, 1865-12-01

JOSH BILLINGS DIscoURsEs COxcERSuxs MkS OF
Bic GENIUS. "A big genius is generally phOol;
he knows one or two things so much that he
aint fit for ennything else; he is like a grey
hound, ft for running fast, that's all. You kant
larn him emmy more than you can an eagle; be
knows how to fi up and look at the sun without
winking, because be was born so, and Wheu be
gets up on the peak Of mountain and gifts we'll
lit, you can't git tew him, nor he won't come
tew you, but thare he sits till the dinner bell
rings. After dinner he flies oph again. and you
won't see him till supper time. They are like
mummy vary euris critters, and keep long
time without splicing. If tha only had common
sense, so that you could make taylors or shu-
makers of them, thaEe would be scme sense of
having the bread more plenty, but one or tew IL
Rwl that il profitable to have on hand to onst,
and tina are enough to keep enny body uneasy
about what tlBa are going to 10 next. Tha live
about 40 years ahed of the times, and when the
world ketcbes up with the last one, another IL
born, who spends most Of his time in digging up
the old bones that the last one buried. About
the only thing tha show emmy common sense in
il, that they most always die in debt to every
body. The most unfortunate thing about hav-
ing big genius on hand, IL that so many try to
initiate them, but tha don't generally get any
further up;than-t their vices, and thus one big
generally liv happy, bekause tha amt bit right
to fit things as tina find them. Tha ought to
have crate place to stop in, wharf thare ain t
nothing but big generalitys to dew, and WHARF
tba can play tost and ketch with the stars, and
krack butternut and mountains. Tha are curl
Gus critters. Tha amt afraid TO straddle ,hur-
rry cane without emmy bride on and stick in the
spurs, but mice nibblng in the wanescut will
drive him bareheaded into the street. Tha can
-
was woman would as soon marry porcupine
as big genius; they are either az hot az the
Stove in the district schoolhouse, or as cold and
unfeeling AS the shoes on dead omnibus hoss
A geniuz is like big komet, they appear onse
about so often, and makes everybody nervis, and
then disappear, and tho we may not at the time
be able to put our fingers on the individual good
they have dunn us, still their visit is big one,
and the CRATE reservoys are pumped up fuller
and we poor men, the rest Ov us, when we stick
our little fountains find that the waters have
been sweetened and freshened by sunbody.
~~~~----~-$os-~---~~-~
Gov. LYON made quite glowing speech at
Boise City on the occasion of his reception, and
which is published in the Statesman. The fol-
lowing paragraph is the Governors views of the
quartz interests Of Idaho:
Quartz mining has been to me a subject of
primary interest, and have sought by every
means in my power to lay such facts and argu-
ments before Eastern capitalists as wOpld in
duce them to freely invest their money in ma
chinery for shafting, tunneling drifting, crush
ing, and otherwise developing this staple inter-
est. At the lowest calculation, we have three
thousand gold and silver bearing lodges To
render the increasing population of this Terri
tory permanent, these ledges must be success
fully wOrked-by which means cities andtowns
will spring up in the mountains, and capital re-
ceive its highest interest. The ore at these led
ges will pay, at a moderate calculation, from
thirty to three thousand dollars per ton. And
in no way can money be SO well laid out as in
such investments, besides it will prevent the
people running to the different excitements
whether it be Green River or Blackfoot. The
placer diggings are generally short lived, though
in this Territory, from lack of water, they may
last few years loE ger before they are entirely
exhausted. But it is to the quartz leads and
odes, and to them alone, aside from our agri-
cultural interests, that we are to be indebted
for our permanent occupation and prosperity
am glad to say that many capitalists heard my
representations, and like seed that fell upon
good ground, is producing the results so much
desired. 1t was for this reason that was grant
ed a leave of absence that might serve the
Territory more faithfully in its material inter-
ests must confess that some may have thought
| had quartz on the brain, but it made no differ
ence to me, believing as | do, that within the
confines of Idaho, sleep undeveloped the silver
mountains of Mexico and the golden treasures
of Peru; and you, my hearers, the earnest pio-
neers, unite the fearlessness of Cortez without
his crimes, and the untiring perseverance OF Plz-
zaro without his fanaticism or his avarice