The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1865-08-10
A DUSKY OCCASION.
Anniversary Of Emancipation in the
West Indies.
Great ASsembiagc OF the African
Population.
Incidents of the Day
From the Chicago Times. August ..

From the Chicago Times, August 2.
Of all the three hundred and sixty five
days OF the year, yesterday was the most
important one that Chicago has seen in a
twelve month. The sun shone gloriously
out at an early hour, as if to Tighten the
dark spots Of this terrestrial sphere. No
one was quite able to account for its bril-
liancy; unless, as a wag remarked, who
should have been booted for his impu-
dcnce, "that it way to counteract the
unrho'some influences of the day. Wise
men, philosophers and philantropists, said
that it had something to do with the abo-
liton ofs!avery in the West Indies; that
the Almighty wished to propitiate the
favor of ''our men and brothers" in Just
such measure as he made the sun shine on
the 1st day of August-thc eighth month
in the year But all this is question for
those interested in the West India affair,
and the train Of horrors that followed it,
occasion in question, will not speak of
what has gone before"
The hour of s O'Clock had scarcely
struck yesterday morning, when there is
sued from the Galena depot, and from the
Union depot, an odorlferous eflluvia, as of
the uniting of noxious gasses. Persons
ott Of bed at that hour vainly conjecturcd
as to the cause of the perfume. Those in
the windward Of the depots, hurried pell
nell to get out of range. a gas pipe had
bursted; a sewer had been torn omen: a
cargo Of dead rats WAS eh route No .
worse than that, Bridgeport was on fire,
and the smell was the rendering" into
vapor of the delightful perfumes of that
region. But no smoke appearing 'm sub
SeptemhtoniLus; the Scanlon slough was
next thought Of instinctively. Lad it
overflowed its banks, by reason of some
volcanic action Of mother earth, and was
tie turbid waters making their way to the
city? An old gentleman of Cambrisn de-
scent, whose nose was filled with the best
brand of Maccabov, took another pinch
from Il capacious horn box, and blandly
suggested that the Chicago river had
broken cut in a new spot"
The trains sped country wards, with
'HNh lV"Vo VI luCi anu ulOtnCls. IL il
with the one that went to Lyons that our
reporter deals at present. On its arrival
there all WAS confusion. rI.o A.
pie of the quict village knew not what to
make of the sudden advent Of so many
capacious mouths, with their rows of glar-
ing grave stones, each inscribed with Il
ferociOus IN memOridm Of the West In
dies. Conjecture began. Perhaps ''the
government had concluded to colonies
the Africans that just now trouble it sore
ly, in the rural village of Lyons. "Great
God :" exclaimed a Clergyman, who had
preached equality every Sunday morning
since Sumpter fell, "what curse has eomc
upon us? - He actually thought that his
arguments had come home to roost, and
was frightened out of his seven wits; if
clereymen of the equality species have
any wits at ALL But the darkies assured
the citizens Of Lyons that their intentions
we're not to form colony, but to pic nic a
little under the inviting shade of the
neighboring groves. They preferred Chi
cago to Lyons, for it was full of abolition
men, and miscegenating women. They
could not think of colonizing when they
had such coft thing at home The curse
of Cain never got so far west as Chicago
SO the L,onsonans collected themselves
together, held council. and decided to let
the thing 20 on. A large dinner of onion
SOUPS was prepared at the residence of
well to-do farmer, TO partake of which all
the white folk of the village were in
vited They retired thither and satiated
themselves upon the saTory broth, for the
influences it passessed. A
precocious youth, who listens to the aforc>
said clergyman six mortal hours every day
in seven, and who had recently stolen
several Shakspearean draugths, exclaim-
ed:
I'd rather live
On cheese and garlic, in wind mil, far;
Than sit at ease and smell
this awful coutagion, that Chicago phi
lanthropists have scent among us to-day:
chimed in the farmer, who presided at the
ladlc, breaking off the urchin in his quo
tation
THE FESTIVITIES IN THE GROVE.
The joyful, picnicers repaired to a de-
lightful grove, where they bestowed
themselves in the most approved STYLE
1t is almost supcriiuous to describe the
dusky scene. Such gathering of the
aristocracy Of Chicago was never witness
ed before. Sambo had ON his white pants
and boiled shirt; Betsy her yellow furhin
and red frock. The little picaninnies were
mostly ,attirel in shabby trowsers and
black feet There was godly represcn-
tation of the rising generetion of "equali-
ty." Proverbiany merry and lazy, the
darkeys were in their element. n few
planks were put down, a hughe contraband
seated himself upon stump, and pumped
discordant sounds out Of an ancient ere
mona. The Haunting ribbons, and the
dusky faces went whirling through the
mazes of the breakdown. Old Virginia
was nowhere. GIVES free, we's free"
cried the exultant dancers, ives freed
and we's men and women" The wind
sighed overhead at the dolefIl words, as
if the spirits of the wood were nauseated.
for the character of spirits,
not ono of Them appearel Soon the !