The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-27

Cldt Cu0y HOuI away WIIAOOI OAC NOLC
of thanks to which they were so richly
o TIED
Itwas only once a year. when the Odd
Fellows walked in procession with
a band of music, and banners, and
gay rosetts and sashes, that you would
have known them for what they were.
At other times they counted merely
as publicans, butchers, tailors, jOiners
shoemakerso and what not. They ap-
peared, however, to be not merely
odd, but good-natured fellows too,
and lent their noble hall for all sorts
Of purposes. 80. "a ~ /. IN. IA
Not only were the Mechanics In
stitute tenants in permanence, so
many nights a week; not only did the
magie-lantern- people the mesmerists,
the yentriloquists, have. each their
turn in it; it was also the place tor
speeches at election time in the Tory
interest (Deddington being a polling
place for the Riding, while the RAIDS,
as they were called there, held out at
the Temperance Hail.
Then, too, the missionaries used to
come and have their turn sometimes
in the Odd Fellows Hall. But the
only occasions on which it was ever
nearly full were those of the grand
tea parties, for which at that time the
Deddingtonians were famous. To
these thirsty villagers from round
about focked numberless, and thus,
swelling the population of bedding
ton itself, even that monster hall was
aow and then filled to OVERLOOKING.
The Temperance Hall, our other
chief assembl y room, was smaller,
but still a room of great magnitude.
Speaking approximately, should say
the Agricultural Hall at Islington ap-
pears to me now about as large as the
Temperance Hall appeared to me
then. | don't know any building
which appears to me quite so large
as the Odd Fellow Hall used to APP
pear,
1t was in the Temperance Hall that
/ I made my first appearance as pub
lie character in The Trial of John
Barleycorn," very exciting drama,
which was enacted by sundry youths
of tender years and great promise
youths of great promise being plentiful
at that time in Deddington, though
most of them have since turned out
men of very moderate performance.
io John Barleycorn was tried for
divers high crimes and misdemeanors,
and, [ having been called to the Bar
few days previously, and promoted
with unexampled rapidity to the hon.
orable Office of her Majesty Attorney
General, it was to me that the duty of
prosecution fell. gof ra .Ha
was fortunate enough to secure a
conviction. Indeed, John Barleyeorn
was put down to be found guilty in the
little books from which we all learnt
our parts.
The speeches which I delivered on
the part Of the Crown, gained me SO
much applause. both on the occasion
of the public trial and at various sub
sequent times, when | repeated them
at my fathers instance from table in
our parlor; and the whole business, in
short, was so pleasant to me, that l
had for some years afterwards de-
sign of applying In earnest for the
post of Attorney General. The duties
Of that Office / had already proved to
be quite light and I understood it to
| be a position of considerable emolu-
ment. .Omitting, however, to go in
for the appointment at once, and to
take the tide of my fortune at the
food, our committee Con whose testi-
monials [ had chiefly relied) was
broken up, and l have never since
seen my way to apply for the next
vacancy with any chance of success
This, howeveryis a DEPRESSION, fol
which | beg pardon. 1t was of Ded
dinUto0 / wis shed tn Snna
OF the Church, the Odd Fellows
Hall, the Temperance Hall, l have
already spoken. What more could
any one wish? Well, besides these
there were the chapels-Ebenezer
Methodist, and Ranters', for we were
great chapel people at Deddington
And as if these were not enough
you had only to walk two miles out o
Deddington before you came to The
Captains mansion, which was gener
ally admitted to be the finest struct
ure anywhere outside the Arabian
Nights: as indeed the Captain him
self was the finest. and the most i'm
perious gentleman. .a1 sag -
i Sdch was Deddington as it APP
Ipeared to me when | lived there
twenty years ago; and its people wert
i a high, superior lace, suited to thei
iplace of abode. $500
l was told by Ted Tyler that tn,
Captain once got a boy. seven years
transportation for not taking his IA
off quick enough when he met him
or for putting it. on again. before tn,
Captain was out of sight, / forge
which, And though no one else wa
quite so high as the Captain, 1 re
member one or two retired draper:
and grocers,. who lived outside tht
town To whom | lnnked nm with III