The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-22
FROM SIDNEY.
SIDNEY, March %, 1866

Messrs Editors,-You have letters from
various quarters, and observe that one shoe
maker has put his fist into your columns. He
really appeared so neatly in print that sus-
pect, gentlemen, you WaXed nm up little.
Please do the same for me.
/ am one of that respectable class OF men
who reach their end in this world oftener than
any other people 1t our custom, you know.
to think much Our trade fayors the habit OF
reflection. We hammer out thoughts ana
leather At one and the same time, ana pierce
the subject and the leather with the same awl.
I is true we are not noted, fear, for piety-
one reason for which, imagine, Is that we are
50 constantly engaged with our present end
that we are diverted from our more important
latter end.
at thirty five and fancy am not the former
ut sixty. If am not too conceited, know
You let me come in and ride on the platform
graced by - Struggle / think L shall help
out the harmony of the family OF contributors.
Her sweet voice will be brought out more
boldly in contrast with the bass rough notes OF
old leather apron
hope you'll be able to make ont this scrawl.
Shoemakers keep dreadfully Indifferent wri-
ting materials They originated the classic
phrase of link horn, :" I'm sure. Their habit OF
Eeeping paste in horns gives them seherai
Inclination to horns, whether with the vie"
Of keeping ink or taking drink
NV respects TO - Struggle" and say TO her,
am sure she is as handsome rs her own let
ters hope she will do muclf good for her sex,
and wish her muc. happiness.
What are coming TO, Messrs. Editors :
Times are harder than | ever knew them
Rents, leather, food, everything are outrage
ously high. My stall-for you know we shoe-
makers live in the smallest and most uncom-
Portable quarters-costs more In one year now
than paid before the war in three Ihe OLD
.dea is that man can't carry thing out OF
the world with him. think some landlords
are OF different opinion, from the rent tney
charge. They certainly expect 10 carry some
Of il down to- when they CO. AS LOT hieu
rents, you say, but you get more Tor your
work True; but don't get so much work,
and know that there must be more people
unemployed than ever, and | feel grieyed at
heart to think of their fate as wonder what
they do TO keep body and soul together. am
politician enough TO know that moderate
prices for labor and subsistence secures more
general employment and insures more COM
! fort and plenty to the laboring classes than
| high prices. My experience, if not my read
ing, proves this. High prices show things to
be out OF order, and whenever they nave pre-
vailed in my life there was always distress and
suffering. pray for the return OF the peace
and plenty of low prices. I'm thinking that
they must come before long, quietly or vio-
lently; and if the latter, there must be great
many failures.
1t is no news to tell You trade r dull My
business drags | am glad TO see one thing,
! and that Is that people are coming down 10
necessity My dear conntryWomen-so beau
/ tiful and intelligent-are putting on stonter
and stronger shoes. I'm proud To measure
their lovely feet, and especially when they
want strong shoes 1t shows diminution OF
vanity and IN increase Of simplicity, which 1
! think one of the sweetest of virtues.
| can say to . Struggle y that our girls here
| in Sidney are not amenable to some OF the
structures she passes on the sex. Ihey are
modest and plain, and neither in length OF
| skirts or waterfalls, nor in the rats and paint,
and such like, of which they make such dis
| play, am told, on Shockoe Hill, do they go
/ into the excesses of these times. But shoe-
makers know little about these matters ordi-
narily, they know no more Of fashion than
horse: but even n horse cannot fall 10 oe
struck with the enormous waterfalls, ana req
| cheeks and other strange things about tho
! women of these times. III be sworn " Strug-
gle = ism dressed SO.
Signs are alarming Some dreadful event Is
| coming fear. warn Sidney and shoemakers
! i'm general against day of trouble. was In
hopes the limits would be extended and
should be taken into Richmond, because IL Is
sickly ont here sometimes.
/ Send by the bearer Dispatch. What's the
price of bristles? / hope they amt protected
/ along with every thing else.
! I'm bound TO you with The strongest waxed
! cord that has no end. I. WELT