Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 6, Number 34, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 19 February 1876 — Page 1

THE MAIL

A PAPER FOR TIN: PEOPLE.

SECOND EDITION.

[Written for The Mall.] BECAUSE OF THE WA Y."

HETTY ATMOKRISON.

Father, the way Is lone,

The hot «un bcal* upon my luintliiu head. The h«t dust bliud* uud burn* my feet that tread

So wearily aloug.

Behold the wovinic tr«i«s,

A little further on, and those who walk Jetween, In thflr cool shade, no dust upon them seen

May I not walk with these'

Father, the way I go .... Jm set with thorns that hold ine la their grasp, And when I wrench their clo«*» and cruel cJ«*P

The crimson blood-drop» flow.

Behold the birds that ilnx.

The green gra»8 *et with ever hloomlrg flowers, The fountains leaping in sparkling shown-*,

That to those gladness biing.

Behold the wine and oil,

With which refreshed, when so much sweetness cloyn, And they grww faint beneath their weight ofjoys,

W liilo I uncaml for, toil.

"Father the way Is dark, And out the gloom such terrors set-n^ to glide ,, That 1 would gladly welcome to my side

The faintest glow-worm spark,

I see the stars arise

In others" sklen, and through the livelong night, I'our down upon their ways tholr gentle light

Why not stare In my skies

Father, my way with tears

I take, and for this most it grievelh me for pain amd tears, Thy face 1 cannot see

Must this be all my years?"

"Child, thou art not alone, The tearful path thy feet have painful trod Is all the path that can lead thee to Uod

Thy Uod's hand clasps thine owi

Town-Talk.

Tho question was asked T. T. the other day, how many persons he supposed had left this county within the past twelve months to seek new homes In the southern or western States and, not having given tho subject much thought, he answered, Inn cently enough, that he didn't know but supposed the number quite small. "I believe I eotild give you tho names of at least a hundred myself, and I doubt if that is a tenth part of those who have gone," was the startling reply. T. T. was astounded— "struck all of a heap," as it- were—and the matter has been preying upon him ever since and though tho matter does not seem so serious as it did at first blush, still it is serious enough. For why should anybody whose home it is, be leaving a country like this? And whore can they find abetter one?

Of courso thore are always in overy community plenty of men of a restless, roving nature, who are never contented anywhere long, and who would, from pure "cussedness," move out of the

Jarden of Eden sooner or later, but these need not be taken into account. Tbero is another class of men, not apjiarontly afflicted with that kind of insanity, and many of theso have been temptpd to pnll up stake*and drag their unwilling families oiV to California, Texan, Florida, and other out of-tho-way places where the chances are as ten to one they will lack ninety per cent, of doing as well as they did hero, and regret the foolish move all tho rest of their lives. Such moves are taking place every day while in hundred* of other families the subject of Moving is tho one engrossing topic talked about continually, and which continually and unceasingly is undermining and breaking down the love of homo and home iUHodations, anmiling the patient, practical lessons of life, disarranging business, and teaching e^ery individual the unprofitable trade of building feverish and illusory castle* in the air. Why .these things are so, is a question well worth considering.

Of course the prime inducement with every man to movo to a new place is the ileal re to better his rendition. The -western and southern ststwi are now ^flhring extraordinary inducements to persons seeking new homes to visit them and lako a look at what they have no oflfor. They are advertising what they have to sell, and its general char--acter, broadcast over tho country, and lit Is having Its cfleet. Their papers are ""tolled with glowing descriptions of the country, tho fertility of the lands, the enterprise of tho towns the prosperity of tho citirens—with everything escouraging and calculated to attract emigration. They are doing it systematically.

Kvery oitiaen is interested in the work %nd does his part with enthusiasm. We on tho contrary go about with long feces grumbling about the short crops, the poor trade, the bard time*, the high laxea, and professing to see nothing but calamity and ruin ahead. 1 despondency is just as catching as enthusiasm and its good deal more fatal to a town than auy other epidemic which T. T. is ao qoaintod with. It should not be wondered at that out of the large number hare caught it, some should hare "gone olTf*

The simple troth Is t!fre fa not finer

land In tho world than thU lying steady immigration from the country to around Terre Haute, nor a town of its size anywhere that has less reason to grumble. The locality is healthy, the social advantages unsurpassed. There are excellent schools, prosperous churches, the best kinds of amusements, fine railroad facilities—everything in short that would seem conducivo to comfort, er necessary to make the town or county desirable to live in. It is as easy to make and accumulate money here as in most other places and certainly far easier than it is to do so in many of the new places. Why people should insanely throw away all thoso advantages to make an entirely new start in a strange land is hard to comprehend, without we ascribe it to that one thing, tho grumbling.

Now T. T. has an idea that if every good citizen would take a more cheerful view of life and set about in some systematic manner to counteract the influence of the chronic croakers, large numbers of useful citizens would not only be kept from moving away, but hundredsof others would be induced to move hero. If trade unions and the countless other societies whose solo object and aim seoms to bo to make people discontented with their lot in life could be abolished, it would be a stop in tho right direction for any society or association that teaches mon to brood over fancied wrongs and to imagine themselves oppressed and helpless victims of a class, when there is in reality no foundation for such a belief, is an unmitigated nuisance and should be suppressed by popular opinion. What we ought to do is to help and encourage one another. Wo should be willing to "live and let live." Ono man can not mak.e money in any business or trade without indirectly helping the whole community. He should not bo held ss an object of jealousy by his neighbor?. They should, on the contrary, rejoice in his prosperity. A better feeling between classes—between the farmer and the merchant, tho rich and the poor, the employer and tho employed—is what is needed. And, above all things, a speedy cessation of grumbling is absolutely necessary.

Of course many things in the way of advertising the town and county might be done, but these are not essential. If each one will go quietly, byt cheerfully, about his own business, and be true to himself and his home, the town and county will advertise them selves, and Texas, Florida nor no other State, will get any large number of our people away from us.

Husks and Nubbins.

No. 197.

WHAT IS HIE MATTER?

Almost everybody is talking nbw about the hard timos and the scarcity of money wanting to know tho cause ol it and the cure for it. Some have their own ideas of tho causes which produced tho disorder and somo have no ideas about it all all save what they gather from others/ Tho popular lunacy is that the currency Is in some mysterious way responsible for all tho evil that ex ists. It will be the general conclusion after while, we believe, that tho currency had little If anything to do with it. Said an old gentleman tho other day: "They talk about repealing tho resumption act and inflating tho currency. It would do no good. Tho fact is, a panio is very mnch llko the typhoid fever. You will cithor dio or get well In five weeks In spite of the doctors, and it takes just five years for a country to recover from the effects of a panic." This man bad gone through other panics and spoke from experience. Tho disease must run it* course through the national through the individual body. It takes a drunken man a certain length of time to get sober: the nation has been very drunk—doliriously drunk—and it will not l*e thoroughly sober for some time to come. The sooner people cease to expect a sudden return of prosperity and large profits and settle down to the contemplation of small returns for awhile, and govern themselves accordingly, the better it will be for them. it.

Vol. 6:~-No.-'3t'. TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 19. 1876. Price Five Cents

the cities and towns—the most foolish and unprofitable immigration that ever occurred anywhere. Another fact should be mentioned, viz: when tho soldier boys came homo fiom the army thous ands upon thousands who hal gone from farms never returned to them. They settled in the towns and cities after the exciting life the}' had led the country seemed too dull and desolate for endurance.- «With agriculture so heavily depressed and commorce and manufactures so powerfully stimulated what oould liavo been expected but a vast disproportion between these normally balancing industries? That is exactly what occurred. The agricultural development of the country is ten years behind its commercial and manufacturing development. If this view is correct tho tide of emigration should set from the towns to the country l'or some yoars to come. Success and substantial prosperity lie in that direction, ill.

That is all very good as far as it goes, exclaims an old gray head but it don't go far enough. The origin of our troubles lies further back than the war. The fact is this country has always been running with a dangerous head ol steam on, and it is no wonder that tho boiler bursts sometimes. The real wonder is that it doesn't burst oftener. Expenses of every kind are too high. Our people are too extravagant. They spend like princes, They are actually ashamed to economize. It is considered mean to try to buy things cheap. If an article of merchandise suits the customer he is expected to take it without regard to cost. We are not sufficiently civilized to recognize the difference between economy and stinginess. We buy and sell in round figures and give the merchant the benefit of tho odd cents. We spend money as lavishly as if every man was the possessor of Alladin's lamp. We live high, dress in costly clothes and have carriages and servants. The result is that our expenses are enormous. It is well known that the average of business enterprises do not pay a clear profit of more than eight per cent yet men try to do business on capital for which they pay ten per cent, interest, that is, two per cent, more than they can reasonably expect to realize from their investment. Is it any matter for surprise that they fail? Rents, too, have leached an outrageous altitude. It has come about that the owner of a single business block, in a fair location, is in receipt of a princely living. Tho lesson of the times is that, as a nation, we must come dowu. We are Hying too high. We have got too far above the principles and practices of sound living. It was the theory of an old and successful business man, who amassed a large fortune by tho slow process of thrift and economy, that a universal bankruptcy would be a good thing for this country that it would knock our stilts from under us and bring things down to a natural and substantial basis and that it would enable men to see their errors, give them anew start and put them on tho right road to ultimate success and competency. The old man is dead now but his ideas come with new force to those who once regarded them as idle vagaries.

SMALL-POX.

The city is not quite free from smallpox yet, but with the precautions that arc takerrf against its spread, there is very little danger. The city authorities know of but seven deaths that havo so far occurred. Tho whole nnmber of cases reported si nee tho disease first broke out is about forty. Two new cases were reported on Wednesday of this week, one at Young's wagon yard on Walnnt street, and tho other in a house of illfame, on Third street. Both were promptly removed to the pest hospital. In the last named institution there are, at present five patients. We frequently hear it stated that there are Kianyeises of small-pox which are never reported. Such can scarcely be the case. There is an ordinance u|on the subject which makes It the duty of physicians and others to report every case, and any failure to do so is punlshablo with a fine of not exceeding fifty dollars and the costs of prosecution. This ordinance has been in force since 18&4. The seotion referred to reads as follows:

Unquestionably the late war was the primary cause of tho present financial disturbance. Thousands and tens of thousands of strong, able-bodied young mer, the vety flower of Agriculture, wore suddenly withdrawn from the forms to the army—from the primary source of production to the Scientific pursuit of destruction. What was the result? That Immense army bad to be clothed and fed. Prodigious quantities ofaruw, ordnance, ammunition, medicines, etc., were required to be produced as it were instantly. The farms were abandoned or left in the hands of decrepit old men and beardless boys. Agriculture was terribly prostrated commerce and manufactures, on the other band, were inordinately stimulated. Towns sprang up by magic and cities swelled their population with unprecedented rapidity, while the itual There are about one hundred dubs In districts were depopulated and para- New York, and statistics sbotf three* ijacxl. From the beginning of the war quarters of the members »re married up to within a year or two, fbere was a! men.

Hrc. 4. For the purpose of guarding against the clandestine Introduction or any malignant, infectious or pestilential disease, it shall be the duty, hereafter, of all pbyafcrians, officer* or steam and oanal boats, or other public conveyances, and all keepers or taverns and boarding houses to report in writing to the Common Council or the Board of Health, forwith, every case, Including the name and place where each case may be, which may come to their knowledge, of the stnall-pox,»pasmodlc cholera, or any other Infectious or pestilential disease occurring or existing within the limits or vicinity of said city, and every person refusing or willfully neglecting to give notice aa aforesaid, of any such disease, shall, on conviction thereof, for every such offense, forfeit and pay any sum not exceeding fifty dollars, besides the costs of prosecution.

People and Things.

Egotism is likQ charcoal funics—insufferable. Burglary is a hanging matter in North Carolina.

The duller the times, the xtiarpcr we have to bo. Japan has odorless flowers, songless birds, and tailless cats.

Don't preach charity and leave somebody else to practice it. A gentleman named B. Gratz Brown is practicing law in St. Louis.

More unanimity exists among workingmen now than ever before* Talaiage travels on Sunday. This wouldn't le so bad if Talmnge wasn't so good.

Boss Twoed's eldest son feels sure that his father will sooa return but "it's a wise child," etc.'

Elihu Burritt can drive a strange dog out of his yard in thirty-three languages. —[Danbury News.

Professor Seelye finds thut each Indian costs the government about|2,000a year to keep him alive.

Borrowers have often deprived a man of everything he has laid up for a rainy day, wbother monej^or umbrella.

Just so far as each on can trust himself that be Is honest hi life, just so far he is helping to bring about abetter state of things.

Schleicher, of Texas, requires the broadest chair in Congress. They should put him at the wheel he is a gteruman. 7 f'

The man who cannot look you squarely in the face when introduced, or during conversation, has not much character of any kind.

From Brookllne the four morning trains are classed thus 4:30, workics 7:15 olerkies 8:35, shirkies 9:15, flirties. —[Boston Journal. a* *-u

ANew Haven tailor called in to testify in the City Court, stated that "fancy tailors generally put on about ten or fifteen dollars for style."

Thomas Paine was for many years a resident of New York city, and the house in which he lived is yet standing —No. 309 Bleecker street, i'v

The Washington Star advises young men to keep away from Washington. It might add, if they do come, they had better button up their pockets.

A Pittsburg man has sued a dentist for pulling tho wrong tooth—02,500 damages. "How sharper than a raging tooth it is to have a thankless dentist." -1

One Dr. P. S. Connor is lecturing on 'Tain and its Relief." The lecture ought to draw well, there are so many in this community who seek a relief frompcryin'. 'X

In the days of our fathers, when a man suddenly dropped out of the community they nsed to drag tho neighboring ponds and examine all available hanging places in the vicinity. Nowadays the first steps are to investigato his back ac­

The Maquoketa city council havo or dered that blinds, screens, stained glass, and everything that hinders freedom of observation through saloon wiudows be removed. If they can't make you quit a bad business, they are bound to see how you carry it on, -W r*.

While in Ceylon the Prince of Wales was shown the famed "tooth of Buddha," one of the most sacred of sacred relics. It proved to be a big piece of ivory "about two inches a half long and half an inch in diameter, rising slowly to a smoothly rounded cone, reposing on a gold lotus leaf."

A Washington correspondent observes that the sight of a drunken Congressman is never witnessed nowadays, whereas 20 or 30 years ago it was quite a common spectacle. The reason is, not that the Congressman of to day drinks less, but that tho whisky is poorer than it used to be, and that longer experience with it enables him to stand it better than (he Congressman of the period referred to. 't

s.

What constitutes a call io the ministry?" is a question about to be discussed by the preachers of Indianapolis. We should think that a letter from ten or fifteen respond ble gentlemen offering a salary of |10,000ayear, with a handsomely furnished parsonage, would constitute something so nearly akin to a call to the ministry that you could scarcely distinguish the difference with the naked eye. -{Courier-Journal. 4,

The fhther of Charley Ross received a letter the other day from an apparently intelligent German, stating that If Mr. ROM would take a young hen that had never laid an egg, and cut In four pieces with a knife that was new, lay the four pieces of chicken upon a newly-planed beard at midnight, walk three times around the board, repeating the words inclosed three times, be would have Charley returned to him the next day. Mr. Ron up to this time has neglected to profit by the Information, and the consequence' is that Charley has tool been returned.

Is "howdy" one word or not? That is what the cable agent at Boston would like to find out, without resorting to the United States Supreme Court.

Senator Morton has fixed a sort of stationary crutch at bis desk to enable him to speak standing, and the reporters viciously call it his flying trapeze.

Mr. Jenkins expresses bis belief that the drinking habits of England are owing in a great measure to tho want of comfortable homes for the workingmen.

Oen. George H. Thomas was a rank secessionist." O yes, certainly. But tho South can't understand why he aoted so mean at Lookout Mountain.— [Chicago Times.

There are two words in the English language that contain all the vowels in regular succession, and if a person is willing to live abstemiously, and not regard this statement facetiously, he will see what the words are.—[Norwich Bulletin. *rTJ

There is no uie talking. Spiritualism must be abolished or the mediums must exercise more judgment in selecting their ghosts. At a seance recently held in Boston the shade of McGuffey, the spelling book man, came forth and wrote on the fclate, that "things air mity ruff just now."

Feminitems.

Mrs. Tilton lives with her mother, Mrs. Morse, in Brooklyn. Can ladles with enamelled faces be said to belong to polished society

A widow has just died in Rome and left a quarter of a million dollars to the POpe. 1

Mrs. Beectier is said to be getting more and more a stern and unimpas-t-ioned wife, who never smiles.

A rich woman in Philadelphia gave her check the other day to the Young Men's Christian Association fer 910,000.

In the opinion of the Boston Globe "It is more than half the fun of going skating to see the maneuvers of ladies in pull-back dresses."

Up in Montreal they have got a pretty revivalistess, only twenty years old. The young men are coming into the fold, a hundred at a time^

Mrs. Warner, of Boston, says that the woman suffrage agitation is due to the persistency of one half dozen persons, who either get a

(livingor

of the business. C'

notoriety out

r.f

Theodore Thomas very prettily says that art and culture in this country can look for* support and encouragement only to the women. The majority of the men, he says, are only taken along.

A Cambridge youngster, aged six, went to a neighbor's house and remarked: "Will you please let me see your parlor carpet, for auntie says it makes her most sick every timo she comes here."

It is proper, during leap year, for young ladies to loaf around church doors and steps, and spit all around, and talk about how pretty and blushing young men look as they modestly go in. —[Rome Sentinel.

Probably none ef tho votaries of St. Valentine recoived this week so uuique and costly a momento as a young lady of Troy did last year—an ox heart pierced with golden skewers set with precious stones. The heart was soon eaten up by the family watch dog, while the darts were transferred to the lady's hair.

There is a strong flavor of common sense in the remark of a Boston lady, who has successfully managed a large estate for many years, that "so long as the people of this country oontlnue to eat roast beef when they have only money enough to pay for salt mackerel they will have and deserve to have hard times." 4',7J l\

When Mrs. Wbittelsey, the Northampton cashier's wife, saw tho burglars take her husband's gold watch, she kicked her's under the bureau and so saved U. And when her new cloak was In the robber's hands sho said: "Give me that old thing, I'm cold," and saved that likewise. If this keen witted woman oould have been at the bank when the vault was opened she would have persuaded the robbers that half thoee papers were nothing but fiunily milk bill*.— id

Jennie June soolds the glrls for the extravrgance they encourage in allowing the young men to order so many carriages, booquets, and what not for their special delight. It la a serious affair to a young gentleman, who upon a salary of $1,500 per year lives (In an attic, it Is true) in a fashionable boarding house, on a fesbionabie avenue, keepa himself In irreproachable collars and neckties, boot* and gloves, and has to wear his dress ooat nearly every evening. The agonies that those poor fel Iowa suffer no tongue can tell, and it la safe to say that at least half the usual call! ng upon youog ladies has been given up during the present winter In consequence of pecuniary Inability to meet I the requirements of escort to ball or !*riy.

Connubialities.

There are few domestic wrongs inflicted upon the wife by her husband that a sealskin jacket won't heal.'

It is a stigma upon a Hindoo family if the daughters arj not married before arriving at the ago of thirteen.

Don't let us have any words alxmt it," as the man said when ho dodged the dictionary his wife threw at him.

A friend of ours, who fairly slops over with statistics, calculates that one-half of the baby crop this centennial year will be named George and Martha.

It has been suggested that if young men will marry on tho twenty-ninth of February, they will be able to save many presents expected en Wedding anniversaries.

A Buffalo man dreamed that I10 was going over the falls, and he had his wife by the throat when he woke up. Next night she had a dream, and broke his nose as sho struck at, an Indian.—[Detroit Free Press.

1

Young ladhs, time Is llylng if you have your eye on any particular young man it is time to commonce business. There is plenty of time before the year is out in which to "pop the question," but a few menths' courtship is desirable to make the thing strictly en regie.

What beats a good cup of coffee?" said Mrs. Spilkins to hei husband the other morning at the breakfast table. He gave it up. "Two cups of coffee,' said she. "Whai beats a good wife?" queried Spilkins. She gave it up. "Two good wives," said Spilkins and then she got mad and sulked, nobody knows why.

1

f*.

An old bachelor In Maine has been deterred from committing matrimony, in a novel way Thinking over the sub ject seriously, and particularly the expense of maintaining a family, he set the table In his lonely abode with plates for himself and an imaginary wife and five children. He then eat down to dine, and as often as he helped himself to food he put the same quantity on each of the other plates and surveyed the prospect, at the same time computing the cost. The result of his examination was so disoonraging that he resolved not to marrv.

THE PAR TON MAURI A GE. [From the Hartford Courant.) James Parton's second marriage, with the circumstances attending it, is at last to a great extent made public. A month ago, it seems he espoused the second daughter of his late wife, so widely known as "Fanny Fern." The intention was to make the matter as little public as possible. The union grew out of the peculiar relations of the family that the first Mrs. Parton left. Her oldest daughter was married to Mortimer Thompson ("Docsticks") and died early and leaving an infant to Mm. Parton's care. This infant was the subject of a kind of idolatry from Mr. and Mrs. Parton and also from Mrs. Parton's daughter who has now become her mother's successor as a wife. Alter Mrs. Parton died the aunt, with the child, moved to Newburyport but Mr* Parton's affection for the latter was such that he was miserablo when separated from it. It has brought the parties together, and their marriage has been the result. Publicity might have been escaped had it not unfortunately happened that under the laws of Massachusetts the wedding was illegal. The Legislature, it is said, will be invoked to set affairs right but abetter course would be, perhaps, for them to have another wedding ceremony out of the State. The disparity between the age of Mr. Parton's present wife and nis own is not much greater than was that of his first marriage, and it is in a more fortunate direction. Fanny Fern was fifteen years older than he, while her daughter is about twenty years younger. Mr. Parton was Fanny Fern's third husband. She was married in early life to a Mr. Eldridge, a cashier of one of the Boston banks. After leading a life of gayety and luxury with him for a few years he died suddenly and loft her destitute of property and with two children to support. She had, for seme years, a bitur struggle with poverty. During this time she made a marriage with a Mr. Farrington.which proved to be a unhappy one. She was divorced from him. she began writing as a resource to earn her bread. Her first articles were poorly paid, appearing in one of the flash story papers of Boston. She went to New York for a wider field, and was soon on the road to success. There she married Mr. Parton, sod notwithstanding her advance of him in age, the wedding proved a happy one. There was ro children as the fruit of their union. This seoond stepdaughter had always lived with him. to his care the mother consigned the favorite grandchild at her decease. The love of Mr. Parton for it undoubtedly did much to draw them together. The Willis family, from which Fanny Fern. N. P. iilis and Richard 8torrs Willis sprang, was Puritan stock bnt the children appear to have had the reverse of Puritan tendencies. The ffctber was an orthodox deacon, and the publisher of the first orthodox newspaper we had here. N. P. Willis st one time belonged to Park Street Church, but New York drew him away, as it dia bis sister later, and be became one of the most thorough of the men of the world of that city. Fanny Fern, who quarreled with her brother before she began her literary career, draws a very unflattering portrait of him in her storv, "Ruth Hall," but the brother and sister were afterwards reconciled. N.P. WilUs left little if any property, I believe, at his death. lUchard S. Willis Is BOW living, awesltny man, in Germany. The family ie well entitled to rank with those remarkable for talent that havo originated In Boston. if Utf J* 3 f*