Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 6, Number 31, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 29 January 1876 — Page 1

w%$$

-V -V«» -W

I tf*

r£ 9 a if

$

sis!

l+&n

I 'J

THEMAIL

A PAPER FOR TIIK PEOPLE.

SECOND EDITION.

"QUESTION OF DECENCY"

Tlie outrageous attack upon Rev. K. F. llowc in last Sunday morning's Express makes it necessary to partially lift the veil of mystery which has been thrown over the Town Talk department of The Mail, and that Mr. Howe's connection with this paper bo candidly and honestly stated.

Mr. Ifowe ha« done considerable editorial work upon The Mail—writing usually one leading article each weak, sometimes more, and occasionally in my absence taking entire charge of the editorial work, lie ceased writing for this paper about o.ie year ago. For bis services he was paid by the column, as is usual when employing outside editorial assistance. ,,.

At intervals ho has written "for the Town Talk department. For this work ho was paid as f«.ir the other. lie did not oj iginate tho department—his connection with it was not once thought of when this feature of The Mail was determined on—he wrote, as before stated at intervals and he ceased entirely writing for this department beforo ho was forcod by other duties an£ failing health to quit work on the editorial columns. It will thus bo seen that he was not an irresponsible correspondent, but in the employ of this paper. Perhaps, in a majority of cases tho subjects were given him on which to write—and, in tho strict lino ol journalistic duty, he wrote them. Some of the spiciest articles have come from his pen. Ite has never written anything "malicious" or "vicious," a^ chargod, and usually there was an instructive lesson running through, a good moral attached, or a bold attack on some wrong doing. Soiiio of the articles which have caused the greatest commotion in this community worn not written by him and ho saw them for the first time in the columns of The Mail.

So much in regard to his connection with The Mail, and in answer to the charge of tho Express that:

Ilev. E. Frank Hmvn wa« the writer for vears of the vicious and malicious part of I'luvn Talk" The Mall, In which he ^ratitii'd Ills prf'ludlo'.s, spites and animosities Ills heart's content."

Mow in regard «o the chargo of falsehood. Says the Express: "Ilepcatedlv to member* of Ills own eonurejrutlon and to other cllir.en* lie solemnly denie I th« authorship of those articles,thus adding falsehood to his other sins."

Solely that the interest of this department might bo enhancod, it was my desire as publisher of Tho Mail, that tho paternity of tho articles be kept secret— and It has been well kept. And this fact of itself is worthy of notice aa an instance of that professional honor existing among journalists and printers in regard co tho authorship of articles and other secrets of journalism. Perhaps a dozen printers and persons connected with the newspapers of this city have had more or less knowledge of tho sources of those articles, and I have yet to loam of a printer divulging the same. It is tquastion whether such honor is known In any of the professions.

These Town Talk articles have appeared in every issue of The Mail, since its first issue under the present proprietorship, March 2, l.S72-~noarly four years. Of course, absence from the city, sickness and other eau*e« would prevent any otic person from writing continuously. As before stitod, tho idea of Mich a department did not originate with him—it was not for once thought when this feature was determination that ho would ever write A single article. In the jsist four years tive persons have written for this column-the main part being dotf by three person*—when others failed theio was always one writer to fill the breach—this breach has boon fillod by this one writ or for long periods of time —and TUISWMTKU WAS 2sOT MK. HOWE.

Mr. Howe was, with others, bound in houor, not to leveal tho authorship of the article#. Thl* not that the department might be made a medium for indulging In secret attacks, but liecause as before stated, tho mystery attached to their authorship added to the interest of that department* Mr. Howe's standing in tho community forbids the thought thai be would utter a falsehood. Perhaps fifty people In this community havo had this question tsked them "Are you Town Talk?" Mr. H. taw had it propounded, and when he was not writing for it, ctwtl.l conscientiously say "No." At times when be oonld not truthfully utter this littte monosyllable, l»o doubtless "bus ?v«Jad the qnost'on, as he had a right t6 dd tWjen the questioner was prompted only by meroeuriosity.

ft?

For instance at ode time, and

that "for quite a period of tUne, Mr. Howe did editorial work on tk* KxprM —he did it for pay, the same** upon The Mall. If asked if he was tho editor of that paper when ho wis not writing for it, he would of course have said ho was net and if he was doing editorial work, and the publisher of the paper deaired that it should not be known I hut

^4#

he was doing it, be would be perfectly justifiable in evading any idle question That the animus of the Express In its attack upon Mr. Howe may be understood, it is proper te say that the ill-will of the editor of that paper originated from editorial articles written by Mr. Howe for The Mail, criticising the course of the Express. Those were written when he was regularly assisting in tho editorial work ot this pnper. Before they were written Mr. Howe and myself consulted and determined that they should appear, and the artielosas written had my hearty approval.

And now, otio word in conclusion, in regard to all the articles that have ap peared in the Town Talk department. Nothing that has ever been printed there can be construed as libelous or untrue. Some of the articles may have appeared harsh at first loading, but time has demonstrated that they were pro ductivo of good. It would have been better, porbaps, if some of tho articles had not been printed. Tho same can be said of articles that have appeared in the editorial and local columns of this paper, and in fact of every paper in this city. Nevertheless, it will bo the policy of Tho Mail in the future, as in the past, to speak plainly, in words that cannot be misunderstood, in condemnation of that which is wrong and in upholding that which is right. And if in speaking of wrong doing, any scandal appears or any libel is uttered, whether it be in the Town Talk, the editorial or other department, I hold myself as publisher of The,Mail, responsible.

Very Respectfully, P. S. WESTFALL.

A CAR J) FROM REV. K. F. HOWE. From the prominent position which O. J. Smith has occupied in this city, as a journalist, for eight or more years, and from the character of his papers, ho is very thoroughly known and well understood, and has his reputation, whether good or bad, fully established. My own public life in this city for ten years, has also given me the reputation which I have, whether good or bad. No one who believes me a liar upon the assertion of O. J. Smith will believe me truthful upon my own assertion. Yet I doom it proper for me to say, onco for all, that I never denied the authorship of any article which I ever wrote, whether in the T. T. column ot' The Mail, or in any column of that paper, or of any other paper. I never denied that I was T. T., of The Mail, when I was writing lor that column. I never asked (). J. Smith, or anybody olse, not to "expose" mo, or felt or expressed any gratitude to him, or anybody else, for not "exposing" me. At one time, whon O. J. Smith became very angry with me for writing editorial articles in The Mail criticising his poeuliar notions and teachings, r.nd his treatment of the churches and religious people, and for defending The Mail against attacks made upon It by the Express in the absence of Mr. Wcstftdl, he threatened to attack mo in reference to the T. T. column, with which I had for some time had no connection whatever, and to accuse me publicly of falsehood, and I did, foolishly as I now see, ask him not to make his attack on Sunday, as I was then taking the Express and should necessarily see the attack, and it might disturb ra* in the duties of the day. I think that «t the same time I did ask him to defer action until Mr. Westfall should return. I do not recollect that I either felt or expressed any gratitude for his compliance with these requests. In fact I doubt if it were poeeiblo for the feeling of gratitude to exist in connection with the other feeling which took possession of my mind, and which I will not designate lor I then learned that the man whose honor as a gentleman, a friend, and a journalist, I had never doubted, and with whom I ntado no secret of thefiu-t that some articles in tho T. T. column came from my pen, and with wliotn, and in whose presence I had Ulked Iroely concerning articles of mine which had been, and were to lie published In that column, and to whom at least one of these was read before it went into the hands of Mr* Westfall— was ready to uee information so obtain* od in retaliation for editorial criticisms Hpon sentiments expressed in his editorials, and upon the course pursued by his paper, and to close the mouth of criticism thereafter. As Mr. Westfall, without any request from rue, and even without my knowledge that he intended doin& so, has prepared a statement of faota concerning the authorship of the T. T. articles, I need not go over the points concerning which he Is as well qualified to ape.tk as I, and upon which he certainly will be believed

I win only add that whatever

IrcbU

•m'

Vol. 6.—No. TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29. 1876.

la

tilts

may hare pertained to the matter or manner of any articles which I ^are written either for that or any otb&rcolomn of The Mail, or to any of my communications in the different papefev of the city—and no deubt there bavi been aerioas fltuIts—not one article or one word has been prompted by maliea or Pfraonal enmity. Even the sharpest attask* which I made, in the editorial col ucons of The Mail, opon the sent^

and the oonrao of the Express—

4

f*

?.

'1'C^

and I never wrote any sharper criticisms —were made when nono but the friendliest fetlings existed between the editors of that paper and myself. I attempted te counteract what I, with many others, thought to be tho evil intluenoe of its teachings, and to defend those whom I knew to be unjustly assailed and misrepresented. And I did this in the language which I thought would best accomplish my purpose. This I have done iu public and in private, with my pen and with my voice, and for it I am now reaping tho reward, in rnoro ways than one, some pleasant nud som otherwiso.

E. F. HOWE.

P. S. As the cards which are printed above relievo me from all obligations, so fur as the interests of Mr. Westfall and The Mail are concorfled, to maintain secrecy as to my connection with articles appearing in tho T. T. column, I now say for myself, that any person who feels aggrieved by any allusion to himself or herself which has ever been made in the T. T. column of The Mail, and suspects mo of being the author of thearticle in which tho allusion occurred, upon application to Mr. Westfall, will be informed whother I did or did not write the artielo to which objection is made, and if

I

tho author,

anl found to have been

I

hereby announce that

hold myselfin readiness to make a public apology or a public defonse, as I may be convinced that the article demands, and the apology or dcfcr.ce shall be published in tho columns of The Mail as conspicuously as was the original article. E. F.IIOWE.

Town-Talk.

HOW TOWN TALK MATERIALIZED. As the .talk of town this week has been very largely concerning tho Town Talk of The Mail, and as theold curiosity respecting the authorship of this highly popular column is not likely to be appeased by anything which anybody else will say, T. T. has determined to say something about it himself. Ordinarily it may be true that "who tells his secrets sells his liberty," but, as the French say, "that depends." There are certain facts in T. T's past history, and the manner in which ho came to The Mail, which there is no reason why tho tno public shsuld not know, and whi^h, indeed, they might have known long ago had ho deemed tho information worth bothering about. These facts and this information ho now proposes to give. Tho editor of tho Express, who imagines he knows all about this town talk business, has partially let the cat out of the bag—ho shall now have it, to the end of tho tale, or tail—spell it either way—"concealment shall no longer like a worm i'tho bud prey upon his damask cheek." Yes, ho shall know it all.

As far back as the oldest inhabitant can remember back to and beyond tlic old flat-boating and stage coachingdays before Col. Edward's famous echo *vas discovered before the nourishing days of the society for the promotion of manufactures bofore the people of tho Prairie City went wild over boring for oil: before the time when that excursion party, consisting of Charles Oruft, W. 13. Tuoll, J. II. Ilagerand John I'. Baird, (who wont on just to soe the fun) mado tho celebrated home run from the battle-field of Cow's Husband Itun and even to that time when, in a little log cabin just south of the old Indian orchard, tho first white male child was born, the now famous Captain William Earl, (who by the way, is not a relative of that other famous Earle—the local of the Express—for tho first little fellow did not spell his name with A final "e") has tho restless spirit of Town Talk brooded over tho land. On that occasion this spirit of Town Talk started all the old women from house to house to Ml of •he arrival of the little stranger.

From that d.ty -to this the spir'.t of Town Talk has not boon idle. It has manifested itseli in various channels— largely by moans of gfosiping neighbors, fot "pooyle will talk," you knew but generally In social gatherings such as log cabin raisings, apple cuttings, candy pulling*, corn huskingsof the earlier times, and the singing schools, church socials and sewing circles of later days. It oven cropped out in the pnlpit, at the bar, in the ofllcc of the physician. In short it was present in all ranks and conditions of life.

Time passed on, tho village grew to a town, the town to a city,' and this talk grew with its growth. It flowed in so many streams, and throngh such a variety of mediums—some antagonistic to others—that it had a tendency to do a great deal of mischief, and the spirit of T. T, conceived the Idea combining all In one current—to put it in spch a public shape that if any person had bis fkults and failings spoken of, thai person might have eqtnil privilege of hearing the talk, and, If so disposed, set about correcting the same or If any good words were said of him he could ei\joy tho pleasaiTP equally with his neighbors. With this object In view T. T. want, mnaesn, op and down the streets, peerlnglnWevetyffcee, seeking a proper medium through! which to speak to the public.4 Elrnty yf private

si

mediums were found, but their

I

sphere

was too limited. A medium was wanted that could reach all classes of people. Search was made In the newspaper offices, at the bar, in the pulpit, on the platform, overywhere. Tried Pence's Hall —tried that little fraud Church—tried Mrs. Stewart and other spirit mediums —all dead failures—hence T. T's spite against Pence's Hall so often manifested in this column. Time rolled on—no medium was found—and T. T. had about despaired of finding a channel to mirror tho tal.c of the town and ef commencing tho grand good work of letting peoplo seo tbemsolves as others eeo them. Then news came that Westfall had bought The Mail. Almost without hope, alter so many unsuccessful effort.*, T. T. sought Tlie Mail office. J-.,' 7^

Wonderful result! fe Conditions favorable! Materialized beautifully For lour years the Mail olliee has been a Pence's Hall to this restless spirit— here it has found a homo. If one medium failed another was put in tho cabinet. Sometimes conditions were not favorable—too hot, or too cold, or too much atmosphere in tho air—and communications were poor so far as concerned literary' merit or interest and then again a strong medium was obtained, the room pumped chock full of electricity, and, by llook-ey, wit and sarcasm llowed in away that tho natives were astonished, and at times ready to cxclaim with Hamlet: "Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd Speaking of "goblin," it may be remarked in parenthesis that tho T. T. articles bavo always been greedily gobbled by tho reader, and occasionally damn'd.

It was tho mission ot this spirit to instruct men, to make them truthful and cause them to think. By making lolly ridiculous and vice infamous it tried to teach them to correct their own faults by commending virtue and upholding the best things of life, it sought to rvfino and elovato their tastes and lead them to nobler and worthier deeds. In the accomplishment of this purpose it was, now and then, necessary to "hold the mirror up to nature"—to let somebody "see himself as others saw him."

Opposed to this bcnificent spirit of TownTalk wasanother spirit—little, contemptible and mean—tho spirit of gossip, of envy, of tattle, and of small spito and this spirit was constantly engaged in efforts to undermine and thwart tho undertakings of the llrst. Unscrupulous in it methods, and shameless in everything, it constantly strove to defeat the spirit of Town Talk in tho etforts for good.

But despito the whisperings, the suggestions of this evil spirit, T. T. has maintained tho situation—has kept in tho strict line of duty. In controlling his mediums T. T. has always aimed to speak plainly upon any subject ol which he cared to speak at all, and his genuine contempt for frauds and shams, in whatever quarter they might appear, has never boon disguised, lie has beeu candid in his opinions and prompt to defend them when assailed. He hus.had no unwortkv ends to gain or personal spite to gratify. "With charity for all and malice toward nono," tho sole object has been to work for the good of society, to mako this department a fair reflection of the better portion of what was really town talk—the current topics which gentlemen and ladies were discussing in society, and around their own firesides at homo and he has held it his right to commend, condemn or ignore, as circumstances and the principles of exact justice niiuht in his judgment require. The articles have not always been of the fault-finding sort. T. T. has never hesitated to commend what he found to bo good. In the four years past some objectionable articles may have appeared—they have been less ti.au tho reader in looking back would at first suppose. In fact the most invetorato fault-finder could count them upon the fingers of one bund, and in these T. T. only said publicly what everybody was saying privately. It maybe truly said, nd it is hero claimed that he wrote conscientiously and, in overy case, without malice and that he has not maligned, slandered or abused anybody. There has been some plain talk and sarcasm, which certain squeamish ones finding drop upon their wounded souls like anything else but balm, would lain make out vicious and malicious," but such outcries seldom deceive honest people. The masses judge of a remedy by ite effects, and T. T's. blisters have generally relieved the 'community if they haven't entirely, in every case, cured the patient. t"!

And this is hew and why T. T. materialized. Spirit photographers are at liberty to "catch the shadow ere tlie sii balance fades

TkM story of "Justin HarIcy" Is completed in (his Issue of The Mali. We can supply a few sets of the The Mall—seventeen numbers—with the'story complete. Sent postpaid to any address for fifty cents. These seventeen copics contain shout five hundred columns of miscellaneous reading, Including the

mi

Husks and Nubbins.

1

No. 194.

1

AN OlWOLETK VI RTCB.

What a prodigious amount of time could be saved if everybody was prompt and punctual. Wo venture tho assertion that it would equal several lifetimes in every large community in the course of a single year. Count up all tbo minutes and quarters of hours and hours which aro lost by persons idly waiting every day for other persons to meet them whon and where they promised to, and try to conceive what the aggregate would bo. There was a time, such at least is the tradition, when peoplo made some pretence of keeping their appointments, but that was long ago. Of late years wo have so far abandoned the practice (in company, with many other "old fogy" practices) that now nobody expects any one to keep an appointment undor any circumstances. Tho few persons who have been taught from childhood habits of promptness and punctuality (thero is ono such to be found occasionally hore and there) soon como to find tho practice of an obsolete virtue unprofitable and expensive and aro compelled to abandon »it. By sad experience they learn that two o'clock means any timo till three, and nine any time for sixty minutes thereafter, and, not having ono life-time which they can afford to throw away, they at length succumb to the inevitable and become as demoralized as their neighbors.

The extent of this demoralization is awful to contemplate. Many persons make promises well knowing at tho time that they will not keep them. A collector coaies in with a bill which 6ught to have beon paid long ago over tho merchants own counter. "Come in next week," tho dunned man sings out, "and I will pay that bill. I have no money to-day." The week rolls round and tho bill with it, and the debtor is not a whit better prepared to pay it than he was bofore. In fact lie has not thought of the subject at all nor made any effort to prepare for it. Tho collector is told to "drop in again" and he keeps on dropping in with the same result until he has earned the amount of tho bill in trying to collect it. There are people who have become so habituated to being dunned that they never think of paying a bill tho first timo it is presented even if they bavo tho money iu their pocket. It don't seem to them that tho money has been fiirly earned until the collector has called tho third or fourth time. One of tho causes of hard times is that this class of peoplo mako tho hard times an excuse for not paying when they are really able to pay. It is not easy to perceive what these pooplo gain in tho end by this kind of conduct. Bills never grow any smaller and it takes just as much to pay them one tiuio as another. If there is nothing gained there is a great deal lost by it. As wo said before thero is a great deal of time lost and a great deal of character too. Men like to deal with people who are prompt and who keep their promises. Slow payers don't stand well in the community where they aro known. Nothing helps one's reputation so much as paying promptly when called on and not requiring oven to bo called on as a general thing. Such a man inspires confidence. People see that he is always ready and willing to do tho bost he can and that is all they can reasonably ask or expect. They feel that his word can depended on but thero is something suspicious about it when a man who is w-ortli his thousands never has money enough to pay the smallest bill until he has undergone a regular siege of dunning and then pays with the air of one who has just cause for iudignation at the treatment he has received. H.-W tMutP#

It is related of an eminent English statesman that be was once stopped by a little girl who asked for alms. Taking out his pnrso ho found that it was entirely empty, and themupon ho told the girl that if she would meet him at tho same plaro at a certain hour the next day ho would have something for her. Returning homo ho found an invitation to dino with soveral of his intimate friends the next day at exactly the hour he had fixed for meeting the poor beggar girl. Ilo immediately wrote his declination of the dinner on the ground of a previous engagement. Ho had promised to give alms to a beggar at that hour next day and his promise was not to be broken. How much wc need a little of that spirit in this ago and country. If every man felt that his promise was na/ cred and not to be broken, at leastjbr any light and trivial oonsideratigif, be would be more careful about making promises and more reliable ia keeping those that he did make. If every man wits prompt and regular Mi keeping liis engagements how mufy hop re of precious time might b» saved which are now wasted iu tbfci most Irritating of all employments vbtj waiting. And it would x»t no more to be prompt, than ui Im dilatory. It is a false, abeun} v^ay of living that we have fallen into, an expensive way—dxpen#tive In that m/wt valuable of all thing*, tune. It i* wiy

the «feeapest reading you am l'md. ought to be mafl^ |ofkll Into Urfpu ir.

»r .ii VjoU-^o

Price Five Cents

Why would not tho "Centennial year'* be a good timo to resuscitate the old virtue of punctuality which is said to have flourished in this country a hundred years or so ago?

People and Things.

Gladstone says. "Elevate tbo working class by keeping your children in it." An Oregonian picked up a wild cat in his barn fora lap robe, but found it out.

It is said that not a single member of the Minnesota Legislature was born in that State.

1

Tho fat men ol Marshall, Michigan, are to havo a dance at which no fellow is to bj admitted who weighs under 200 pounds.

Tho pressure of tlia Presidency is greater to the square inch in Indiana than in any other of our States.—[Cin. Commercial.

A Boston paper tried to announce that Miss Fowler would play Noll, in WUls's play of "Noll Gwynne,". but put an II where it would do least good.

They say Mrs. Grant doesn't look a day oldfir than when she first csmo to Washington, ten years ago, which is a strong indication of a good luisbnud.

Tho Louisville Courier tells of a tramfs who offered a postage stamp as a sacred relic, declaring that it was from ono of St. Paul's epistles to the Oorinthiaus.

Cincinnati hasn't discovered any "rerl Murillos" for a week or two, but a so-loon-keeper there is soon to dispo of a delicately-oolored mersohauin pipe, by Rafile.

A man passed around Detroit tho other day with a petitition to Congress to repeal the law requiring stamps cn bank checks, and ho didn't meet alaboiing man who wouldn't sign it.

Charles D. Warner has been looking over tho implements of torture used by the old Spanish inquisitors, and ho concludes that .ho would havo advocated any kind of religion ttres3a|»o them.

Many a man who would roll up his eyes in terror at tho idea of stoaling a nickol will swoop down on a silk umbrella worth J10, and march off with his lips moving peacefully as if in prayer.

A Richmond, Indiana, man bought a suit of clothes to attond tho funeral of his mother who was supposed to bo dying. She got well and as the storekeeper wouldn't take the clothes back and give him his money, the son sued him on tho ground that it was conditional purchaso.

Tho Judgo at a cont£ in ^Vl.'uno'rocently sentenced a culprit to twenty-live years in the State prison. This tact was communicated to tho prisoner's mother, who was struck at the magnitudo of the sentonce. "What did they do that for?" she exclaimed. "Twenty-five years! Why, he won't bo contented thero three weeks."

A romantic marriage lately took placo in Albany, Ga. A young lady of that place wroto to a young man of Wintcrville, in Macon county, that She had heard him highly spoken of, and if ho saw fit to pay ber a visits and could stand a satisfactory examination, that sho would reward him with her heart and hand. Ho accepted tho proposition and started at once to soe the fair one. He arrived at her home Monday, was inspected and received and the couplo were married the next day^7 if**4"

This seems to be a bad year for men who becamo millionaires through the success of patents. In fact, some of them havo been having trouble for some time past. The late Mr. Singer got through life quite comfortably, but ho left a great deal of mifinfehed business when he died. Mr. Babbitt, the soap man, is just now more famous and more worried than ever before. Walker, tho Vinegar Bitters man, lathe defendant in a divorce suit, where $20,000|jt oar alimony is tho bone of contention and Helm bold, who gave bnchti to the world at a dollar a bottle, is rh&"kliig a rigorous fight to keep out of «n insane asylum. It is difficult to arrivaAt thecauso of this wholesale ill-for^^among patent peoplo but it Is slsy onougU to seo that they wouldnerfBr h*vo lieen either rich or notori&tjjf'lf»tbey hadn't advertised.

The fatbtfrof a yotulg man among the Xewbtu£h converts insists1that his son shallVeturn to the service of the devil under penalty, of disinheritance. At litest accounts tho young man remained firm In his fldth, d^clsring that ho would rather be pooj^^uid good than rich and wicked. It. is. interesting to read of such a case, In these times,when so tna^y people? sacrifice their consciences to love of, money. It is to be hoped'thatthe yensng man will persevere against teriiptatidn. He has something better iltaij^ ty&iUh Iu havings high principle. tJUeneed not be afraldf DMnberfMVetr %fey ledd bim to selfreliance and fhilystljr. "Will thus develop hw traits character, and wMt always i»«#oooaaiaab to rejoico C*rer thf "hum n4ff£. Thero is hop^of jt ijgjittnt^a^yl ap afft} in which pfTtipis aro IHPf" sacrifices for

(.'4 *. ^J, -.