Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-02-17


EDITORS GAZETTE: This place, as you are
well aware, is in that portion of Illinois called
Egypt, (probably so called on acc ount OF po-
litical darkness.l 1t is about 100 miles from
Cairo, and about the same from Springfield,
the Capital: 81 from st. Louis, Nc; from
the Illinois Central r. r.. and 6 from Nash
vile, the County Seat of Washington county,
the county in which we live. You are of
course aware, long ere this, that not all OF the
land IS dark and ignorant, as are some parts OF
Egypt.
a Union Governor has been elected, in place
of Elk Governor Yates, who has been elected
U. S. Senator. The majority of the people IN
this neghborhood are sort of mongrel breed,
half Copper and half Union. They don't want
to see the Government destroyed, but they
think that peace might have been established.
While they voted for Mcclellan, they are honest
enough not to condemn President Lincoln for
every measure, as do the bowling anti-abol-
itionists in Ohio. Some rather hard tales are
told of the ignorance of the greater part of
the inhabitants, among them one declaring
that they still vote for General jackson.
The people seem to go IN principally for
corn and wheat. No pains are taken to fix
up anything, and the consequence is that
the greater part of the farm houses become
miserable looking places. In some places the
wood-pile, land I may say the general congre-
eating place of cattle, is directly IN front OF
the house, and in wet weather, the sight may
better be imagined than described Another
failing is in building huge barns and living
in miserable houses, as if the comfort of the
human family was to be considered secondary
to that of horses and cattle. The amount Of
wheat raised is almost incredible. After
hauling for over month, one man was asked
how much wheat he had left. The reply was,
'ioniy about five thousand bushels. Anoth-
er had three thousand, and so on; some more
and some less. Another evil is the scarcity of
schools. Many families are two aud three
ry1iIa from sf.bO
five months of school in Winter, and two
months of subscription school in Summer
certain Mr.. b., on hearing OF the
death of his father, who resided in st. Clair
county. posted of to one of the neighbors
Judge W., and opened conversation
something after the following manner: Dad S
dead, and we IL all have five thousand dollars
apiece
My friend and relative Mr.. A. II. CASTOR,
well known in Delaware and vicinity, is now
with US for a short time, obtaining subscrlp-
tions for Grape Vines But Egypt is not yet
awakened to the interests of gTape-grOwing.-
People here say they will not grow, but my
opinion is that they don't know how to raise
them. The most common way of setting them
out is to dig pOst-hole in some fence-corner,
jam the roots of the unlucky vine into it, and
throw in a little dirt, and then grumble ''be-
cause it won't BEAR
Quite an excitement has prevailed by rea-
son of the inhabitants of Chicago trying to
have the State Capital removed to the above
named city. But the project has fallen
through with, and the excitement has blown
over.
We have had rather pleasant winter so
far. Not much snow and little rain. 1t has
been quite cold for week two past, but is
getting more pleasant now.
But suppose have wearied you with the
length ot this epistle, and must now stop.
VIM H. PUNT.