Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 23, Number 26, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 17 December 1892 — Page 1

Vol. 23.—No. 26

TOWN TALK.

UNFORTUNATES WHO ARE TREATED BADLY BY THE STATE.

A Chapter on a Well Known Animal Common to the Town—IIow the Assessment Could be Better Done-Concerning the

Sanitary Condition of Town.

The case of Frank Harmon, an insane man who was confined in the jail here for a long time, calls attention to a pressing want. Undei the law of the state when the authorities of the insane asylum decide that a patient Is incurablo they can Bend him back to the county where bo belongs and it is bound to take care of him. This man Harmon was an inmate of tho asylum for along time, and was sent back here as an incurable. His mania is homicidal at times, and as the county had no means of taking care of him it became necessary to put him in jail. Nor is this the only caee of tho kind which has occurred here. It is the custom to confine in the jail all insanity patients who are too violent to be kept at home until such time as they can be transferred to the asylum, which in many cases Is weeks. There is not a county in tho state which is prepared to take care of tho insane in a proper manner, and this is the only one making preparations to do it. The truth of tho matter is that the state ought to do it, and it is a disgrace that it does not. The asylums at the present time are crowded to thoir utmost capacity, and unless a patlont can bring influence to bear be must wait until some one has been discharged to make room for him. Tho most unfortunate and helpless class of people in tho world, and those requiring tho most care, are the insane. It is their misfortune rather than their fault that they are so, and it is a duty which society owes itself to minister to thoir wants. To turn them adrift because they are incurable, Just as one turns a worn-out horse adrift to die, is inhuman, and to conllne them in jail with criminals after thoy have beon declared incurable is woru« than criminal. Tho state should increase the capacity of its institutions for tho care of tho Insane and should care for aH such patients as long as they live. If

doesn't do this it should make

and enforoeja law compellingeaoh county to do it. When the cold weather sets in the ilies take their departuro and the swallows sook a warmer climo, but the street loafer is peronnial, and, like Tennyson's "Brook," goes on forever, much to the disgust of decent people who are constantly auuoyod by lls obnoxious presence, his idiotic stare and his general usolossnoss. Main street is their camping ground, and tho south side of that thoroughfare, from Fourth to Seventh street Is nover too crowded to deprive them of standing room. They toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not half as attractive as thoy think thoy aro. Money they have none, but their brass possessions aro boundless as tho British Empire and their gall would sink a line of battle ship. Some people are imbued with the idea that these loafers aro gamblers, but they aro not. Compared with them the gambler is agentlemen who might move in tho select circle of {McAllister's famous four hundred. Tho gambl.er generally attends strictly to imsinoss, consequently ho has no time to devote to this kind of business, nor should tho sins of the loiterer bo heaped upon him in addition to the many others which the church has piled up against him on tho debit sideof the ledger of life. No, indeed, the street loafer is a dlstluct species of auitnal which can bo classed with no other known creation, nor would any other known creation willingly be classed with him. Ho is a thiug of beauty and a joy unto himself forever. To others he is a disgusting nuisance, fit only to ornament a stone pile within a walled inolosure, as an Attachment to the handle of that peculiar kind of hammer used) in the reduction of stone to the siae required for street purposes. The city ban a large number of those loafers whose I presence could well be spared while the space which they occupy could well be used Xo greater advantage by simply doing bothiug^at all.

Tho two things which are certain to all mankind in this country are death and taxes,tand with the latter infliction we have the assessor, who is frequently worse than death himself. The assessment of this township is of wonderful construction, fearfully made, and in studying Jits intricacies the inventor of the fifteen pumle would probably land in the Insane asylum—that Is, if he should endwivor to give any sane reason for the figures he finds them. The last legislature set a drag net to catch the corporations, and it did catch them but in doing so small fry aggregating in value many mlllico* slipped through the meshes of the law and escaped. The big tish were landed, but the small one* are still in the water, and the assessor doesn't believe the old saying that "then! are a* good fish in the fwa as er:r were caught." The Inequality of the asses*tnent of improvements in this city is monumental in its stupidity and unfairness, The man with a cottage homo

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which cost him in the neighborhood of a thousand dollars (and his name ia legion) is assessed for nearly, if not quite, its fall value while the palatial home is cut dowa from twenty to forty thousand to from five to twenty thousand dollars. And this is the case all through the personal property assessment. The excuse given is that competent men cannot be found to act as assessors at two dollars a day, and that as the legislature provided for a cheap assessment it got it. The position of asssessor is not the most desirable in life, because if he is competent and faithfully discharges bis duties he will make more enemies in two months than he can conciliate in a lifetime. A com petent assessor must of necessity be a business man, and a man of business can always command a good salary. As long as the state persists in keeping official salaries at starvation rates it must expect poor work, while at the hiuue time it enourages dishonesty in its servants.

The health board made a new move in another direction this week. The latest feature is to compel the cleaning of vaults in cold weather, instead of the Summer months, as has been the custom. It is also goftig to insist that sewer connection be made for all closets on Main street and in other localities where they are connected with large business houses whenever auy changes or alterations are contemplated or new buildings erected. It seems that the board is engaging extensively in the sanitary business, and If it carries out all the proposed measures its members may retire from £he practice of medicine for a time, at least. But it can truthfully be said of the board that thus far it has proposed nothing which should not bo done. Its regulations are all good, as far as they go, and should bo enforced. Undoubtedly the city is in yery bad sanitary condition and should be cleaned up. In many localities the alleys are reeking with filth, and those who make them so seem to enjoy it. Thoy dump into them all the slop and dirt which has to be thrown out, and as it saves labor for the garbage mau that Individual doesn't consider that he has any kick coming. But why talk of the alleys'when the streets are in their present conditlou? Terre Haute boasts of Nancy Hanks, Axtell, Margaret Mather and numerous other attractions of which it ha* a monopoly. It might also boast just now of having the worst streets of any city on the universal globe, and hold Itself up as a shining example of the glaring need of better roads. Even Main street with its new brick pavement is just now onveloped with mud from which it seems impossible to extricate It. "Clean up" should be the order of the day, and tho city authorities should sot the example. If the town wont.keep the streets clean private individuals need not be expectod wear out their clothes cleaning alleys and back lots.

Some time ago the health board ran a great blufl on the dairymen by having samples of the milk delivered around town analyzed. The test was far from satisfactory, but nothing has since been done. If there is a poorer quality of the lacteal fluid sold In the country than that consumed by the people of Terre Haute the lluder will be awarded a lifesir,© ohromo of a Jersey steer. Much of it i* totally unfit

for us,

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none of It ia

what it should be, and an inspection of the cattle which give it, together with their surroundings doesn't seem to have ever boon considered. This is a subject which Isatall times Intimately connected with the public health In general and especially relating, year In and year out, to the well-being, often ^imes to tho very existence, of the largest and at the same time most delicate class of the population—the young children of tender age. Of all the children born in cities about twenty per cent die before they are a-year old, and the chief cause of this high death roll is undoubtedly to be found In the disorders of the digestive track. If digestive disturbances could be eliminated from the fatal disorders of infancy a good many children would be saved to their parents and a large number of citteens be added to the state, with a gain, from a humanitarian point of view that would be reckoned in enormous sums of money. The gravity of thesd facts is enhanced by the fact that there is no means of ascertaining the presence or absence of tuberculous infection lurking in the milk consumed here. The only possible way that this danger to the public health can be guarded Against Is by rigid Inspection for the* existence of tuberculosis among the dairy herds which furnish the milk supply, and another for the milk itself and the severe punishment of those who adulterate it and deliver if. to their customers in that condition.

There were several changes In the revenue service hers this week. The increased capacity of the distillery called for the appointment of an additional ganger and storekeeper, and Sam M. Huston and Isaac N. Adams were respectively appointed to the positions, Charlas Noble, who was until recently deputy county clerk, has succeeded Bob Hay man, who resigned a week ago, in the revenue offioe.

WOMAN'S WAYS.

PASSING UNDER THE ROD IN HOPEOF CHRISTMAS REWARD

The Proneness of People to Forget Bygone Favor*—No One Siiould Sacrifice in Xholr Work on Presents—Presents Which Will

Delight Your Girl Friends at Christmas.

Half the fun of Christmas lies in the mystery surrounding It. From the tiny tot who believes implicitly in his Holiday Highness, the good Santa Cln.us, up to the elders who have about lost faith in everything, each and every one is taken by the air of subtle indefiniteness that loiters in the simplest remark and has a hiding place in every brown paper parcel received into the house. The way in which certain bits of fancy work are whisked out of sight upon our entrance unexpectedly fills us with vague yet pleasant anticipation, and we wonder and guess what it can be that is in course of preparation for us. All during this month we take snubblngs with a meekness that at other times would be a surprise to both ourselves and our friends and lead to grave doubts as to the length of our residence in this benighted world. In fact, unless we are kept out In the cold, have doors shut almost upon our inquisitive noses, and enter unexpectedly where we are not wanted, it wouldn't seem a bit like Christmas, and from this very simple little statement may be drawn as great a moral as the most eloquent sermon could promulgate. Keep up the illusions of life, surround every-day happenings with a little glamour, and do not because everybody knows that they do occur go about them in a matter-of-fact, prosiac way that would rob even Christmas of half its joy. i,

Apropos of the Christmas season, with its gift-giving and thank offerings, how many aro there in this world that are truly graterul for bygone favors? At the time of the service there may be a feeling of genuine gratitude and there will be protestations and promises galore, but It wears away after awhile, and the day will come when the ninety and nine kindnesses of the past are entirely obliterated in the one refusal or omission of the present. It is human nature—that is all. We mean well we prate of gratitude, but we don't practice it, A woman will wring her neighbor's hand in time of sickuess and say with her voice choked by emotion: "My dear friend, how can I ever thank you for your kindness ill tbis trying hour? I am deeply grateful and I assure you that I can never forget it." Yet when all fear of danger Is past that solf-same woman will refuse to speak to the one who rendered her such timely assistance because she has heard that she intended copying her new gown, A man in financial straits will plead for help with tears in bis eyes, yet once out of the mire and in prosperous circumstances will not recognize the very man whose dollars bridged over the oriels because he doesn'$ moye in the most select set in town. Men and women, both old and young, rich and poor, all have a passing gratitude for favors done, but where one is found who remembers continually the wayside helps that have assisted him or her to mount the ladder of wealth and fame and are not so ptftTed up with pride or anger at some petty slight that they knock from under tho very steps by which they have risen— then take out your note book, get down the paragon's name and put a great, big white mark alongside of It, for such are few and for between.

No one advocates more strongly the loving exchange of remembrances at this season than the writer of these lines, nor does any one appreciate more thoroughly a gift which is the work of some dear friend's fingers. Yet let not the ambition to stamp each gift with the originality of one's own handiwork drive the tired women of the land .to do more than their strength will admit. Many a worker will have to go to bed when Christmas is over simply because she sat up late at night putting in endless stitches to some bit of fine embroidery, when eyes were heavy with sleep and the weary back ached as though it would break. Good will to all mankind is the sweetest and truest sentiment extant, but don't run it into the ground, and when you know there are but a few days left before Christmas comes around insist upon undertaking some piece of work that will necessitate the stealing of many hours which belong to the god of slumber, as well as wearing out beth mind and body in order to jSinlsh a bit of needlework and show to the friend for whom it is intended that you loved them too truly to buy something all readymade as your gift to them. Either start long enough beforehand in your preparations so that you need not be hurried at the last moment or do not undertake a Usk that is beyond your powers. Christmas Day will lack all its joyousuesa both for you and your friends if you succumb after the battle is fought and have to call in the doctor, and thus be excluded from the festivities, Remember this and go slow* rest your usuat amount, get all the enjoyment out of the preparations

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TERRE HATJTE, END., SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 17, 1892, Twenty-third Year

that there is in them, but do not overdo matters and thus have to pay most dearly for the extra strain your excess of zeal has brought upon you. 5

It is difficult to choose a present for a young girl. She is usually so oleyer at making things that to give her embroideries and paintings done on silk and plush is merely to reproduce her own handiwork. Of course, every one is pleased by a Christmas gift, no matter what the gift may be. But in making a selection it is very nice to choose some thing which has about it Jhe stamp of novelty. Girls like silver things for the dresser or the sewing table. Give a girl a little silver thimble case shaped like a nut, a perfume bottle of silver filigree, a Bilyer cold-cream box, a silver caudlostick or a silver tray for pins. Give her one of the new style feather fans, with just four very dashing plumes in it. Give her a China silk handkerchief, edged with real lace. Give her a China Bilk tea-gown of real Chinese pattern, or, a silk petticoat, or two pair of gloves tied together with a ribbon and your "best love." If you want to delight her buy the finest, largest perfume atomizer in the store. And see that its decorations are in aooord with the dressing tatjle which it is to adorn. Sets of embroidered sachet bags, seven in a set, are enthusiastically welcomed and so are class bon-bon cases, silken sweetmeat boxes and Dresden china fruit plates for the "cosy room" table. If you are very fond of your girl friend leave ac order at the florist's for roses to be sent to her each Sunday morning during the year. Or, if this is beyond the limits of the purse strings, order the latest magazine to be left at her door for a year. Or send her a season ticket to some amusement which you know she covets. Let your gift be individual. Let it be something which seems to say: "To you from me." Think over your girl friend's tastes and make your selection. If she be fond of pretty trifles get her a jeweled hat pin, a gold bow for her hair, with a pearl drop nestling io its depths, a set of "jeweled'' hair pins, link buttons, combining your initials and hers, cufl pins for her dress sleeves, a jeweled buckle, gay with brilliants a breast pin, with an ideal face set on it, or a ounning gold "lifter" to hold up her dress skirt. Girls like pretty red slippers and stockings just to match. Girls like odd footstools, dainty willow chairs, spindle-legged desks, spindlelegged tables, gold candy tongs,5 silver stamp boxes and manicure sets, of course, and band glasses, too, as many as you choose to give. Get the present In time to have it "marked." Thei pretty calendar you. have selected must have the dear girl's initials dashed on it in liquid gold In your own hand writing. The odd little souvenir spoon, must haye her monogram engraved In the bowl. Her lap desk should have your initials and hers on one corner of the blotter. The scissors you give her must have "Dorothy" or "Jennie" or "Maud" upon the big blade. If you give her a purse, be sure to put a lucky penny In Its InSide pooket, marked with your name. And should a knife be your choice, place a talismanlc word of friendship upon its blade. Give her a girdle, as unique as possible a peculiar bracelet, a pin, queer ly different from any she has seen. Give your girl friend the prettiest, sweetest thing you can find. But be sure that ii is If accord with her tastes.

At its meeting last Monday night Euclid Lodge No. 573, F. & A. M., installed its officers as follows: W. Emil Froeb S. W., John C. Warren J. W., Frank E. Dupell treasurer, John K. Graff, sectretary, Charles H. Goodwin S. D., Melvin D.Mitchell J. D., Robert Andrews S. S., Wm. M. Donnelly J. S., Charles H. Goldsmith tyler, John R, Byers. Theoeremony waS conducted by A. C. Duddleston, acting grand master, Charles Balch, acting grand marshal, and W. O. Patton, acting grand chaplain. On the conclusion of the Installation Frank C. Danaldson made an appropriate speech in presenting a gold badge from

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the

lodge to the

grand masters as follows: John F. Koedel, Charles H. Goodwin, Western Harper, John R. Coffin, William O. Patton, Charles Balch and A. C» Duddleston. The response in behalf of the recipients was made by Mr, Duddleston, who then proceeded in behalf of his brother members to present Charles W, Williams with a handsome gold headed cane. Mr. Williams was completely taken by surprise, but made a fitting response in which hedisplayed much feeling.

The bo»rd of county commissioners settled for the county election tickets and other election papers this week. The account was for 30,000 tickets, 990 600 blotters,

600 samples, 115.45 500

blank challenges, *3.75 ft* blank affidavits,$23.75 500 American blanks, $3.75 £00 foreign blanks, |3.75 500 election certificates, fS.75 total, $126,50. The bill was O. K'd at J12I.

Social Lodge No. 86, F. A A M., held a meeting last Monday eyeiaing, at which Max Joseph was elected treasurer to succeed Wilson Naylor, deceased, a position which the latter held with honor for nearly a quarter of a century.

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THE OLD AND THE NEW

VARIOUS CELEBRATIONS OF THE GREAT FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR.

Christian Charity and Goed Will Among Men the Pervading Spliit of the Glorious Anniversary—A Wide Field for the Exercise of Beaevolence.

Within a few days we"*will celebrate what is now probably the greatest festival of Christendom—the anniversary of the birth of Christ. For nearly the length of tho present era Christmas Day has been one of the cardinal points of the Christian year, though its observance has ebbed and flowed like the ocean's tides. In this time of what may be called the "springtide" of its celebration, the customs aud usages which have collected like flotsam and jetsam upon the bosom of its stream have almostobscured the original idea.

The simple, old-time Christmas, or celebration of the Mass, which is the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper, in commemoration of the advent of the world's Redeemer, was observed first, so far as can be positively learned, in the second century. Why the time selected for this memorial day should have been the 25th of December is a mooted question often discussed, with small prospeot of ever reaching a definite conclusion. Recognizing tho fact that it professes to be, at best, only an approximate date, and without entering at all into the question of the closeness of the approximation, it is interesting to note the differences of opinion on that subject that occurred in the early church. For many years the region dominated by the Western Empire, whose seat of political and ecclestiastlcal power was generally at Rome, celebrated the 25th of December as Christmas Day while the Eastern Empire, whose fountain head of authority lay at Byzantium, was equally zealous in celebrating the 6th of January, as the anniversary of the birth of Christ. By and by, through some strange process of reasoning, conviction and interchange of customs, the Western Empire was piously observing the 6th of January, while, the Eastern Empire held strongly to the 25th of December. Finally, after long trial and discussion of the'difficulty, all Christendom settled down to the latter date, which still continues to be observed.

But while the particGlar religious aspect which we associate with the day came in with its recognition as a Christian festival In the second or third century, the majority of its observance with whioh 'we are so familiar far antedato thatfiime. Since the beginning of the human race there have beon strong tendencifeS among the sons ef men to become sun and fire worshipers. The sun, as the giver of light and consequently of life, has seemed, not unnaturally, the visible manifestation of the power which controls the universe, and, as a oonsequenoe, the days and seasons plainly connected with its apparent obanges have always been timos of special interest to its devotees. After the winter solstice, as the days began to lengthen and the sun to show more of its light to the earth, it was but natural that there should be great rejoicing at the return of the luminous deity.

In the north great fires were kindled to oxpress the general thanksgiving, and the yule log, which burns on so many many English hearths, is-the great great-grand descendant of those old Norse and Druidic bonfires.

In the south, particularly in Rome as the seat of the carnival, the saturnalia reigned, the time oi general license and entire liberty, which degenerated finally Into a season of degrading debauchery which gives to the word "saturnalia," as we know it, its disgraceful meaning. During the saturnalia slaves were as free as their masters, all was public rejoicing and merrymaking, and from this annual hubbub of festivity at least two customs the decoration with evergreens and the giving of gifts, have descended to us to form parts of our modern Christmas celebration. Roman customs followed the course of Rome'sconquering legions, and the saturnalian gifts and greens were transported to the north by the campaigns of the^, Roman general, Drusus, among the German tribes. The customs took root there, and afterward, in their Christianized forms, were again transplanted to England, and finally crossed the ocean to the western continent. -,

The story of the conversion of the saturnalian greenery and gift-giving to Christian uses is like that of most of the other Christmas and Esstern customs. Between the church festival of the Christ mass and the various festivals of the season of the winter solstice found already established in the lands which the church entered in its growth sprung up what seemed to be a hopeless conflict. Converts, while willing to adopt the new holy day, would not give up the old and the two observances, often totally variant in spirit and influence, went on side by aide. At last, as a desperate expedient, the church Incorporated into its own memorial many of the pagan oostozns of the season, and, by spiritualizing them and adopting them to new

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ideals, endeavored to lead the people through the in to the Ideal. Qn the whole, the Jlr»n worked well, though at times the Christ-mass foxindation was threatened with a .jfeptaldisappearance under the numbef of foreign usages which clustered upon it.

Odd as it may seem, there is only one of the many Christmas surroundings of the present day which can lay claim to a Christian origin, and even that cannot fully establish its genealogical tree. That lone claimant is the mince pie. Some few hundreds of years sgo it was made in an oval form, and its crust was considered emblematio of the manger In which the Savior was born, while its conglomerate filling was supposed to represent the spices and other rich gifts brought by the magi to the infant Christ.

In the time of the English commonwealth this claim of the mince pie was considered of sufficient credibility to make the total abstinence from the dyspeptic dainty one of the finest and nicest distinctions between the Puritanically inclined and those who cherished a lingering fondness for Popery and the delights of this world.

It was Ben Johnson in his "Masque of Christmas" who wrote: All plums the prophet's sons deny,

And spice broths are too hot Treason's In a Decernbor plo, And death within the pot. Another old verse in the same vein ins: The high-shoe lords of Cromwell's making Were not for dainties—roasting, baking The ohiefest food they found most good in Was rusty bacon and bog pudding Plum broth was popish, and mince pic— Oh, that was flat idolatry I

It was set down to the pious credit of dreaming Johu Bunyan that lie ate no Christmas pies. In Herrlck's time a watch was set upon the pies before Christmas, sp highly wore they considered. It was not deemed proper to eat of them before December 16, and, after the eating began, tho coniump! 'n of each additional pie was supposed insure one more happy month to tho t-ater.

But even In the case of the mince pie modern research brings up hir.^of an antecedent in the form of little riifV.es of a composite nature which were the concomitants of some pagan festival and which threaten to take away the tpoclalis an ha a of a pastry.

The old English Christmas carols have a history and a literature all thoir own, and of no mean dimensions. The custom of their singing still finds followers lu many regions, but the generality of the usage has long since passed away. The carols lost their religious character and became in some instanoos of such exactly opposite nature that the churoh and the clergy took up the matter and made war to the death upon the singing of what wore considered vain and idle songs to usher in the anniversary of the birth of Christ

The observance of Chflstmas fell into disfavor In England during the Puritan, rule, and tbo same stern old enetples oi! form and ritual carried their distaste of! Christmas usages to their new homes in New England. Until within atlmethSit is within the memory of those now living, the Christmas festival was of comparatively little interest in the New England states. All the spare Bpirit of festivity there was poured out upon Thanksgiving day, around which clung no suggestions of customs dating back before the Reformation. In thesouthern states the case was entirely different. The Cavalier settlers there had brought over with them the old English Christmas customs in all their freedom. To this day tbo Cbristmus of the south is the event of the year and tho natural outcome of the goneral celebration of the day was little picknrniny's wish that "Santa had been b»-:u a twin," so that there might have bot/i "two Chrlsmusses a year."

The great point of anxiety to tiUe lovara of the true Christmas is tbo wonder whether tbo Cbrist-mass sj irSt-^-the spirit of loving fellowship and communion with God and man (which is the central idea of the Eucharist)—is sufficiently strong to make of these various elements which have come into connection with it one harmonious whole, a day whose observance shall be the flower of modern Christianity and civilization,

In this day the most prominent and almost universal feature of Christmas Is the custom of gift-givlDg. To "keep Christmas" is, in common phrase, the expression of the giving spirit, and poor indeed is the family between whose members the Christmas tokens are not exchanged. The custom seems in danger of sinking.to what has been termed "a mere orgy of giving." As a practical exemplification of Christianity the Christmas tide has a beautiful use. "Love's calendar for opportunity" some one has named it. But tb give simply because it is the custom to do so to give in order tbat one may be given unto to give only to those who will give to one in return "do not even the publicans so? What do ye more than they?" to give witbontexpending upon the gift the personal thought and care for fitness which are the unfailing signs of interest to give beyond one's means—these are the kinds of giving which are an abuse of the time honored custom and which take from it its possibilities o£ beauty and bieasedness.

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