Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-02-15

dred who work for themselves. For you
see, about fifty men own the whole town;
own the land; the Bank; the Factory;
and the stores. The rest is buyers, wag.
es slaves, and rcnt.payers. They work
for wages; just such wages as the fifty
land'holdcrs chose to give. Upon my
soul things is changed"
"But how come this about?" asked
81 can sca'ccly tell. But years ago
the jobber in land came in. He got farm
after farm by mortgage. Him, and men
like him, got farm after farm, somehow
by hook and crook, but they got 'em.
Then Bank was started; to help enter.
prise they said, but somehow it helped
only some few folks, 10 live without
work, and helped our wheat, our corn,
our potatoes, and finally our land, into
the speculator's pocket, and things fin.
nally went on, until the county was
owned BY few men. The rest worked
for these few. Them as didn't want TO
live as rent payers, went further west.
And | hope" continued the old man.
passing his hand over his brow-"lhat
US poor folks, who didn't want to be
ent.paycrs and wages slaves, will keep
movin' west and further west until we
come 10 the Pacifc,-and,"-he sud.
denly paused, and looked me fxcdly in
The face; e;"do you think if the land spec.
ulator pushes US into the Pacific, that
we could find settlement in Japan?"
could not answer his question. My
heart was saddencd by the change in my
native county. Amid all the signs of
wealth, cultivation and enterprise, which
were around me, ! could not help ask.
ing in my heart, the question:" Where
are the People, the free People Of my
natire county7"
"Would it not be queer" continued
the old man, "ifthe poor folks of the hu.
man race, in search Of free land, to dwell
upon, should be forced to emigrate over
the Pacific, into Asia, and then move
on, before the Land Speculator, until
they came to Jerusalem? Then, at least,
they could compare that kind of Chris.
tianity which swindles the land from
beneath the feet Of free men, with the
other kind Of Christianity, taught in
Jerusalem eighteen hundred years ago."
"You have family?"
II had; and twenty acres of good land
once. Be,wixt the Bank and the morlage
hunter, them acres has dwindlel into
this one on which my cabin stands
and as 70, my family-well, WE'LL" he
passed his hands over his eyes-"My
son William went further west, in search
Of free land, an died of the bilious in II.
linois. John staid here an married, and
worked around for the land holders q.
while, but hard work used him up, and
he was took away, about year before
his wife, leavin' me these two children,
boy and girl"
"Your grand children are yet living?"
"Thomas went to 'Philadelphy three
years ago; he was just eighteen then,-
an didn't like the dogs life Of one Of us
wages slaves; he wanted 10 git into
store, and learn to be merchant. Well,
The big city did its work for him !! You
see in one O. them big stores in Market
street, he had to live up to six hundred
year, out Of five hundred. He was what
they call drummer, (though whether
they actually carry ralc drums l never
heard, but it was his busincs to hunt up
customers, and show 'em round the toavn,
you know? Well in showin' custom.
ers round the toavn, he showed himself
into drunkurd's S grave. He did,"
A big tear trickled down the old mans
cheek.
Gas for Nancy, my grand daughter"
he continued in broken tone; "two
years ago, she wanted to do something
for herself My land bein' gone, l had
sca'cely roof to cover me. She want.
ed to help me. She did not like to hire
out as a servant, so she went into yonder
factory, (you see the smoke Of its chin.
neys over the trees) and-well, she was
just sixteen then. The factory is owned
by man who has made his money by
land speculation, and by "lift" now
and then, in the way Of banking; Ohio
Banking you see? He'sa hard man a.
bout money, and close as vice, but he
brought up his two daughters to what
they called fashionable life," and his
son also,-for the son had been to col.
lege in the East, and could idle about all
day, and gamble all night. Well, thio
son,-he stopped, his features twitched,
E-'this son KNOWN that poor people
was not made Of the same clay, as him.