Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-03-02

.nnr;ng through your veins 4 -e you iit
for nofhin, but 10 dance? Have you no
birher ambition than that of attending 4
hall? Can il be possible that all the young
ruen-stout, hearty, athletic-that attend
ed the balls in this place on the evening OF
the 22A inst. are taking no part III the great
struggle 10r the preservation OF this glorious
Union? What, III the name OF Heaven, are
you made of? Certainly not OF the genu-
inc American clay, or you would not be vast
ing your time at balls-making your green
backs crafty your taste for the A No: l
strychnine, necessary TO keep you IN order
for promenade ALL y No. there is some
thing wrong in the fundamental structure Of
such young men. If you were Of the genu-
inc material you would be In the ranks OF
the Union army Or, if your situation was
such that you could not be there, you would
contribute your greenbacks towards the sup
port Of the wives and children Of those who
are fighting the battles for the preservation
of your country or for the wounded and
sick soldiers There is no excuse. There
is no man bat what can do something for his
country in this her hour OF tribulatiOn. The
field of operation is large one. Do not sit
idIy bv and let the moments pass that may
deck your brow with laurels that posterity
viii honor. Then, when this war is over and
YOU attend ball on the 22d Of February,
you will be pointed out as a hero, and every
lady in the room viii consider herself highly
h0nored when you ask her out to the fascin-
ating sport Of the light fantastic toe.
And, young ladies, there is something for
you to do, FOR at these balls like all other
balls,
There were ladies in satin and ladies in silk
Garments the color of blood of milk;
Ladies in pink and ladies in green,
Ladies in blue and ladies in sheen;
Ladies in velvet and ladies in lace,
Ladies (like canyassl with paint on their face;
La.ies with circulars ladies without them,
Ladies with garlands and gardens withou tn EN-;
Ladies' with diamonds in wondrOUs profusion,
Ladies in general delight in confusion -
and, in short, ladies' that could DO a great
deal Tor our soldiers if they would take the
one huudrcdth part OF trouble and fixing mp
~ 60 to Il bali and bestow it on our sick and
wounded soldiers. Some month or two ago,
this cores spUndence called the attention Of
the Ladies' Of our town and vicinity to the
fact Of the suffering condition OF our pris-
eilers = ttichluond, and ior them to lend a
hand IN betteyIng these poor and noble sol
diers destitution. Little did | think the
spark Of that ennoblug love chat alone can
Soothe the war-w0rn veteran, had fed for
tie moment. and my appeal in vain Yet
it was even so. Unwilling to conceive the
thought. that such was the case, conclu-
dcd that they were otherwise engaged But,
10 and behold what an outpouring Of the
far ones on the evening Of the ODD instant.
\ BAH Yes, indeed, though the house is
knee deep ~ the dirt. the baby sick to
death, the washing in the sUdS. the beds not
made, bread light enough 10 work, supper
table with dishes and all can stand till | come
home, COW may 20 without milking, pigs
you eau squcal away, for
'Uf course ( must go TO the ball
MacFlimseys going and so are all
The Flutters, the Flunkies and more whom
know;
SO, dearest papa, to the ball I must GO
Enough ladies were at these balls to have
made, III the same space Of time that
they thus spent, and with ii great deal less
trouble, at least fifty of our poor fellows
garments that would have made them COM
Portable. But, ike the men, their love for
thcr country Is a secondary matter. The
ladies Of our town have already done great
deal for our soldiers, but there remains more
10 do Our soldiers have fought battle at:-
ter battle, but they do not quit and let the
Union slide. They nobly stand up to the
work. And to you. ladies, they look for as
siStancc-to do for them what you can, and
not tirt away your time at balls in this hour
OF your country peril. | am not a ball
going institution myself; but at the proper
time | have 10 objection to balls, and ike to
see those who are fond Of such sport enjoy
But there is a time for all
things; and, among the rest. there is Il time
for balls That time is not here now Let
MS all each and every one-nan. woman
and child-do what We can to put an end to
the war, preserve the Union. our country
and the honor Of our flag, and then those
who choose may.go to the balls and dance till
the crack of DOOM
The excitement, among the chaps liable
to draft ran high during the remainder Of
the week; and the brokers' from Tyrone,
Hollidaysburg, and many other
towns in the 18th Congressional District
made quite raid on our rising generation
and on some of full growth The induce
ments held out led the boys captive, and the
biggest local got the boy or man. Some
ten or fifteen left our town and were credit
ed, for the most part, to Aitoona-the local
bounty being 1920. Of the married men
there was Theodore Stevenson, Wm. Ward,
Mark Batman, IL. B. Wilcox, Fills Howe,
Benz. Grain and VIM Clark and of the
single men, all of which were between the
ages of Is and 30, was T. j. Myers, George
D. .Runk, VIM Glasby, Edwin Runk, and
Andrew Jackson. It will make somebody,
,I,,,4 ,,-,,.,- o+bor GsI;a bla ~ ,ra+ IN, ON