Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-04-08
Pot-Hooks, Barn-sbovcIs and Mad-Dor..

POt-HO0ks, Barn"eb0Vcis ana Aad-DOgs.
A whole family of queer ideas have been
making their home III my brain of late. They
were suggested by seeing am editorial recon-
mendation in paper published i'll a neighbor
ing town, with regard to a street Preacher The
editor volunteered text: ''Swear not at all. .
Evidently he had heard great deal OF profani-
ty on the street, and had been panied by il. On
reading his article ! bethought me OF story
that | read somewhere Il long time since. 1t
ran on in this wise: Two gentlemen were tra-
yelling in Stage coach. The one was an elder
ly man, the other quite young. No. One was
a staid and thoughtful individual No. Two
was a fiery fellow, and interlarded his CONVEX
satiOn with ali abundance of Oaths. No. One
was excessively annoyed by this, and commen-
ced counter game, something after the follow
ing style. Addressing the young man he said,
81 perceive sir, Pot-hOoks, Bam-Shovels and
Mad dogs, that this is Mad-dogs good coun-
try Yonder is a Pot-hooks of a house. The
location is Barn-Shovels fine. Mad-dogs and
gridrons what prospect this is from the hill, >"
DC No. Two roared out with laughter, and
said-''Thats queer way of talking you have
What have mad-dogs and barn-shOvels TO do
with the country. cor said No. One, ''there' s
no accounting for tastes. l do not Just like the
expressions you make use of so freely in your
conversation. prefer mine ''Well, says
No. Two. ''but yours don't mean anything
They are foolish and useless $50 are yours, -
was the reply, and, besides, mine are more
harmless than yours And thus the old gen.
tIeman opened the eyes of his companion to the
folly and wrong of profanity. Since reading
this story l have often thought of the gridirons
and mad-dogs style of ''expletives.'
saw man on the street the other day who
imagined that some indignity had been done
him. He commenced swearing most violently
about it. He did not seem very angry at first,
but he swore himself into perfect rage in few
minutes l thought how his anger would have
evaporated if the oaths could have been taken
out of his talk and few barn-shovels, grid
irons and mad-dogs put in. Many justify pro-
family by the plea that they ''mght as well say
it as think it.. 1t is not so. 1t is an evil to
''think it or feel it. The expression nourish-
es the thought and the feeling, and the evil
grows. The man who has no more self-control
than to get into rage even over a real injury
or insult, is poor, weak specimen OF humani-
ty. 1t is a matter of habit largely, and the
habit is foolish.
But profanity is rice as well as folly. 1t
is a testimony to the sacred character of the
oath 1t should be avoided as we should avoid
degrading any sacred thing or sacred name to a
common use.
There are many expressions which people
mingle with their conversation, needlessly, and
profanely without knowing their origin. Thus
ssZounds'' is contraction of Gods mounds, and
has been used by many who would not have
allowed themselves to use the uncontrolled ex
preston. So ''Laws-a-mercy" isa vulgar con-
traction of Lord haze meTcy, and is further con-
tracted by those whom John B. Cough would
call ''namby-pamby'., persons into ''mercy y
We have this exclamation commonly from the
lips of mice young ladies. | often wonder if
ssGridirons' or ''AIad-dogs" would not do just
as we'll or at least show the folly and wrong of
all expressions of the sort If it be said that
those who employ them do not mean anything
wrong by them, reply that they mean just as
much as others who use downright oaths In
all cases there is bad habit formed, which
would better be cured.
In all cases where there is no intention to
take a thoughtful and solemn oath, as there
never is in profane swearing, ''gridirons'' or
''mad-dogs' would be just as sensibleas ''mer
cy" or ''by gorge, - or any of the more repui-
sive oaths. The anecdote of the old gentleman
is well fitted to show that the whole catalogue
of oaths and profane expressions, big and little,
are foolish and senseless. What is the use of
them? They are either the offspring of anger
or of disposition to exaggerate. The better
practice is to follow the rule fthe Saviour, Let
your yea be yea, and your nay nay, for what
soever is more than these cometh ofevil' B.