The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-04-11

our poverty and distress. Its a govern.
ment higher than Sherman or Sheridan
Its loss Of crop and the want Of rain.
The military never stopped the corn
from GROWN, and their is just as much
rain in one platform as another. if the
Good Lord will only bless us with abun.
dant haryests everything will 90 on
smooth enough with the humble and
honest people who drive the plough
and hoe the corn. If they prosper,
everybody else will too, if they mind
their own business. We will have to
quit talking SO much, and quit writing
altogether. muzzlod lips and gagged
press. I've done took warnin myself
and quit. Had my life insured in the
Knickerbocker, and the policy wont
allow me to expose myself to jump into
unnecessary peril. The military can
out write us anyhow. Folks say the
pen is mighticr than the sword, but you
put 'cm both together, and they will
faux man out of his liberty, and may
be his life, in double quick. The Mayor
of this town had lille billet doin with
General Thomas the other day, and
only come out second best, though it
wasent an open field nor fair fight I
thought myself that 21 order must
be hoax, got up by Brick Pomeroy or,
somebody, and was looking for the Gen.
eral to come out in a card denying it,
but | soon found tnat it was a genuine
Robesperean document l still think
his pOstority will deny it some 20 years
hence.
Well, was mighty mad, I would
have given hundred dollars to have
played Vantoun with him one hour,
just to have been turned loose in the
papers, all free, no gag, no Jail, no
barracks, no bayonets, no guard.
would have got such grin on him for
the next six months as would have made
everybody except Brick Pomeroy forget
that Beast Butler stole spoons. Living
on their magnanimity = | tell you
that got me, that burnt me, when |
knew there wasn't enough magnanimity
in ship load of all such to support
poor Reb "a hours. Mag nanimity Ny
opinion is they have lost the seed and
don't know what the comodity is. l
was as full of epitaph as Brownlow is of
piseu. Language comes to me spontan-
eous regular hidelifters, that would
have peeled the bark from q mans car
cass like skinner an alligator. But you
see | was in the cautious state, and had
to smother my feelings.
| think | should have gone up with
spontaneous comoustionif my wife hadn't
broke the spell with her comic scenes
She is an amusin and interestin woman,
but much given to music in these days Of
numerous and lively offspring, bnt Just
as soon as order p came out she hunted
up they grey jacket and the con-
quercd banner and just such a sole
soiree as | have 2l :ines a week, was
never heard it Big Shanty before. She
seems to take Delight in lettin the Reb
flag on the title page sec the light
aud faunts it about in my face be.
cause l call myself a Union man. She
says part of the order about Gen. Han.
sons remains was founded on Scripture,
and so was Phil. Sherldan's abont Gen
Johnson's, for Solomon said in Eccl.-
siastics, that a living dog is better
than a dead lion.'
My opinion is that it will be impossi-
BILE to harmonize these women dnrin
this century. Such orders as 2L will
cut off all hope of it. I think if Gen.
Thomas hadn't been Virginian, he
wouldn't have issued it. I've noticed
that when a Virgilian falls, he falls
heavy and fur. lie gifts further on the
side agin us than anybody. I've heard
that tho General and Edward johnson
were both powerful secash, and got
mighty impatient because the Old Do
minion was so slow in moyin. The
General said all the good Offices would
be gobbled up before she seeded.
Well, they say old General Scott got
hold Of EN- about this time, aud took
'em up in high mountain and showed
'em kingdom or two, and the General
fell down and worshipped, and Ed
Johnson wouldent. | tell you my
friends, man ought to be careful about
going up onto these dangerous noun
tains, and this leads me to remark we
ought to petition Mr.. johnson to put
over Big Shaaty a General who stood
suuar 10 his State.
Hope for the best, my friends. Don't
imagine you see panthers and Iujuus, be,
cause you are in territory Don't mis-
take Bureau trac OK for a bear sign
Don't fear twill be sickly because Flor.
ida is hitched onto our diggings. Attend |
10 your business, keep off high noun
.ain, and all will be well. l would say |
more, but my wife's mIsic has begun.
Yours, respectfully,
BILL ARP.
p. S-I date my letter from Big |
Shanty, as l hear these diggins are to
nave that name. Let us all be thankful /
ye know where We are. For TWO years
: l,o, hoo, louktf,,l ,vbotb,r ~, ,,,,.,