Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-02-08
Have We a Market amongst Uss

Questions involved in deepmystery, and very
difficult of solution, are continually arising 10 az
itate and interest the public mind. Many OF
them are still involved in the mazes OF dono' ai,
ter the grave discussions of years, the hgn' o'
the most brilliant intelleots having failed to pen
citrate the darkness in which they are enshrouo'
ed. Who inflicted a blow upon Guieomus, a.
las William, otherwise called Billy Patterson,
has never yet been decided; what became VI
Milly Mcpherson will perhaps never be reVeaieo
until all the secrets of the universe are disclosed
had we a Bourbon amongst Us, Is question
that is buried forever in the grave OF poor OLD
Eleazer Williams; whether we have Demo-
cratic party in our midst, though more easily de-
cided than any of the foregoing matters OF dis
pute, is still question in reference to which
there is ostensibly wide difference of opinion,
even among men of the same political faith
But the question which most deeply interests
the people of this community just now, is that
which forms the caption of this paragraph
"Have we q market amongst us2"
From the loud complaints of numbers who
have approached us with "tears in their eyes
because they could obtain nothing to stay the
cravings of an unappeased appetite, and from
our own bitter experience of the difficulty OF OBJ
tanning the neoessares of life, we are oonstraln-
ed to answer the question in the negative. we
have 8 market house built with the peoples mon
ey, but alas you may go there at any hour OF
the day and you will find nobody on the preml-
SEES save the attentive market master, Neighbor
Cease, or Davey Lewis, peeping out OF the WIN
dow of his stall, like prisoner through the bars
of his cell, and nothing offered for sale but few
stunted sweet-potatoes and peck or 30 OF white
beans. 1t is unquestionably true that the So
called market is at present an unmitigated mum
bug, and we are inclined to think that such Is
the fact because the laws regulating the market
are not enforced. Law abiding citizens go to
the market.place to procure their supplies, and
are obliged to 60 back to their starving families
with their fingers in their mouths, while wsg'
ons loaded down with butter, turkeys chickens,
eggs, potatoes, &C., are passing by the market
house and emptying their cargoes at other places
to be sold by second hands at advanced prices
or sent to Richmond by the carload. gentle
man informed us that he noticed no less than SIX
wagons containing provisions Of various xmas
enter the town one day last week, none OF whlci
went near the market house, One gentleman VIZ
observed at the market house for an entire Gay
waiting for little butter to grease his bread
who late in the afternoon wended his way nome
with an empty bucket to meet frown OF disap
pointment from hungry and expectant family
Better send to Richmond for butter than waste
precious time in this manner-in the fruitless ell
forts to obtain it. Mr.. A. has an abundance
everything, and Mr.. B. has enough and to spare
because they do not reverence the law and bu.
) Just where and when they can; but those wh'
are not disposed to smuggle provisions must in
evitably starve if they depend for necessary foo'
upon the market house.
These things ought not so to be. If we are t
have a market, let US secure one by rigldly en-
forcing the law against all offenders. II not,
bolish the whole concern, and give people tn
privilege of buying and selling where they please
and DISPOSE of the market house to some enter
prisiug horse jockey for livery stable The tax
PAYERS, whose money has been spent to construc
the building, are beginning to feel some anxiet.
to see the benefits of the great market enterprise
in default of which it might De made to pa.
: something for other purposes. We notice tina
the military company seem to fancy it as drill
house, and it might be possibly rented to then
at satisfactory per cent. per annum.