The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-04-02
THE GAZE CITY


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dollars, and FITS up private theatre owe
it.+a Another psJs eight fhousdoa se''ar
for q, pair of horses to drive on the roa.
for his pleasure and many give from 81
teen hundred to three. thousand dollar
for the same object. Another provides
dip6sr fora dozen ffiends sdiag u!
old superstition of the unlucky thirteenth
and this simple dinner costs one thou
sand dollars.
Al chiidrcns' party islgises, in. an up,
town house. where every child is clad en-
lirely in dresses imported frclp PARIS. =
An American citizen purchases o. ifcus,
for over one hundred athousond dollars
and tears it down, to rebuild upon its slit
one yet more costly z, WA
These are signs Of the tisneGs ARE they
not evidences Of states Of things IN.
healthiui, feyerish and threatening TO the
honest simplicity of our political life and
threatening not less evil to the ideas And
the PRINCIPLES of which that life has hhi,'
erto been fair exponent.
What business have Americans, at any
time, with such vain show, such usefe IS
magnifcence But especially how. can
they Justify it to themselves in this time
of war Some men have gained great
fortunes during the last two. or three
years-but that does not excuse their ex-
travagance. LIS their nothing worthlef
than personal adornment, in which to in
vest their meanss Are there no enter
prises open to these men of fortune, which
would benefit the country end their fell
lows as well as themselves? One man
spends two hundred thousand dollars up
on dwelling house but he might build
with this sum q long row Of decent cot;
tages to rent to people IN moderate CHS
cumstances he might enable fifty or a
hundred families OF working men to live
clearly and respectfully in Dew York, and
thus make himself public benefactor-
and that without sinking his money where
he can never recover it.
Or, instead of dressing few children
in silks and jewels. and rohbing them of
the freshness and charm of youth by these
vauities, why not spend the money 10
sending the homeless children Of the city
to comfortable farmhouses in the West,
where they will be trained to industry
and virtuous conduct, and grow up good
citizens? The sum wasted on 4 dozen
children at party would probably suffice
to send hundred to the West, and make
honest citizens Of them. u K~s5tsssaS
In England. during the French war,
useful enterprises of all kinds were orig
mated and prospered. There was then,
as with us now, an inflated currency
great fortunes were made by speculative
ventures, as here now. No doubt, too,
there was extravaganza but there arose
at the same time spirit favorable 10 use
full enterprises of many kinds--such as We
could obtain amongst US. We have far
better opportunities for such use of esp 8
ital we have mines, new manufactures,
and waste lands to be developed and
brought into profitable use; we have com
paratively new country at our back, IN
which the prudent capitalistf can see a
thousand opportunities to Increase bis
store, and at the same time benefit his
C& ~ -
The citizen, therefore, who wastes his
gains upon ostentatious houses, extrava-
CANT furniture, dress or food, commits a
crime against his country. And especial
ly is extravaganza lpable ia New York,
where, though but half the island is built
upon, there is scarcely place TT for an
honest morking man to bring up bis fam
lily in, or whore they are not exposed 10
the eorrupting influence of sqnslor and
vice. ~, 4 t4s j
A FEMALE SoLDIEn-Doetor Mary
Z Walker, who is well known to many
of our citizens, writes from Chattanooga
an account of singular case of female
martial spirit and patriotic devotion to
the flag. -a.sse,
Francis Hooks parents died when she
was only three years old, and left her
with brother in Chicago. Soon after
the war commenced. she aud her brother
enlisted 10 the Goth "Home Guards
Frances assuming the name OF frank
Miller" She served three months and
was mustered out, without the slightest
SUSPICION Oh ltI SEA UdNtuA diiSeHs AhiC
theu enlisted in the goth Illinois, and
was taken prisoner in battle near Chat
tanooga. She attempted to escape and
was shot through the calf OF one OF her
limbs, while said limbs were doing their
duty in the attempt. The rebels search
ed her person for papers aad discovered
her sex. The rascais respected her as
woman, and gave her seperate room
while in prison at Atlanta, Ga.
During her captivity she received al
letter from JEFF Davis, offering her a
Lieutenant 9 commission if she would
enlist in their army. She bad no rela
tivcs, and no home, but she said she pre-
ferred to fight as private soldier for the
stars and stripes rather than be honorsd
with a commission from the rebs. About
two weeks ago she was exchanged. The
insurgents tried to extoIt from her .
promise that she would GO home, and
not enter the service again. Go homel"
she said f'My only brother was killed at
Piusburg Landing. and have no home
no friends" - ~ ~