Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-26
A Country Town.

The Vandalia (Fayette County, Democrat
is a pretty spicy paper, and the editor
witty man. The paper is published in the
town of Vandalia. Perhaps some of our
readers do not know where Vandalia is. If
there is any such, we will inform them that
Vandalia is on the line of the Illinois Cen
tral Railroad-main branch-about twenty
five miles north of Sandoval. For par
ticular description of the place we refer
to the following, by an editor of the afore-
said paper:
We should like very much for Dickens to
come to some Western, one-horse town for
O hero. Such man as - we could
mention were we disposed to be talkative,
where they live upon the pleasures of hope.
Always happy in the future-always miser-
able at present. The time will come when
their town will be the commercial emporium
of the West. Its greatness looms up in the
distance like hsy-stack in a fog. At the
present writing there is not bookstore in
the place, and if the memory of the oldest
inhabitant serves him right, there never was
one. They have had several newspapers
at different times, but they have all starved
out. The people hadn't time to read and
besides, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Mis-
souri, Republican were better and cheaper
papers than their own. One winter the
young men tried to get up literary So
ciety, but it soon fzzled out. Squashem and
Blinkhard didn't like the manner in which
it was conducted, SO Squashem and Blink
hard shut down on it. If you want any
thing done, Squashem and Blinkhard must
do it all and without Squashem and Blink
hard is nothing done which is done. They
own all the property in the business part Of
town. All those little weather-beaten shan
ties belong to Squashem and Blinkhard.
"Why don't they build ?" Why their
money is all out on interest. They did bus
mess in those houses thirty years ago
they're just as good now as they were then.
] Squashem wouldn't sell lot for fortune
for; you see, property is going to take an
awful raise sometime-and then
AS to amusements, they have none, ex-
cept when struggling show comes along.
A home concert or dramatic performance is
never thought OF, or, if proposed, Squashem
says it's immoral-will exert bad infu-
ence-and so the matter ends.
A dog-fght is hailed with the liveliest Joy.
Even Squashen himself comes to his door
and looks on with degree of interest. Ten
per cent. In this exciting enjoyment, all
partake. And spectator, beholding the
| congregation of lawyers, doctors, clerks,
county officers, bar-keepers, day-laborers,
and the pTOnlisc,d, would utterly despair Of
finding a novel hero among them. The dog
fight generally eliminates in man fight,
and treat all round, after which the
happy crowd disperse with great expeeta-
tions Of another jolly time.
About sundown you may see from five to
eight young men on each street corner,
each one with pine stick in hand, trying
| to borrow q jack-knife, and each one abso-
lutely lonelier and more detected than Sell
kirk or 'Crusoe. The older men may to
seen walking up and down the sunny side
| Of the street. somewhat like starving hog
hunting a hole ina cOrn-feld fence. A long,
weary day has worn away, and long, te-
diousAevening has sstin, and all are at a
loss for something to do. . On every visible
object sanuF' is written in letters as large
as ailivery-stable sign. Even the dogs seem
to partake Of this universal detection and
lie lazily in the street without sufficient en-
ergy TO growr at the long-nose hog that il
roofing not two steps away. phe people
talk slow, walk slow, and think slow
Lazily puff cigar, OF take seat on some
| doorstep, utterly Indifferent to every thing
about them. An entire town with its hands
stuck in its pockets, lounging, loafng,
sponging its life away A dead sea, which
might be an ocean Oi living water. -a
L