.

(Written forTho Mail.}

SLANG.

Ye'r much abused, By nil opposed. To words fancy. Home call ye flash, But It'* the dash, They nlx-forstha. In common talk, Ye make words walk, Oa-common peert. Polite usage, Muy shriek and rage To uo purpose. Ye make things git, Mtrongyego it, Asklug uo odds. Ye'r got gumption, From HtutT homespun, Ye colu ye'r words. Then ye are quaint, And ho ancient, Folks will like you. Much that was flash, Now fur rale cash, I'sumcs current. Such service done To mother tongue, Kol Its won't forget.

Town-Talk.

A PAYING INVESTMENT.

In his rambles through tho city, T. T. accidentally heard an elderly and good looking pentleman remark to a young man, with whom ho was conversing:

I tell you, my young friend, honesty pays." Tho significance of this advice could not but impress T. T. with considerable forco, and the conclusion is sure, that it pays to be honest. It pays in more ways than one. It not only pays in tho satisfactien it brings, but in the long run, it pays in dollars and cents. Tho mechanic, tho merchant, the manufacturer, tho lawyer—in fact everyman that seeks advancement through his labors—w. 11 find that honesty is not only the best policy, but the best stock in trado that he can have. It may tako longer to earn a fortune by honest labor but onco earned, it will last longer and buy more solid comfort than double the amount oarned by dishonest means. Thero is something better than wealth: Intogrity is priceless—money cannot buy it. Tho rich man may envy the poor man its possession, yet the rich can have it if tliey seek it from the beginning. Tako tho advice of old T. T. and start right, young man. Let no ambitious whlspora lead you astray. Bo determined to deal on the square with your feliowmen. Kvery dollar thus oarned will bring a blessing to your heart. II you can't niako money honostlv, you liac' better remain poor all your life. It will not pay to exchange your honesty for a low dollars and oents. Money mado by cheating your neighbors will burn into your conscience and destroy forever your earthly happiness. Docs ambition lead tho citizen to high poltical powor? Lot him understand that tho only suro foothold in climbing tho ruggod steep of fame is honesty of purposo. IIo may havo brilliant ability, may charm tho eye and please the ear, but if ho lack integrity ho lacks tho one groat element of lasting power. If he is falso to himself he will bo falso to others, and his fell will bo as certain as his elevation was rapid. The wrecks of ambitious statesmen are to be neon en every side. Thoy had ability they had the confidence of the people they were elevated to powor and influence but they lacked honesty and they fell—moral wrecks, mado so by their own folly. Lot their fato be a warning to public men. Lot personal integrity be tho priceless jewel that money can neither buy nor soil. To you, young man, just beginning in life, T. T. says in all earnestness: Koep out of debt. This is the true philosopher's stone. Just 90 sure as you buy on time, because your "credit is good," just so sure will you repent it bitterly. Deny your self even what you need, rather than go in debt, and in the end prosperity and welfare will smile upon you. Keep this over in view, and your success In life cannot be doubtful or in any way uncertain.

A ntARfjESS TOtiKO MAN.

A yduug gentleman—recently married —was yesterday telling T. T. of a small pecuniary obligation, duo from himself to an Importunate creditor. The probability of a lawsuit was suggested, when the debtor remarked: "Oh, pshaw! I don't fear a suit. Why, an execution emanating from a judgment at law would hurt me about as much as it Would the man in the moon. All my property is exempt from execution." This view of Ike case struck T. T. as peculiarly short-sighted. There is one species of property which not oven the 'most benevolent legislation is able to exempt from execution, and thai is one's character. Young men should consider this subject in ttlat light. Ten thousand dollars worth of credit is worth .exactly the interest on ten thousand dollars. The public is the executioner of the writ issued against oharacter, and unless there is an absolute return of "no property found" it must needs go very .hard with the debtor. Not one particle

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of it is exempt. Better be penniless, with a reputation for promptness and honesty, than to ei\joy the possession of thousands without it. The latter may take wjngs and fly away the former is your own while life shall last.

THE CLKVKR KRLLOW." ».,

There are oertain* phrases that T. T. often hears used that have a moaning oddly at variance with the original sense of the word* that compose them. If you know of anybody saying of you,

He is a clever fellow," oxamine your lino of conduct and see what it is that you do tbat makes people think you are a forcoless, namby-pamby, shiftless sort of a creature and if you know of anybody saying of you tbat you are "good hearted," seek to discover why the speaker thinks you are but one short remove from a natural born fool. Reader try to be anything in the world—even open a jewelry store with a crowbar, T. T. was almost on the point of saying— but don't be a "clever fellow," to be the prey of sharpers and the but for merrimeut. ___________

Husks and Nubbins.

No. 113.

PAY AS YOU GO.

It is a hackneyed subject, but so is evevery subject that is of much importance. The very fact that it is important causes it to be written and talked about and that in turn makes it hackneyed. In a country like this, especially where the credit system has reached such enormous proportions and has produced, and is producing such a long train of evils, hardly too much can be said and written in condemnation of it. What is popularly termed "the credit system" is certainly one of the greatest frauds and humbugs that we know anything about. And yet there are thousands of people who actually believe that if they had to pay for everything they get just when they get it, they could not manage to live. If they only knew it, they could live a a great deal better than they do under the present system.

The credit system may be defined as buying things without paying for them. It may be considered in two lights first, as affecting the seller, and secondly, as affecting the buyer. As to the first, any merchant in the town can tell how great a nuisance it is to sell goods on credit, ilis shelves become depleted of his best and lreshest goods, while his money drawer remains empty. He is compelled to lay in anew stock before he has received liis money lor the old. His safe is filled with day-books, journals and ledgers showing much outgo, but little income. It is not the most refreshing work to turn through these gigantic volumes "many a time and oil" and see how many unsettled accounts thei*o are. lie makes desperate efforts to collect and puts frequent notices in the papers "to settle," but somehow his customers appear to miss that particular advertise, inent, although it is given especial prominence in the local columns. Careful as ho may bo as to what people ho trusts, he loses bills constantly, and though thoy may be small, each by itself, tho a/grcgate at the end of the year, is such as to produce surprise and depression. What is the result? Tho merchant cannot give his time and labor to his business for nothing. His gains must bo more than his losses. He must

Sell

his

wares high enough to cover his losses and leavo a margin besides. Hence something more than the legitimate per cent, of profit must be added to tho price of his goods, a certain per cent, for loss by bad accounts and the extra expanse ol carrying on a credit busines. What follows? That his customers have to pay more for what thoy buy than they would if everybody paid tho cash for their goods and thero were no bad debts.

And what does tho buyor gain by tho credit system We hesitate not to say that it is as detrimental to his interests as to those of the merchant. How can getting in debt help anyone? If he is an honsrablo man he means to pay for all he gets, and would scorn to have snything that he did not pay for. But will it tako any less to pay a given sum three months or a year hence than now But you say, "I havo not tho money now." Then don't buy anythli now then! "But I musl havo certain things can't got along with them." Well, that may be, but you would never have got into such a condition if you had paid as you went. It is tho credit system that has brought you into that condition and it will never get you out of It. This fact only shows how demoralising that way of living is. There are people who have small incomes and yet live comfortably, pay for all th»y get, are never in debt, and manage to lay something by "for a rainy day." Tbere are others with much larger incomes who an dunned from all sides, never have any money, Uy nothing by, and yet have not the thrifty, ooa&Jbrtabie and oontented sir of the farmer. This class of

peopto,

whenever they ebanos to see any­

thing

they want—no not want either,but (Am* they want—get it. Tbey have no money, but tbat makes no difference.

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The merchant knows they are "good" and will put it on tho book. When pay-day oQmes, they will have plenty of money and settle everything up. Hut wben pay-day comes, they find tbeir bills are so numerous and large tbat, instead of having something left as they expected they would, there Is in fact not enough to go round and it becomes necessary to part the money in dribs among all the creditois so as to keep them all in good humor.

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This niethod of living breeds oxtravagance. Such people buy wit Lout discretion and what they do not need, and when they find all their income constantly being swallowed up by their voracious creditors, come to conclude that thero is no possibility of saving anything and grow more reckless than ever. He who has not learned to live within his income, no matter how small, has not learned the alphabet of the science of li\ing. It can be done and it must be done. The way to do it is to pay for everything at the time you buy it, and not buy it at all unless you can pay for it. You know just what you are doing then, and will not spend money foolishly. Not long ago I heard a man, who is now worth a quarter of a million, say that a few years ago ho was working for $12 a week and kept his family very comfortably on it. He lives differently now, of course, but his theory was always not to spend any more than he made. And if that man should suddenly lose all his fortune and be compelled to go back to tho printer's case again, ho could live again on $12 a week.

This rigid rule of living is of less importance to the rich than to those ol moderate incomes—the laboring men and those who work for limited salaries. And it is this latter class who indulge most and suffer most from the credit system. Wealthy people quite fre queutly use more care and discretion in their expenditures than those of small means. It is those who need to be educated to pay as tbey go, keop clear of debt and live within their incomes. When they do so they will find the way growing much smoother before them and will be spared a world of useless care and anxiety, and many sleepless nights. If all the young people who are joining their fortunes in matrimony every week, would adopt tho pay-as-you-go rule from the very first, they would soon see that it is the only road to thrift and prosperity and would not think of leaving it for the bogs and quagmires of debt, duns and financial insolvency.

TEARS AND LA UOHTER. We must not call earth a vale of tears. It is neither pious to do so, nor in any respect proper. We might as well, nay, with far better propriety, call it afield ol laughter. For, as thero is more good than evil in tho world, more action than iassion, more health than disease, more ife than death, (life being a thing of years, but death of moments) so thero is more comfort than discomfort, more leasure than pain, and therefore more aughter than tears. But as it would be a disrespect to sorrow to call earth afield of laughter, so it is a sullemtess to joy and an ingratitude to the goodness of God, to call it a vale of tears. God made both for kind purposes. For as laughter enables mirth and surprise to breatho freely, so tears enable sorrow to vent itself patiently. Tears hinder sorrow from becoming despair and madness and laughter is one of the very privileges ol reason, being confined to the human species. It be conns us then to reccive both the gifts thankfully, and to hold ourselves on fitting occasions, superior to neither. To Be incapable of tears would be to lososome of the sweetest emotions of humanity and the proud or sullen fool who should never laugh would but reduce himself below it.

A WONDERFUL CLOCKS***| An old traveler's tale has it that a certain Hindoo Prince oiice owned a strange clock. In front of tho clock's disc was a gong swung upon poles, and near it was a pile or artificial limbs. The pile was made up of tho full number of parts necessary to constitute twelve pertect bodies, but sll lay heaped together in apparent oonfusien. When the hands of tho clock indicated the hour of 1, out of the pole crawled just the number ot parts needed to form the frame of one man, part coming in part with a click lc

he returned to the pile and foil to pieces again. When 2 o'cloek came, two men arose and did likewise and at the hours of noon and midnight the entire heap sprang up, and marching up to the gong struck, ono after the other, making twelve in all then returning, fell to pieces as before. I4

SICKNESS FROM LAZINESS. Our experience is that a largo number of girls' illnesses are due to idleness, and tho consequent ennui and that the nerve forces are as self destructive as an unrestrained locomotive engine would be which, if not properly directed, would injure everything with which it came in contact, or soon cripple itself. We have seen lamentable instances of girls in well-to-do Ikmilies whose Willy and moral health has been ruined by ignorant parents. The strong, rightminded girts are those who have been well educated at school or college, and who are constantly engaged in work for themselves and others, who are cmployed at drawing, sculpture, languages, or even science white the sickly, complaining creatures, who are ever In the doctor's bands, are those who are doing nothing. One of the worst chronic oases of hysteria we havo ever known was oared immediately upon the young lady being required to take charge of her (Sthor's house.—[Heraid of Health,

People and Things*

This is an ago of short cuts. 'J.',..', Moulton is for women's rights. A wise man will never rust out. Debt is a gnat with the fangs of a viper.

Every five minutes somo ono gets born in London. A horse standing still takes oold quicker than a man.

A red chalk mark on Sheridan's nose doesn't show, they say. A Liverpool man lately "bit a toad's head off for a wager of boer.

Mrs. Woodhull says Moulton's Burgundy wino is very superior. With his four wives Congress considers Cannon too heavily loaded.

Two and a-half pounds of bile is an average dav's work for the liver. I hp.4 fii

Four clergymen will help to keep the next Congress in its narrow path. Look over your old letters, and youHl find many other people have lied.

The Columbus, Ga., Enquirer would like to see Phil Sheridan an angel. An exchange blam shampooing for the masculine baldness in America.

No honest Congressmen will take a direct bribe it must come indirectly. The astronomical fear that the earth will tumble into the sun, is unmanly.

In boiling potatoes for pigs, they should be strained [Ex.] Which, the pigs?

The Governor of Maine thinks spending money on teacher's institutes a folly. 'J

This is the season of the year when a man with summer pants on attracts attention.

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TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 30, 1875. Cents*

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Withdraw Federal supervision from the South," says Beecher's Christian Union.

A correspondent thinks a more terrible end than the gallows would lessen murder.^ ':tis

Men may go to perdition with their heads full of truth.—[Jeremy Taylor, perhaps.

A Patterson (N. J.) clergyman had to skate three miles to church on a recent Sunday.

A queer old chap in town has nicknamed his daughter Misery, because she loves company.

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The pcoplo of Thib'et salute each other by putting out their tongues and scratching the left ear.

Wben a Texan shoots a Mexican all tho excuse he has to make to the coroner's jury is: "Blame my butes if I didn't take him for a wolf!"

It is mentioned as a singular fact that all the Postmasters of Boston who have held ofiiee since

1829

are still living, and

may bu seen occasionally in tho streets of that city. And now they say William Penn would sit down under a tree with Indians about him, and, telling them of the better world beyond the sea, deal himself four aces and win the game.

A neighbor states that a newspaper warmed and placed insido the waistcoat will keep out cold far better than a large quantity of clothing. Perhaps tbat is the reason, then, why the ladies—but no matter.

Murphy, of Nevada, who murdered somebody, offered a lawyer his corpse to defend him. It is unnecessary to say that tho poor man was executed if Murphy had been saved tho lawyer would never have got his fee.

Mrs. Babcock is awaiting trial Connecticut for having poisoned hor husband, and Mr. Major is awaiting trial in New Hampshire for having poisoned his wife. Why not call it square and let 'cm go, please Your Honor.

It Is stated that somo tlmo ago Tweed made a proposition to hand over $3,000.000 of his ill-gotten gains to the city of New York to stop further proceeding" against him but of late his lawyers have fleeced him extensively, and his present ability to buy his way out of prison is questioned.

Dar's do man, Mister Speaker—dar's do man what done it," shouted a colored member, rising suddenly from his seat in the Arkansas legislature. With one hand pointing to a white man in the gallery, and with the other rnbbing the summit of his cranium. "Dat ar cussed white men jes done spit down on the top o' my hoad."

Kansas has other objects of interest than grasshoppers. "While Judge Brown was holding court week before last in Medicine Lodge, Barbour County, a fight took place between two rongfas in a room adjoining the one in which court was being held. One of the combatants, beooming frightened, ran into the oourt room and took refuge behind the judge, clooety followed by the other, who began belaboring him with a chair. The judge, to secure Us own safety, jumped into the middle of the room and called on the Sheriff to arrest the combatants, to which the Sheriff replied: 'Arrest h—1! There ain't men enough in the county to arrest any one of them fei Hum,'»

Feminitems.

Floral necklaces are all the rage, Ball dresses are out indecently low.. Many ladies are going into dark merino hosiery.

Cloth walking shoes havo gone quite out of style. Only experts can detect the imitation from genuine sealskin. ].'/'

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Some lew Washington belles wear their hair done in tho new Diana knot. A negro woman, aged 110, who didn't know Washington, has died at Mobile.

Washington is shocked at a lady who did Hermione so statuosquely in a tableau,

A female novel&t down East ehoked a sleeping husband, to "catch his expression."

Miss Addie Lake, ef Hamilton, called it cow-cumber," and her enraged mother hit her with "Tho History of Canada" and broke her collar bone.

Mrs. Gridley is the oldest woman in Chicago. She ascribes her longevity to marry when past 35. That's consoling for ladies who have "turned the comer."

A girl in Springfield, O., who danced with her corsets pulled up to the last hole, was soon after in a hearse that pulled pp to the last hole that had been dug in tho grave yard. i&t]

It is beautiful to behold at a wedding, says a cheerful old bachelor, the sorrow stricken air of the parent as he "gives the bride away," when you know that for the past ten years he has been trying his best to get her off his handg^

Miss Sarah Smiley has returned from her Eastern tour, and is preaching in New York, attracting large audiences, though it is not quite the Presbyterian thing to go to hear her. That church holds to the old doctrine that women like children, were made to be seen, not heard, save in a musical way. In short, they were made for the hims.

Sarah Yates, of Abington, Mass, has always been a strong-minded girl, and opposed to matrimony. Recently, hewever, she received an excellent offer of marriage, and compromised with her principles in this style: "Mr. Bates, I havo reflected upon your proposition, and have concluded to submit to the humiliating sacrifice you demand."

Mrs. Harriet K. Hunt, a well known and much respected physician of Boston died on Sunday, aged sixty-nine. She practised medicine for forty years, wrote an interesting book, entitled "Glances and Glimpses," detailing some of her experiences, lectured on reformatory topics, paid her tax under written pro test lor twenty-one years, but gave money and services and sympathy to the poor without solicitation.

A3 many of our lady friends are anxious to posssess curly hair we present tho following mode of treatment for curling hair as practiced by workers therein: Wet the hair and wrap it smoothly around a cylindrical stick or tube of the proper siso, tie it in place then put it in water and boil it two or threo hours, remove it from the boiler wrap it careftilly in a newspaper and bake it in a moderate oven for an hour Thus treated, you will have curly hair as long as you hawe any.

A lady in Paris attended the last balmasquo out of mere curiosity. She wore a pretty pink domino, which made her particularly conspicuous. She supped, and drank loo much champagne. A policeman put his hand on her shoulder, and she sank down horrified at the idea of being taken off to the stationhouse. When they picked her up she was dead she had died from fright. So the body was taken to the Morguo clad in its carnival finery, and there it was recognised the next day by the husband

A shop-lifter was recently aorested in Memphis, and it was shown on the trial that she has a pet dog which follows her into stores. She will ask to look at some costly yet light article, as laces and in the inspection will carelessly sweep apiece off on the floor. The dog at once snatches it, and with a bound, it the-door is open, will J«mp into tb* street and run off some distance, where it will await the arrival of its mistress, who, coming up, will take the article and place it in her poeket. Then she is ready, for a visit to another store.. Wben jewelry is the job, the dog will completely bide in its mouth whatever piece is dropped, and then run away as usual.

Jennie June's notion of a sleigh-ride isn't bad: "Young ladies snugly wrapped up in bvflklo robes, their bright feces peeping out from abundant wrappings, have been taken through the Park to High Bridge by devoted cavaliers, and tbere regaled with tho customary hot lemonade and mince pie, while laughter and aleigh bells, all through the night, waking one not unpleasantly, though at unseemlj hours, ont of a quiet sloop, tell of impromptu parties, along ride shortened with jest and tan, with an oyster supper at one endof it,and a stolen kiss or tender handpressure at the other. There are hours that never do return a few of them feavtf to suffice for a lifetime.

ConnubialitiesA

9.

tasi It is lucky to be married in a borrowed veil, they say. ,,

In Sparta, women were regarded merely as breeders of soldiers. Tho ancient Egyptians held their women in higher esteem than the Jews.

Grocisn women were under perpetual tutelage, and bad no "legal exist? ence."

Brigham Young has sufficiently recovered to sit up and be married occasional lv a

Wife buying was abolished at an early date of Grecian history, being replaced by tho "dowry."

In the first days of the Roman Empire the husband had absolute power, evenof life and death, over the wife..

Five hundred and seventy-five pounds were made one flesh recently at Washington, Iowa. He 300 and-she 275,

In the latter part of the Roman Empire, marriage became a civil contract, dissoluble at the will of cither party.

In Britain, at the time of the invasion of the Caesars, occasionally one woman was held as joint stock by several men.

In England, as late as the thirtieth year of George III., women oonvicted of husband murder were dragged at the tail of a horse and burned, while wife murderers wont....only dragged and hanged.

Engene Molone, of. Newport, Rhode Island, is under arrest for causing the death of his wife. The day after his wile's confinement, the inhuman husband came home drunk, turned the nurse out of the room, and dragged his wife out of bed and beat her severely, from tho effects of which she died tho following night.

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A Syracuse girl declined' to herself to the object of her affections until his father had given her a written guarantee that his son was not only sound "in wind and. limb" but of good morals, gontle, and warranted to behave both in "single and double harness." That girl did not iutend to be seen in a divorce court..

Illinois romance: "Alphonso Barrett of Otterville married a. second wife, a handsome lady about 28 years of age, a year since, and died last July, leaving among other assets a son aged 25.. This young scion of the house of Barrett celebrated New Year's day by marrying his father's widow, and the happy couple are now living at the old homestead."

There is nothing so refreshing, and soul-satisfying in this cruel wicked world as the spectacle of a grateful woman. After she has knocded you down and paunded you over the head five or six minutes with a rolling-pin, and you get up and say you are sorry, and willing to beg hor pardon, tho look of gratitude that illuminates her heavenly, ooutenanoe will do all but pay tho doctor's bill.

A Now Jersey editor wroto a long article entitled, "Why are women delicate?" and marked it "No. 1_" Then ho went home and threw his overcoat over the lounge, in the insido poeket of which after a brief exploration, bis wife found a letter which concluded in these words:

Don't let yonr skinny old wife see this. Ever yours, Maggie." Then she seised the poker and chased bee talented husr band eleven times around tho house before she knocked him down the area stops. It is thought that No. 2, of

Why ace jyqmon delicate will nover bo written., A bihnloju gentlemen wont home tho othor evening about ten o'clock, afar making sundry calls, and feeling rather discouraged," thought he would walk up and down the street a little Ux cool off before meeting his better halt. Tho air was very thin and insinuating, but he stood it for an hottr, when be screwed up his oeurage, and, half frozen, entered his domicile. His remarks weae more emphatic than otherwise when the ser. vant informed him that his wife had gone out to spend the oveuieg/ and would not return until midnight,

There to afket lately come to ligbtin |a small town where there ia a great deal of simplicity, that the presentation of a shirt by a woman to the man she wants to marry will cut the heart out of loves Ono young girl tried it, and made her lover a glistening white shirt with hor own pretty hands, fli retired to his boarding-house, put it on, and went straightway to see and make love to another girl. Clad in aolean shirt he felt above the seamstress who had made it, and she lost his eoveted company. She did not sit down and whine over the linen that bad gone astray, but took a pistol in her delicate hand and tripped away to the boarding-house aforesaid. She met the unsuspecting lover, and presenting the pistol, told him to take off that shirt. He hesitated and lost. He{ saw desperation in those eyes and death in the pistol. He peeled and handed the 0zl the soiled garment, which she took on the point of her pistol and poked into the stove. And the flames dfed out and her love went up the chimney with the smoke.