Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 7, Number 41, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 7 April 1877 — Page 1

THE MAIL

A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE.

SECOND EDITION.

Town-Talk.

OBITUARY.

T. T. is not given to writing obituaries or reading tbem either, and he does not propose to begin either writing or reading this class of literary productions at his late day in life. In fact there is, to the simple mind of T. T. something absurd in accompanying the announcement of a mans death with a list of his virtues, real and supposed, (the latter by far the most numerous generally) and copyingbls marriage record, and telling the name of the children living and dead. The obituaries which interest T. T. are those which be hears in the talk of the town, but these would not always bear publishing. In fact, generally they are of such a nature, containing so many disagreeable truths mingled with the agreeable, thai they would contrast strangely, and not very pleasantly with the rose colored productions of the brain of some intimate friend, skilled at skipping disagreeable facts, and finding, and, if needed, manufacturing agreeable facts. But T. T. would set down one notable exception. He has been listening for a week and a half to what the Ieople have been saying of 7,KNAS SMITH, and now that the talk occasioned by his sudden death has about ceased, T. T. would pick a few stray leaves out of the obituary to which he has been listening, sometimes having drawn out the expressions by his questions, and sometimes leading the oonversatioo in that direction, and sometimes simply llsten-

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THE LAWYERS

on Wall stroet, where Mr. Smith passed MO many years ef the lattor part of his life, were vory free in their expressions. One said that while ho had not a profound respect for the legal ability of Mr. S., (though in this respect ho averaged well with the Justices of the Peace generally) he never had the shadow of a doubt of the honesty or sincerity of any decision which he ever rendered, and his native good sense made his docisions just. Another said "Zenas 3mith was about the only man that I ever knew to stand up fair and square for his religion on Wall street. He wasjust as openly and decidedly a Christian here as in the prayer meeting, and was not ashamed to appeal to or dofend the Bible, nor afraid to tell the rest of us poor sinners what lie thought of our course." Another said that he was the only man who ever talked religion to him before* Hammond came. A young lawyer said he used to badger the Esquire a good deal about his religious views, but he would give a good deal to feel as sure that he would go to the good place as he did that Esqulre Smith had gone there. Another declared that We was an honest man in the strictest sense of the word.

THE CHURCH rKOPI.B

Who knew Mr. 8mith better than almost any others, are numerous in their expressions of oonAdenoe In him. One spoke of his cheerfulness, saying that, in all his many talks on religion in private and in public, be never heard a gloomy word or a gloomy tone from Zenas Smith. Another said I was always glad to see Zsnas Smith get up to talk in the prayer meetings, for be always said something sensible and I knew he meant it." One who kaew what trials he had passed through, and what losses he had sustained, expressed surprise that he always seemed to think that he had so much for which to be grateful. One said, with a little sbaif* neas or tone, "There are some people in our church who are courted and put forward, and put themselves forward, a good deal more than Zenas Smith, tyit it will not be so up there where the first are last and the last first. Humility »ni piety will count there more than ooaoeit and riches." To this it was replied, that, "down here the church did not put him last by any mesne, for he ww one of its prominent officers, and the best people in the church really respected him more than those who, for peculiar reasons, were sometimes more prominent. Everybody knew, and almost everybody admitted that he waa one of the best men in his or any other hurch.

THE OUTSIDERS

declare that, if all church members were as consistent as Zenas Smith, religion would have more influence than it does that he was no hype crite that he was not a man to fail and pay ten cents on a dollar, when be could pay a hundred that the respect and honor paid him were more sincere and hearty ttan that which is given to hundreds of men who are fawned upon, that be was a true christian that such religion as his is worth having, and so on. T. T. could but woBder why some of these men who seemed to think so much of his religion, didn't get the genuine article for themselves, and not be growling about those who, they think, have not the genuine article. Good greenbacks are no worse because there are counterfeits, and by the by, there are few counterfeits compared with the genuine. T. T. has charity enough to believe that the rule holds good in religion.

THE OLD SETTLERS

say an old friend and trife man is gone that be was always ready to help any man who needed bis help that when he was in extensive business, at an earlier day, he was an hobest man that be treated those whom he employed with kindness and was as careful of their rights as of his own that he deserved better success and ought to have had an easier time in his old age that he took special pains to inspire the young men in his employment with high hopes and expectations and when they tried to get up he was ever ready to lend a helping hand.

T. T. has not written tfiis obituary, but he has picked it up on the street. If it be true, and T. T. believes it, it was fitting that this old man should lie down in his last sleep among the richest and rarest flowers, as he did.

Husks and Nubbins.

NoT248. ..*•'

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THOSE "EASY POINTS."

The editor of The Express is a gentleman for whom we not only entertain "a sincere respect" but whose abilities no one has held and does hold in higher estimation. When we first met him, near seven years ago, in the editorial office of The Mail, then locaetd on Main street, we were strongly impressed by his handsome face, his manly bearing and bis elegant conversational powers. We had boen drawn to him through the medium of the keen, trenchant pen he wielded and^he admirable pair of scissors. His paper was as bright and sparkling as a bubbling spring and as full of philosophy as a deep well. It was in the columns of The Mail that we first learned to admire his strong, logical, independent mind—an admiration which has continued unabated up to the present time. The editor of The Express is a philosopher, devoted to abstract reasoning and capable of solving the hardest problems in political and social economy. His favorite author is Buckle whom he greatly resembles in the qualities of his mind and whose splendid deductions he would carry to much wider results had fortune favored him with a similar patrimony. His method is tbor ough and comprehensive. When he undertakes a subject he comes vory near to exhausting it. Time and labor are not spared. He goes to the bottom of the matter. He is always able to give a reason for the faith that is in him and an intelligent one. He is a formidable antagonist who is not to be encountered without apprehension.

When, therefore, the editor of The Express challenges us to a discussion of the greenback theory we must respectfully decline the challenge. We admit that he is "too many" for us. He has studied the question profoundly for months and months. He has examined it in all its various phases and tracked it into the innermost windings of the economical labyrinth. He ran the strongest Peter Cooper paper in the country. He has reached results which are conclusive, to his mind, at least. We have dote nothing of the kind. We have had an abiding faith in the financial system known by the name of "specie payment*." It baa seemed to us the true, fair and honest system. Our faith baa been somewhat liko the orthodox flsith in the divinity of Christ—not easy to prove and yet difficult to destroy. We would be glad to be wise on the financial subject, soundly informed in it, like the editor of The Express, but life is limited. All things cannot be learned.

This or that," a man is compelled to say who would excel in anything. We osnnet, and consequently shall not, answer the seven "easy points" presented by The Express, It may answer them itself if it pleases. We have no doubt it oould and would anawer them correctly. It has the answers to tbem pat, like the school girl's multiplication table. It dont take ong to "say" it when yon know it, but it takes along time to learn it. It would net pay ua to spend the whole of the ooming eummer getting ready to anawer The Express's conundrums.

The Express will say we ought not to oall It a "delusion" if we know nothing about it. Well, we dont know much about it, it is true, but we know this

Vol. 7.—No. 41. TERRE HAUTE, INT)., SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 7, 1877. Price Five Cent#

much that, aaheld by such men as those we were speaking of, it is a "delusion," and that of the rankest kind. The men who believe that all the troubles the country hss been laboring under for the past three years are the result merely of a contraction of the currency and that an unlimited issue of greenbacks would bring permanent prosperity and plenty, are "deluded" men if ever there was a deluded man in the world. It was of these noisy, turbulent fellows, who by reading a few speeches of windy politicians, have come to think they have conquered the whole realm of political economy, but who, in reality, have not the capacity to master the alphabet of that or any other science—it was of such that we were speaking. We never supposed nor intended to intimate that the editor of The Express was deluded. Doubtless he, with many other intelligent men who hold similar opinions, has reached many correct conclusions in financial eoenqpoy and we respect his opinions.

More than that, we were not discussing the greenback theory at all, nor any other theory. We were simply pointing out some singular and disagreeable traits of human nature.

The Express craves information touching the revival of trade and prosperity which we predicted, and asks if we still have faith in it. We have. We think there has been a perceptible improvement already. The wheels of trade are moving a little faster, very little it may be, but still a little. There is a better feeling. So far we are not at all disappointed. We did not look for a Budden chsnge. It would be unreasonable aBd foolish to do so. When the patient, lying just at death's door, is permitted to come back to the bright world again, he comes so slowly at first that the worn watcher can scarcely tell where the turning point was,—when he ceased to go towards death and began to come towards life. It is a flickering, wavering line scarce discernible. So it is with a country just beginning to recover from the long fever of a financial panic. For a time the change ^an hardly be noticed yet keen, hopeful eyes can detect it. The Express ought to be able to do so. We are sorry it cannot. We fear its want of faith has something to do with the matter. If it would but strain its eyes like the shipwrecked mariner on the sea we believe it could faintly discern, in the far distance, a filling sail which is now quite visible to us. We hope The Express will make the effort. There is not more poetry than prophecy in these words, recently uttered by one of Amerioa's most pure and honored men: "We stand in these bleak winds of March under these spreading trees, but already the shrubs are making ready to bloom, soon the grass will be green, the corn will wave, and the glory of summer will once more fill the world. And I feel anew spring in all the affairs of government. The wheels of labor, so long clogged, will soon go round. Sectionalism will die away and party hatred disappear, until at last that prosperity always born of heavenly justice and celestial peace will descend on the country like the smile of God in benediction."

Shows and Show Folks.

Haverly's Minstrels had only a fair sised audience at the Opera House, Thursday evening, in consequence of the. ward and other meetings in the city. They gave their usual excellent bill. Matt Wheeler, who has taken the place of Milt Barlow, on the west end, is immense in size and talent. Dixon is back with the company, and rendered oh! so sweetly, "The Sweet By and By."

As we predicted laat week, Lawrence Barrett, played his "Hamlet" to a very small audienoe at the Opera House last night. The Danish gentlemag of melancholic mood hits been sufficiently played on thia community—for a time, at least.

John E. Owens, the millionaire actor, who promisee to die in the harness, will come again, at the Opera House Thursday evening of next week, ahd on this occasion will give us his new Impersonation of "Perkins Middlewick" in Byron's beautiful eomedy of "Our Boys," which has met with such great success in London and New- York. The sale of seats, with a moderate scale of prices will begin at Button A Hamilton's next Monday. Mr. Owens stands without doubt at the head of the old school of oomedians in the world, and the pleasant recollections ot his first visit here to' open our Opera House always insure him a cordial greeUng on his return visits.

It gives us great pleasure to announce that the new American prima donna, Miss Emma Abbott, will give us a oonctfrt next Wednesday evening. This promising young songstress is a Western girl, and as such we should take pride in her wonderful sucoess. She will be assisted on this oocaaion by Signois Brignoli and Farranii, both well known to our musical people. The sale of seats will oommenoe on Monday at the Central Bookstore. Of Miss Abtott Grace Greenwood says: "I first met Emma Abbott in London,

but in Florence and Paris I had heard very much of her from her friends and teachers. She has, in the first plsce, 'the genius to be loved and she possesses in a rare degree those best adjuncts of all genius—courage and industry. There is a great heart and immense workingpower in the little woman. Yet with all my prepoesessions, when I came to hear her sing, I was astonished by her fine voice—its range, its dradramatic force, its profoundly sympathetic character, ite searching sweetness. It is remarkable in high notes, sometimes wonderfully prolonged. It rises strongly and at times swiftly, but always smoothly and evenly, circling, round on round, till far above you it seems like a lark at 'heaven's gate' singing: then slowly, softly, dreamily it sinks, as if the lark were seeking it) nest, its rest, and its love, on the ground. Tbe dramatic quality of Miss Abbott's singing—a realization passionately intense, gives her great power, not only over tbe emotions but tbe deeper spiritual perceptions. She sings not to to the heart alone, but to the soul—especially In sacred music, not with melting sweetness, but with impassioned fire. Her lips seem touched with a coal from God's own altar. In her devotional singing she reminds me of Jenny Llnd."

Mr. William Pellissier will give at Dowling Hall, next Thursday evening, his conception of Rip Van Winkle, supported by a good cast embracing our best local amateur talent. The sale .of seats is already very large, insuring an audience such as our townsman de-

Next Friday and Saturday evenings, the big feature of the dramatic season will be put on the boards of the Opera House. This is Boucicault's fine comedy of "Forbidden Fruit." Tbe company is playing in Cincinnati this week, and the papers there speak in high praise. The Commercial remarks that the title of the piece is rather more suggestive perhaps than the text and the scenes. It is the story of tbe adventures of two married men, law partners, Buster and Dove, who have concluded, under a pretaxt of business at Nottingham, to steal away from their wivea in London and make a night of it with two strange ladies, one of them a circus star. The festivities are to include a supper at Cremorne. Their wives are on their track,vhowever,one by a strange chance meeting with her brother, just back from India, who takes her to the Cremorne for a little supper, in the absence of her husband, whom he ha9 never seen. The extraordinary situations brought about by tbe meetings of the wives, husbands, brother and actress, are all inclined to attract close attention to the jolly closing act, which is brimful of ludicrous misunderstandings and situations, making up a climax that is very enjoyable. The closing act is in a set of these soenes, one of them a hallway, and tbe others private dining rooms on each side of the hall.

A big thing in the minstrel line win be the return of Simmons fc Slocum, on the 16th. It will be remembered that they made a big hit on their first visit recently, and every person that attended has since been a walking, talking advertisement. Their return is looked forward to with pleasure, atad they will call out the full strength of the lovers of negro minstrelsy—a no small quantity in this city. Tbe Louisville CourierJournal, ot a recent date, says:

Tbe Simmons and Slocum Troupe, by reason of merit, require a parting word ot praise. They have given as entertaining performances as lie within the scope of minstrelsy. They are original to that degree that they produce afresh and grateful impression, however recent other performances of ths kind have been witnessed. Tbe music is fine the voices are good, and the programmes are remarkably varied in humor to contain so few members. George Thatcher is a combination within himself. He is a humorist as thoroughly American as Mark Twain. There is a rare delicacy about his monologues and confidential communications to tbe public which enables him to hold tbe stage for three quarters of an hour aa he did last night, amid unceasing laughter. He haa a patent laugh, the most contagious in the world, and makes every part be assumes his own. His humor is spontaneous and overflowing, genuine and original. Slocum, Simmons, Welch and Rice are almost as good. Barone performs excellently on tbe cornet, ana the en tire troupe are excellent in their specialtie*.

The first tent show to pot in an appearance this season will probably be that of Montgomery Queen, which is coming soon.,

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Charles Matthews, the venerable English oomedian, has been expressing his opinion of his business. He says: "The subject of the theatre appears to be mistaken. Ita function is to amuse, not to teach people go to the play for amusement, not for instruction. They want to be entertained, to be lifted o"t of themselves, to laugh at the blunders, or cry over the trials of others to get rid, in short, of their own particular misery." Mr. Matthews observed of "London Assurance." "I» may be said to have been completely rewritten on the stage, absolutely on the stags, every line of it. Mr. Boudcault waa remarkably quick and clever in taking and utilising hints and astbeoompany was composed of people who knew their business, the hints were frequent. Alteration followed alteration day by day, until the copyist became desperate but out of all this tinkering aroee a play not only highly successful at the time, but strong enough to keep the stage ever since.

The foot is that the dramatic is distinct from the literary faculty." The New York World ridicules the practice of making up concert programmes of selections and snatches from opera, ibstead of giving ballads, songs, and other pieces which are complete and appropriate to the concert room. It says it is quite as absurd ss trying to di.*poee of a house by exhibiting some of the bricks as samples. People affect to en* j*y these fragments of melody but the way they rouse up when a simple ballad is sung shows that their instincts are healthy. Managers would do well to provide what people really like, rather than what they pretend to like.

The Rev. Wm. AlgeY, unitarian, is preaching in New York and among other, themes repeated his address on theaters. After he delivered it for the first time some of the theatrical managers proposed to invite him to repeat it, but Wallack objected. He thought the theater didn't need tbe parsons' patronage any way. Mr. Alger has just finished his life of Edwin Forrest, and its preparation led him to study the relations of the theater to society, in its several influences, and he arrives at the conclusion that it leads the church in this particular, the comparison being made as each now is in all its branches. Those who have read his book say he makes out a case not to be "sneezed" at. At any rate the discussion has set people a-thinking, and it is not a rare sight now, says aNew York letter, to see clergymen in the theaters. One night five ministers were oounted in the Union Square theater, watching the fate and fortune of tbe "Two Orphans," and one of them remarked "It is the most powerful sermon I ever heard."

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmadgesald recently that members of the actors profession dwelt in an "atmosphere composed of one part tobacco smoke, two parts profanity, two parts ungodliness, a little stale cologne, and the rest bad whisky?"

Lydia Thompson returns to the United States in August, a time of year peculiarly suited to her prevailing style of dress- ,:: *•.

John E. Owen's ("Solon Shingle" owns #1,000,000 in real estate alone. A very old dead head at the theatei-s— That skull of Yorick.

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CHURCH NOTES.

First Presbyterian church—Alex. Sterrett, Pastor. Young peoples' meeting this evening, in the parlors of thechuroh Communion service to-morrow morning. The ordinance of baptism: will be administered before the termon. About seventy-five persons will be admitted to the church.

The meeting in the evening will be at Fort Harrison Mission. W Tbe Presbytery of VIncennes meets in this church on Sunday evening next.

It has been thought best by the pastors interested, that the union Sunday evening services, which have been carried on by tho Congregational and two Presbyterian churches in the Opera House should be discontinued. Tbe regular Sunday evening services will be held in the Congregational church, Rev. Mr. Marty preaching. The brass pieces will be on band to help the music, and a grand praise service will be held in connection with the sermon.

Baptist Church—Morning tbeme on the "Claims of Public Worship." Evening servioe in Dowling Hall theme:

First Steps—Beware!" C. R. Hender•°D» Paator. HH tM UjU 1 Christian chapel—Morning subject: "How Christ Dealt With Sinners." Evening subject: "The Spectators at the Crucifixion." G. P. Peale, Pastor.

Rev. W. McK. Darwood will preach at Centenary to-morrow morning on "Profession of fsitb," and in the evening on "That Prodigal." .• .,

St. Stephens—Services ss usual, vis: 11 a. m. and 7K n*. The Bishop of Indiana will preach both morning and evening.

MARRIAGE LICENSES. The following marriage licenses have been issued sinoe our last report

David Barber and Anae Christopher. William Sparks and Caroline Maegraw. Prank Argatie and Mary E. Laoghead. Frank D. Miller and Alice Bloom. William R. Gregory and Jane Hitchey Bengt Anderson and Jane Grtsmore. John W. Cotrell ud Amanda Oeyman. Charles J. Davis and Mary A Ferguson.

A NEW CONTRIVANCE. "Word comes to us from Paris ef a recent contrivance of the nodUw, by which the long trains andeoUantd are to be retained in position. A strong elastic is sttsehed to one garter, just above the knee, carried over, and fastened to the other thus the length of tbe steps taken by the wearer is regulated, ana the classical folds of tbe costume remain undisturbed."—{Dem. Monthly. "The 'classical folds" of a woman's costume must remain undisturbed if her

swogh

to find favor with womankind, and it will have a run. Tbe walk of asoat women now ia an abomination unto grace aud freedom, and when they adopt this fool-ftshion tbey will, of oourse, be more unnatural in their movements I than ever.—[Ind. Herald.

%#&$•••>.

People and Things. & S

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•. IT The way of the social transgressor is macadamized. 1 .* ."i ft

Life insurance is one of the best things yet discovered—for the agents. The waiters in one 6f the New York a hotels are not allowed to wear whiskers ia any form. $r-%nrin

An editor in Davenport, Iowa, haa burst his shell up the back and come forth as a singing evangeliet.

A community without slanderers to attack its ministers and newspapers, would be aa barren as hell without

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bri mstone.—Whitehall Times.

The druggist who hasn't invented a cough medicine of hia own is some in* dolent man who had rather whittle a shingle than wait on customers,—Detroit Free Press.

A gentleman had occasion to oorrect his daughter, aged foter, recently. After it was over and she had sat a while, she went to her qpother and enquired: "Don't you think it would do papa good togo out doors?"

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The lawyers pronounced Mrs. James*' B. Taylor mentally incapable of managing her estate so they took tbe estate. —Rochester Chronicle. .v

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Every man has it in hi] power to add to the happiness of his home even though some have to stay away from it J' to jdo so.—Easton Free Press. ^.n exchange thinks that" there are people in this world who would make ju*t as much stir, and do just as much good, were they killed and stuffed."

In most plaoes "a stone's throw," "five minutes walk," etc., are used as mea» ures for short distances. In Dubuque however, they speak of a place as being "within tbe bawl of a mule." '5

A lecturer in Boston haa fished himself up to declare "that forces of love and reputation radiate from the body tbe former from the faoe and breast, and the latter from the baok. /-1

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The times are hard for prize fighters.

Joe Coburn is in Auburn prison, Jo® Goss in a Kentucky prison, Jem Mace a fugitive' in Canada, and Clark and Weeden are iu jail in New Jersey.

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Toledo people are proverbially economical. A man who died in that oity the other day left word that the door plate should be taken off and screwed -3 on the top of his coffin.—N. Y. Herald.

This inscription has been put on a Connecticut tombstone "Here lies the body of Jonathan Richardson, who never sacrificed hia reaaon at the altar of Superstition's god, and who never believed that Jonah swallowed a whale." 1

Gen. Lew Wallace's new novel is founded on incidents.fccurring in Romo during tbe rule of Tiberius. Tbe scene of his next novel will be laid in the Garden of Eden, previous to the great fire-flood, we mean. As an antiquarian, Lew is without a parallel.

For this are we presidents. An exchange says:

MThe

tomb of Andrew

Johnson is unqaarked and unlionored. A little wooden ahed covers the grave of tbe president and his wife, who lies burled by his side—which side is a question, for neither grave bears a single mark. "Men are like hymns," remarked an exchange newspaper. "There are short-

metre men, sbsrp, blunt and haaty there are long-metre'men, slow, weighty and dignified there are hallelujah men, mercurial, fervent and inspiring and there are eighta- and sevens men, genial and delightful. There are also some •peculiar metres.'"

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A tramp was arrested in New Jersey laat week, taken before a magistrate and sentenced for three months. The ostioe -1 In explaining tbe sentence remarked that while there was no evidence that the prisoner hsd been guilty of sny crime, be thought it prudent to commit him, as he had that wild haggard look of a man about to start a newspaper.— Brooklyn Argus. ""Sl"'?

A bank-book waa presented st Springfield, Massachusetts, institution forsavlags, one day last week, which had not .j been seen by tbe bank officials since the original depoait was made, thirty-two years ago. The amount of the depoait waa |800, while tbe Interest alone has amounted to (1.640. During all this time the owner of tbe book had never entered the bank or aaked a queation as to her property, which die now oomes to claim.

Hell and Damnation is tbe title of a work just issued by the Rev. Mr. Humphrey, Who is pastor of a Presbyterian church near Pittsburg, Pa. says he uses this title because it is exsotly what the book is about, and because mawkish sentimentality prevails on tbe subject, which ought to be put down. Tbe whole of this not very large book is a pl« for the fervent preaching of the doctrine that there is a bell, that souls go there, and that the amoke of their torment aacendeth up forever. This gentleman must be fond of Watts'* hymn, which begins:

My aonl on awful subjects dwell, Damnation and the dead What horrors seise a guilty soul $

Upon a dying bed.

I fa -*•?»•-r

a W

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