The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-05-17
| CoMMUNICATEp.l
JOttinss from the Country No. 1.

MESSRs. EDfToRs.-About nine miles
north (when the roads are good of your
city, may be seen thriving village, called
BASIL, pleasantly situated on the Ohio
Canal, many feet aJOue AigA Water mark
and although there are. without doubt.
many Of your citizens. who have never
beheld its neatly painted buildings, or
walked its busy streets. nevertheless it is
a town;-and it just now occurs TO my
mind, that have heard it said somewhere
and by some noted person, hat Basil was
q State ofilself. But be that as it may,
1 conceived an idea that few occasional
jottings from Basil and vicinity, might not
prove uninieresting to your readers-for
be it known that occasionally an incident
transpires, even round 'Jout here, that
would do to put in type.
Our cilizens are noted at home, Ibave
but litlie knowledge of the opinion abroad)
for their industry, and peacable hatils,
and as a general thing, have an inclination
to mind their own business, 1 say gene>
raj, because l mean it; however. like other
towns Of any mole, there ewill breathe a few,
who take great delight in attending to
their own business and Other peoples too.
But having read ( / think read it) that
it took all kinds Of people to form COM
munty, Cor that community was form
ed of all kinds of people, l forget which,
If this be true, the presumption is, that
our community would full short teW
without them. But I will write you more
about Basil and its inhabitants at some
future time, and l will fill up this episAe
with something else.
The Store ofH. B. Harnsr & Co., was
entered by burglars. one night last week,
and robbed Of watch, some jewlry, a few
pocket knives and what change there was
in hedlawer. They were evidently green
hands at the business, and no doubt we're
frightened away, by some imaginary
noise, before they had fully satisfied their
hieVish oppeti!es. No clue to the where
abouls Of the rascals has yet been obtain
ed. In their retreat they let their tools,
consisting of chiscl, brace and bit. 4
watch mot the one taken) was sleeping
up stairs Immediately over the store, but
did not hear the scamps. Several houses
have been entered at night, but nothing
of any consequence has been sio'
len. There is said 10 be a great many
stragglers zoVing 'roundloOse in fence cor,
ners. and the opinion is that they are
after no good.
Our farmers are considered wide awake
and pretty well up to tricks, but they will
allow themselves to be uchrcd occasional
| ly. A few days since, a burly, red'faced
rough looking old gentleman came through
town, in a dilapidaled wagon, before
which was hitched Quudrupe3 in the
shape of horse; he drove up to the pub
lie pump, (ty the way a very good one,.
gave his animal drink, and then com
mcnced sounding the bystanders on poll
tee. lie was a strong Douglas man, hav
no reason to doubt iD hailing from Della
ware county, full of gas und tad whiSkey
Il mean the man, not the county.) Al
ter having JlO~n. of the surplus gas, h
lifted his corpulent body into the reLicIe
and oturtei off, leaving the fact irdellibl
stamped upon our mind, that there wa
considerable Of the Yankee about Kim, an
, So it turned out. He had not gone IA
f from town when, he hailed a farmer b
the name of A., (people dont like to
erposed) planting potatoes. The Old COO
endeavored to get horse trade ou: {
Mr.. A, and failing in that, proposed buy
ing what potatoes he had in a bucket froI
which he was planting, there being abou
one halfpock. Farmer A, said he woul
h take twenty five cents. Done, said tn
y Douglas man, pour them in the wagon.-
He Eorked oVer the change, and agai
ecsnded on his way. Probably the di'
tance of four hundred yards had bee
Travelled over, when he met farmer G, @
horseback considerable older man tha
A; stopped him, and introduced his pot
toes as being new kind, yielding at lea
one.half bushel per hill. Said intrOaaciie
succeeded in deducliug from the pocket
Mr.. G, the sum Of 20 cents for one pot
to. A little further on he received OF
dollarfo for three potatoes from Mr., D., an
twenty live cents for another potato fro
Mr.. G.. How many more sells he mad
I have not beard, but presume he made
\. nice thing out of his small pot toes.
!. the meantime farmer G, rode up to h
o place where Mr.. A was planting, al
! wanted to know if he had bought any
;. the new kind of potatoes. showing his al
d and telling what he had paid for it.
is course Mr.. A smslleda rat and very 10
h urally leaned back on his noe handle al