The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-04-30

A letter from Mrs. Squigsby is
about the next thing in order.
ou remember our friend Squigsby
he made jokes during the war.
Well, he turns up in Japan, whittier
he went as a missionary to sell the
Tycoon a washing machine. A
funny people these Japanese-haye
such queer laws. If a rich man
commits crime in that country he
fares the same as the poor criminal
his riches opposition will not shield
him what barbarity. If a nabob,
goes to Jail there and his friends de-
sire him to sleep upon feather bed
and eat roast chicken, they are
given to understand that they must
furnish feathers and tender, fowl for
the rest of the incarcerated law
breakers, or. their friend must ac-
cept the commonprison fare. Out.
rageous! Where, 1 ask, did the
Tycoon get a precedent for any
such rule? It is to be hoped that
our civilization-which is being in
troduced in that far country-will
see to it that such Infamous laws
are abolished, and that there be no
distinction made between races,
classes or sects, for God knows
none. ..,.a ;ze
In religious matters, however,
the Tommy is ahead of US. While
we have machines of wood and tin
to do our sacred singing, the Japs
have wheels to pray for them.
These wheels are fixed in sort of
frame, and set near all the religious
temples, and when any one passes
and desires prayer offered up, he
gives the handle of the machine a
turn and the thing is done. How
convenient. only wonder that
we have not adopted this improve
ment long ago; let some enterpri-
sing person introduce this praying
wheel into our country. I believe
/ Tommy's mode will be adopted in
a few years, and our daily papers
will display advertisements Of the
innovation, thus: --
/ "Go to Smith & Jones for your
praying machines, fine lot just re-
ceived: all prices: some very cost
1 ~, nIaid with gold and pearl. Re
member the number. All machines
ar07ranted.."
Then in passing down a business
street we will be reminded of the
everlasting nutmeg maker by some
, such noise as this:
"Ere's your prayers now; two
for a quarter; roll up, tumble up, -
, and there will be a sweaty man in
black clothes and high hat, walking
impatiently up and down before an
t elegant machine, while an eager
| crowd looks on and wonders what
, ion earth will come upon US next il
the shape of a civilizer. -.
We crowd in about the man, who
has stopped to take breath and to
t snap his handkerchief at his black
| and tan, and ask him what the Gu
rious looking box, with the handle
, sticking out of it is for.
sPrayin' merchine, sir, prayin
merchine-'ll say suthin' fer you
| It'll cost you nuthin, hardly; two
prayers for a quarter, sir"
eyes," say we, you may give u.
couple
"For what sir, if you please ?''
Gone for rain, and the other fol
luck at euchre." -.
!, Whing-ing-ing-ing,a arount
: goes the wheel, making noise some
thing like that made by one of thes
: tin spinning tops. We look yer,
grave, ana so does the wheel man
but the crowd around US, ignoran
of the advantages of faith, display
;, its incredulity by a series of smiles
! and even one or two horse laughs
1t makes no difference, however,
we pay our money and get our pray
:, ers a fair business transaction, yo,
see, all through; who can say augh
+, against it. l for one go in for
q cargo of japanese religious instru
= ments.- Send on the praying wheel
= Mr.. Squigsby let them come righ
), up the OHIO river to Cincinnati-a
sorts, all sizes, and all prices; som
] costly enough to suit our most re
: fined civilization, and so small an,
7 cheap that our children can hav
] them by their bedside, so that in
= stead Of saying;
y "Now I lay me down to Sleep" &C.
t as did, they can give the machin
} a whirl and 90 off into a doze in
e stanter-in fact, 60 to sleep by it:
K music. That's the ticket. Send il
your orders for machines, every
J. body; will fill them as soon a
f the invoice arrives, and, in tn
e meantime, if you wish to accuston
yourselves to the japanese mode o
offering prayers, you can just prac
+ tice with your grindstones.
It When [ first came to the countr'
;. I was little astonished to motto
u the manner in which my neighbor
put up their mark eting-in filing
d barrel with potatoes about half
d bushel of the best and largest ar,
picked out and put on the top O
u the barrel so with sugar-coln, som
/ dozen of the best ears are put il
that end Of the sack you open first
strawberries and all fruits are stop
ped OFF, after the same fashion
a. Now there is no great harm in al
9 this, as purchasers of produce gen
- orally know all about it and lool
+ for it, but to my mind it forcibl,
n illustrates the spirit of deception
: and humbuggery that seems to per
= meate all classes. 1t seems as i
9 we all expect-desire, l was goin:
to say-to cheat and be cheated
p Whether our civil and religious lib
= erty would suffer if we did things