The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-03-29
CINCINNATI, March 81, 1865.

CINCINNATI, March 81, 1865.
Dear Times We live in an age of G,
element; the world seems wild; specul;
tons run high-so very high that man
Ego up" Money, money is the cry it
an age truly Of money making and money
losing. Our individual finances are lik
the mercury in the thermometer, which j
governed by the temperature of the time
it's governed in its quantity by the success
or reverse of our investment, and all gov
erned more or less by the mercury of trade
gold. Gold goes down, we fellow; if i
continues going down for q time we "g
up so high we never can 60 down again
But these are the laws of commerce, ant
are as unalterable as the fat Of Deity. W.
may stand and watch others lose all the,
possess, and we will turn about and inves
in the same possible but very impro1abA
wild grasp for gain. Experience amount.
to nothing with US. We do not profit by
it. We seem to apply the gamblers rule
at Faro, who, if he has the "tin," continues
to bet and double his bet at each loss, or
the same number, knowing that he will &c,
his money back after time if he only keeps
his courage up.
The commercial world is an immense
machine, and we that play the part of the
smaller numbers are necessary for its
motion and continued action, but when the
little portions become defective or wanting,
the larger grind on them until they gear
them oat, when others must supply their
place. We seem small in the contrast, but
we are as necessary as any part Of the
great whole. Like the Commercial, the
Literary world is flooded with its aspirants
after fame if not for gold. Every printing
house is alive with work, every press is
singing out its "click.ate click" as it grinds
out the pages of some prospective work,
whose author, if the maiden effort, watches
it with fear and trembling, solicitous re.
garding its probable success or failure
Our book stores TEEN with new books from
unknown authors, or if the name be given,
unknown to fame. While the "Shoddyites"
or petroleum Lions" watch with vigiant
eyes the issue of each and every work, re.
CARELESS of merit, to adorn their palatial
halls. The more ambiguity employed in
christening work, the more certain its
success. If it has an extravagant hero or
beautiful, passionate heroine, it will do.
If it but describes the wild passion that
braves the world, putting virtue to blush,
it is gem. Does it portray q hero, stepped
in crime, ripe for the gallows, he is famous.
Like Dumas works, let it descend into
the dens Of vicious, bad women, or into the
halls Of fashionable vice, where cyprians
congregate, and our wives, mothers, daugh.
ters, sons, fathers, all become lost in its
maze. Let it paint the fall of one of earth's
angels, if it only remains secret from her
fond, doting parents, it lays down the
modus operandi whereby our sisters can
follow in the trail and escape Detection
Such are the books called for, and such the
plays demanded on the stages of our
theatres. Hamlet will appear to empty
benches, while EAST Lymo" will fill the
largest hall. What are we drifting towards
and where will we end? France will be
pure, compared with US, if we continue on
in our present course. Shall we ever
descend SO low as to set up a woman,
stepped in crime, as our god? We pause.
If any doubt our word or question our
reason for writing thus, let them walk the
streets Of this or any other city. Sin is
rewarded, whilesvirtue begs. The cyprian
adorns herself in richest garb, while the
chaste 60 dressed in rags and starve for
food. This we know, and all will know
sooner or later. Let US hope for reform
and stay Of the hands of bad women and
bad men. MEG.