Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-11-10

wretched, aimsy stuff now used by majority
Of the pupils in the county. It is true the
books cost a trife more than poor paper. but
so little that few would grudge it. In addi-
ton to this let parents see that their children
have the best pens and the best ink. This
done, the chief causes that have made us a
generation of bad penmen will have been re-
moved, and few years win improve pen
manship in our common schools more than
one hundred per cent. All viii then COW
after the same models and form much the
same style of writing, and the writing of one
can be as easily read as that of another. I'm
most of our districts Ellsworth's System OF
Penmanship is now adopted, and arrange
ments are made to use his books. It is to be
hoped that directors and teachers will see to IL
that they are exclusively used. 1t is also TO
be hoped that parents win cooperate with
directors and teachers in carrying out this
much needed reform.
]. W. DICKERsoN, Co. Supt.
How THE CoPs GOT UP LIST OF SOLDIERS.
The annexed communication was received
at this Office several weeks ago, but mislaid.
1t shows clearly the desperation Of cur oppo-
nents in the late canvass. We are sorry to
hear that our friend the Squire shouldfind
il in his heart to do such dirty work:
DRY RIDGE, Oct. 10, 1865
Messrs. Editors:-0 the day ofthe election
my attention was csl2ed to a communication
in the Bedford Gazette, in which found my
name appended to a petition in favor of the
lecofoco ticket
| was astonished that / and ether good
Union men had turned Copperheads, and was
anxious to know how the thing had come to
pass. had often heard that mans shirt
could be turned on his back by hocus pocus,
but that the Copperheads had succeeded in
turning my coat, and so dexterousIy, too,
was above my comprehension. But my broth
er, JoHN I. RIrcHEY, explained it an by
telling me that parsy old Squire had come
around one day with "a little papec,n getting
signers to "a little petition la favor of a
speedy restoration of the Uniea, and against
premature agitation Of the question of ne
gro suffrage" and, not thinking any advan-
tage was to be taken, mt the request of the
gentleman, he signed the petition himself,
and, also, signed nay name to it-aDd all
without having read the aforesaid ''little pa
peril
That il the way my name came to get into
the Gazette, little Copperhead paper which
| took notice had been printed in Bedford.
In conclusion, let rae say, Yotei the Re-
publican ticket at the last election, as usual
The Squire wanted my vote rejected, but
failed in getting it done. He tried hard, too,
to have nay brother Frederick g. Ritchey,
deprived Of his vote; he, too, had served
faithfully, and was wounded in defence of his
country, and so, of course, for these reasons,
and because Frederick is a good Union man,
the old Squire had to do all he could against
him. The Squire and his party tried to pre-
vent every UniSn soldier they could from vo-
ting, but l noticed that the Copperhead deser-
ters, who had taken to the woods, or had run
off to the west, with their little bundles, as
soon as they found they we're drafted, could all
vote without amy difficulty.
Respectfully,
HENRY G. RITcHEr.