Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-02-18
WEEKLY JOURNAL.
LOCAL. DEPARTING EMF.

last, as we announced, but is still in progress.
BEEF CArrLr.-Mr. George Parks, of thi:
county, shipped to Chicago, on Monday last, sever
beef cattle, averaging in weight over 1900 lbs
The lot was an unusually fine one and no doubt
commanded the very highest price in the market
MErEoRoLoclcAL.-A interesting table O.
meteorological observations for 1858 at this poin
will be found in our paper to day. Mr.. Parvin de
serves the thanks Of the public and will doubles:
be honored by posterity for his disintcrested ant
arduous labors in compiling these statistics.
eWe were honored this morning by 8
visit from Capt. r. r. Lttler, the well known and
popular Interior correspondent of the Davenport
Gazette. He was en- route for the southern part Of
the State. The Captain seems to be an agreeable
and welcome visitor everywhere he goes, and his
letters to the Gazette certainly of an unusually
interesting and practical nature.-Daily, 18th.
DIocENEs OUrDoNE.-On day last week
while every body, his wife and his sweetheart, were
enjoying the sleighing, we observed quite novel
outfit from the rural districts. 1t consisted of q
common rough sled drawn by oxen. On the sled
was huge tub, Cor rather half a hogshead,) in
which was seated woman and two children. The
patedmilias of this interesting group escorted the
oxen on foot with CAD in his hand. The company
seemed to be highly pleased with their excursion
and looked with the scorn and dsdain of Diogenes
on the stylish sleghs and 'fashonably attired poo
pie who occasionally drove swiftly past them.
TnErT.-On Monday evening, Just after
dark, two men stole coat from the front of Drake
Mr. Goddard running in the direction of the river
Marshal Unger was put on their track and arrested
them at the railroad depot, but they did not have
the stolen property in their possession, and ndig
nantly denied the charge. As it seemed improba-
bic that anything could be proven against them,
they were released. The coat was afterwards found
concealed under a board walk at the side of the
store, and buffalo robe and horse blanket were
also found hid near the old stable at the mouth OF
Pappoose creek. The robe belonged to Mr.. Smalley
and the blanket to Mr.. Hine, and had been stolen
from their sleighs. The thieves cleared out imme-
diatey after their release and have not been visible
in these parts since.
CTThe whisky sellers of this place suf-
fered some virtuous alarm few days ago by a ru-
NOR that secret movement was on foot to enforce
the law against their traffic. One of the conse-
quences was the hasty removal of various contra
band articles from their premises to places of great
security, and another the issue of handbills
calling meeting at the Court House last evening
to consider measures for resisting the execution Of
the law. The call alleged that ''once before set
of men who have little responsibility regard
ing the prosperity and general business of the city
drove the heaviest Of rad IN oil
cities by the enforcement of that mischievous and
imprudent act called the Maine Law
The meeting was largely attended, and as usual
on such occasions, the ball was opened by John G.
Slime, in characteristic speech and with set of
resolutions denuncatory of the prohibitory law
After he concluded, Mr. Jacob Butler addressed the
meeting in a conciliatory style, appealing to their
love of order aud fidelity to the laws of the land
He expressed himself astonished that certain men
whose names he saw attached to the call for the
meeting should take a position to defy and ride
over any law whatever on statute books. He
denied that the Maine law was now a law of this
wholesome and reasonable prohibitory law, exempt
ing native beer, wine and cider, and allowing any
one to sell the stronger alcoholic drinks if he could
obtain the signatures of twelve responsible house
holders of his township to his petition for license
for that purpose This statement of Mr.. Butler was
disputed by Mr.. Burgesser, who contended that the
old stringent law was now the law of the land and
that every man who sold liquor was violating it.
After considerable discussion, Col Isett offered
u substitute to the resolutions before the meeting.
The substitute recommended the City Council to
grant TO liquor sellers, provided it could be
done in accordance with the laws of the State and
also recommended retrenchment in the administra-
ton of the affairs of the city the ensuing year. This
substitute was adopted by large majority, where
upon the meeting adjourned.
1t is needless, perhaps to say that the liquor
sellers were deeply chagrinned at the result They
expected to accomplish their purpose-a repudia-
ton of the prohibtory law public meeting in this
city. We cannot refrain from expressing our graf
ifcation at their discontinue and defeat We
heartily endorse the sentiment offered by Mr.. But
Ter in ausion to the absurd idea that the enforce
ment of tie prohibitory law has tendency to drive
trade to other cities-namely, if the prosperity of
Muscatine depends free trade in whisky, let her
sink!
LITERARY INsTITUTE.-Lectare Of j. Sykes.
Mr.. Sykes is not professional lecturer, yet
professional man, but in modest, quiet perhaps
a little too quiet, so far as voice was concerned)
way, he gave us very successful rendering of the
life and character of Oliver Cromwell, and we
would regard that man squeamish in his appetite
who could derive intellectual nutriment from the
facts and considerations offered. A large amount
of historic detail philosophic observation it is
not expected could be embraced within the limits
of a single lecture, and Mr. S. has done well in
brushing the dust off the "Protectors statue in the
niche of memory, and repairing the ravages of
mental negligence. This done, the old hero, with
his blunt and rugged visage, stands forth for
unqualified admiration. In review of the princi-
pal events in Cromwelrs life, the lecturer found
ample contradiction for the calumnies and detrac-
tons heaped upon him by preudiced historians
Destiny seems to have sought for and found Crom-
well in his cradle and there marked him for its own
Always serious even to melancholy, he was when
arrived at the years of maturity not the person to
regard with winking, indulgent eye the abuses
that had grown rank in the royal system of England
Circumstances having placed him in a favorable
position for action, we find him prompt to engage
in the work of reform, bloody as the work must
needs be. Much has been written of this eventful
portion of his career, and it was, therefore, very
properly left to the interested reader and student.
Into his trusty regiment, "Ironsides," Cromwell
infused his own intense devotion and heroism.
Their deeds of unparalleled daring were not the
fruits of sentimental gaantry or mad thirst for re-
nown, but those of a settled conviction of right
and solemn, religious regard for duty. They
were everything but traers-their gravity, indeed,
was oppressive, and the earnestness they carried
into the smallest transaction in camp or field was
not less than terrifying. In the name of the Lord
of Hosts they bore down upon the foe like an
avalanche, overturning and crushing whatever
opposed itself. We have often paused in stupid
perplexity at the genius that could harmonic
piety and slaughter gospel and gunpowder
Cromwell did so reconcile and combine the two,
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