The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-03-03
TOP OF THE CoURF House SrEEpLr.
n1,r,yv. Eah 90 1890

SOFT BRICK, ESQ:-De0r scr: I our some
what curt and snappish answer to my |
friendly advances in recent letter adj
dressed to you through the Free Trader, |
frightened me so, that l had about made |
up nv mind not to venture again into /
print; but | have. seen such mysterious
things transpire around me, and have look |
ed so vainly for an explanation in your lu- !
minous epistles, that | have summoned !
courage again to address you. To be can |
did, am astonished at your putting on
airs to me. 1t is true, the politicians about
the Court House use me to find out which
way the wind blows; but who and what
are YOU, pray? Haven't they put you I'M
der their feet, and don't they intend to
keep you there?
One of the mysterious occurrences L
couldn't understand was this. Some four
-six-or more weeks ago, | noticed dur
ing one day strange bobbing and winking
among certain leading gentlemen who fire.
ouent the court house steps, and i knew
at once that something was up. In the
evening / saw about a dozen of them meet
in solemn conclave in large room on the
east side OF the square. They had the
bellows there, and l knew there would
soon be perturbations in the atmosphere.
Two or three OF the head men, | observed
were absent, and some of the conclave
didn't seem to understand the reason of
! it. One of them, who appeared to be a
/ little unsophisticated, pointed inquirlGgly
| toward certain yellow brick block not
far off H was crushed by look from
/ the principal figure in the group Ano-
ther, little holder, pointed with quite an
emphatic Interrogation point towards the
southeast corner of the court house. But
I he was crushed with still more wlther-
ing frown. The bellows were then put in
motion, apd | awaited anXiouslv the effect.
Presently piping senatorial breeze came
I'D from a point nearly due east II was
/ kept going quite a while, and indeed
feed il Occasionally to this day. The bel
lows were then re-yalved, and another
breeza evoked, having reference, "a well as
/ could make it out, to the Supreme Court
clerkship II came from exactly the same
quarter, and have occasionally felt that
breeze also, since then. Then q new valve
was placed in the bellows, and a faint on
gressional breeze was raised. coming from
the bluff, north OF the city. Since the
nomination Of Wentworth in Chicago
however, have felt nothing Of it Then
the circuit clerkship valve was tried, and
the breeze II raised did not come from the
southeast corner of the court house. \
Sheriff breeze was started. and quite q va
riety on other experimental breezes were
raised, most of which, however have not
felt since. The party then adjourned to a
neighboring lager beer saloon, apparently
much delighted with the result Of the
evenings work. Now what worries me
i, what did all this mean, and how l. 1t
that YOU, who seem 80 we'll acquainted
with all the movement. Of these gentlemen
have never alluded TO this conclave?
..44-. oil III go, f.
me, was the management by the same
gentlemen who met IN this conc!aye. Of
what | afterwards saw by the Ottawa RI
pull was the organization Of Tie
Young Mems Republican Club For a
week before the formal meeting, | felt
there was something unusual in the wind
The head man Of the cunclave--Or Clique,
Is you cal! it noticed carried a roll OF
paper in his pocket, and :, night or two be
fore the meeting united it in an Office
down stairs and l got a peep NJ it 1t was
headed " Constitutions &c, containing a
number of 20 sections followed BY about
100 names. The gentlemen present
scanned the names c.osciy-tour or i've
dubiously, and came near scratching them
Oft: but finally the paper was rolled up
without sustaining any humiliation, but
with the addition OF slip on winch some
them 1t the meeting a few evenings
afterwards, some 80 or 40 were present
Alter gong through some preliminary mo-
tons, noticed several OF the cOuciaye
men retired 10 an adjoining room and re
/ examine the paper above alluded to, and
again scan the names. They seemed 10
thInk.lt about right marched back TO the
y; sssson, and there is was read and
adopted. another party OF four or five
soon afterwards also retired, and closely
: examined the slip Of marked officers. -
Ii seemed not TO be quite satisfactory. and
! another slip was prepared with slightly
different names They also returned to
the court room, auf cir file leader hand
ed in the slip; but what wa, my astonish-
mcnt when it was opened to see the old
: instead Of the new slip 1t seemed 10
take segera! 10y surprise, for | noticed .
few OF the marty T sort cleuch their fists
and grit their teeth But their was no row.
The spruce young gentleman whose name
was at the head OF the list stepped hriskly
on the platform and appeared 10 speak a
piece. Ills gestures were quite graceful,
but | thought he spoke too rapidly for Il
, good " exhibition exercise. There was
some more talk. and clapping Of hands,
and then the company departed. on uu-
derstand, OF course. all this was pantomime
= TO me; for, although | am famous at sce,sg
hear nothing; and as | understood bat
little of what it was all about, must again
turn TO you for explanations,
SO you think, about that Pros. Attorney
5 ship, had better point toward LaSale-
: Well do point mostly in that way, but
, tell you the martyr breeze i not dead
+, yet, Judging from the gritted teeth, and
clenched fists, and knitted brows OF the
"irrepressible' branch OF the republican
4 army, it is decidedly my opinion. if these
+ savage looking gentlemen should get hol,
of the bellows handle, they would reviv,
that Otter Creek breeze with an emphu
e sis. | think, however the bellows are $,
. carefully guarded that they viii not touch
them very soon. Yours in tribulatiOn,
:, G. ii. NEATHERyANE.