Daily national Democrat., 1860-03-09
ST, LOUIS CORRESPONDENCE.
ST. LOUIS. Feb. 70 1890


porters OF the papers to induce them to pair
off with me, but they couldn't be found, and
l was fearful they had locked themselves IN
and blew out their agonized brains out out
right. That circumstance would be s,l-
stance for few items if it were true-but
true or not, have none of the full and au-
thentie particulars. Reader, let me whisper
in your ear. Don't you ever take IN with
the correspondents trade it is business
that will not do very well, being pleasing and
agreeable when there is something TO write
about-atrocious murders, suicides disastrous
fires, and all that jolly sort of thing But in
dull times it is humbug. It's worse than
humbug-it's an imposition. Peace and tran.
quality are good things in their wav-good
for families and children. But there are
some weak-strung people who do not like ex
citements and who dislike ensations-paci6c
people who like calmness and serenity. Tbev
ought to be accommodated once in n while 9.
and for their sakes shall not complain of
the dull times in the news market.
Miss Sallie st. Clair has just completed an
engagement at the St. Louis Theater where
she has been playing to crowded houses
nightly, as Capitola in the Hidden Hand"
dramatized from a story of that title, by Mrs.
Emma D. E. N. Southworth, which appeared
short time since in the New York Ledger.
The celebrated Winchel the ventrioouist.
mimic, and comedian, has been in the citv
some days giving entertainments at the
Museum He is the funniest man in town.
His fun is irresistible and never fails to bring
"down the house" thought should col
lapse Friday night on witnessing and hearing
bis inimitable drolleries. and the whole audi.
ence seemed equally in danger from excessive
laughter. 1t was side splitting, and a regu-
lar killer on tight wristbands and "stays."
An affair came off in Iliinoistown, opposite
this city, on Friday evening, which l will
notice briefly. The city papers are full of the
different versions of the affair and it is hard
to tell which is the most correct. 1t appears
that about twenty years ago man by the
name of Sherman, then living in Indiana,
took fancy TO a bouncing negro woman-an
nnmistakable negro woman, with all the traits
of the Ethiopian character as clearly defined
about her as her sex itself. He lived there
sometime until the neighbors found it out and
rose in masse, gave him a ducking, and order.
ed him out of the town. He then went to
Collinsville, where he was waited upon by
crowd Of citizens, and ordered to surrender
He was taken to a large log, and after being
commanded to petition Heaven for the for
giveness of his sins, commenced praying, and
as he began to pray his tormentors commenc
ed laying on the "black snake" over his bare
back. After being sufficiently punished, be
was ordered to leave town, which he did.
But all this was not enough to divorce him
from his black wife, and few days ago they
both turned up in Illinoistown, again, and
about hured persons (nearly all the male
population) collected together, marched with
fife and drum to his abode, took him out and
treated him to a free ride to East St Louis.
East St Louis is what used to be "Bloody Is.
land" bu3 since its connection with the Hi
nois shore by the dykes constructed by the
city of ST. Louis it is known by the name of
East st. Louis" The vehicle on which he
rode was nothing more or less than a rude
palanquin without cover, made in the shape
of square, with a sharp cornered fence-rail
running parallel to the two sides. Sherman
was placed on the rail- and as many as could
set round the oriental carriage did so, the
short men on one side and the tall ones on the
other SO as to keep the sharp edge of the rail
uppermost, and give the rider as easy ride
as possible. In this way the offender was
rode to East ST. Louis, the band meanwhile
playing the "Rogues March" Arriving at a
beer saloon, the company awaited the arrival
Of the Terre Haute train SO that they could
cross the river. At length the train arrived
and the amalgamationist was commanded to
mount the rail, at the same time coolly re-
marking that he would as leave walk-but
his friends were averse to his soiling his shoes
time varying the performance by giving
"Jordan's hard Road to Travel"-and the
party, in triumphal procession, came to this
city where after an entertaining "review" by
moonlight " on the levee, they told their
victim he could 60, but if he was ever caught
in Ilinoistown again, he would have his
hands tied behind him. be placed in a skiff
with plenty of holes in it and sent adrift
down the Mississippi.
st. Valentines day is near at hand, and
the book and periodical establishments about
town are just now elaborately decorated with
all sorts of tender and comical missives de
signed for Cupid's carnival which comes off
on the l4th inst As this is Leap Year the
ladies may feel justified in employing that
day to tease all the old bachelors they know.
For myself, l shall view the approach of ST.
Valentines day with complacency. The fact
is, such things don't trouble me, they don't
even make me smile as a general thing. am
of opinion they (valentines) are the silliest
things in the world ; particularly those senti-
mental, and may say, nonsensical, embossed
sheets, Illuminated with hearts and darts,
and bows and arrows, and little naked
images, together with sweet, poetcal notices
calculating the most passionate emotions
They may be very great institution for love
sick swains who have not sense or courage to
tell their fair inamoratas their "pheelnks" in
regard to them. The fools are not all dead
yet, and consequently large number ofthese
"soft" missiles will pass though the Post