The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-21

SPRING..

-t'-a 1AOA GAR1V1LLE.
...f Ill.,. -.- Trg SPRING.
OF all countries in the wide, wide world, At
this season Of the year, this prairie country is
the saddest and the dreariest One broad dead
expanse bounds the vision everywhere. Noun.
tain, hill forests of evergreens nowhere relieve
the monotonous dreariness. The winds Shrek
and moan along the universal tomb Of natural
dead like the melancholy wall of some lost
spirit. The eye, wherever turned. invar;ah,v
rests upon one widespread desolaton. From
the deep, strong flowing river to the quiet little
pool modestly nestled in the very bosom of the
earth there comes up not single murrnnr
Bird, bnd and blossom are all gone. Old winter.
As cruel as death, and as insatiate a. the prave
stretched forth his hand and choked the siek,,
life out OF dying autumn, while summer attriybt.
ed fled away. All nature has been held SILVER.
ing in his embrace. But the resurrection il AZ
hand Old winter is letting 20 his hold Our
Heavenly Father shall breathe upon the dead
earth, and tree, shrub and flower shall live
again. This mortal shall put ON immortalitvn
1t man die, shall he live again." Wo are in
the midst of life and death, and they follow
each other in rapid succession.
As we take up the daily paper fresh from the
press, and read the beautiful story upon i.s
pages, and therein learn that it i, to be eontin.
ued, so, like this story, we shall road at the
close OF life here continued Let us read care
fully, then, the daily proof sheets, and correct
the errors in the next issue. Death stops thu,
side of the river; beyond will be our srrinp.
time, where our lives will be continued But LEI
this train of thought, into which your corres-
pendent has been betrayed, be abandoned; and
let there be written the doings of the last meet
ing of the
EARLYfILE GRANT CLUE.
The readers of the FREE TRADER will recol.
lect the account heretofore ch.onicled Of The
wonderful birth of this child OF sorrow. II was
therein said it waa torn in the Office OF DR..
Wiley, in Union Block. The Doctor then and
there did his duty. II the baby dies, why, the
Doctor wasn't there at all at its birth or death.
1t 1t lives and becomss great man in due time.
why, the Doctor will have no trouble. il is
thought in proving it TO exactly resemble him.
NJ. II. signor. Esq. is now acting as wet nurse
and II. $. Wattles dry nurse Il is fed in
part on impeachment milk and on differentiation
Cruel The wet nurse, Signor, says, if nurse
iail, and it cannot live on that kind of fodder.
why, let it die and be born again H. S. Wat
ties, the dry nurse, don't even give it "ehalk and
water but sort o sings to it, saying:
"Bylow, baby bunting
Daddy's gone a hunting,
To get little rabbit skin
To wrap mp baby bunting in"
But let metaphor be dropped, aud faithful
account of the doings of the meeting OF tie club
last Saturday evening be given. There were
just eight souls all told, present at this meeting.
save and excepting from the number your cor
respondent, who was merely "looker on in
Venice The first question which occupied the
attention of tho club was the ALLEGED daily
drunkenness Of Grant. Joseph Hart, Esq, was
called on to read confidential letter on the sub.
ject, just received BY him from Hon. B. C. Cook.
This letter was luminous, as much so as his re-
cent letter on finance. Mr.. Hart proceeded TO
read the letter, follows:
FoRIIErH CONGRESS UNITED STATES,
Washington, d. c., Feb 1868
JOSEPH HART, ESQ. Dear Sir-Your letter
OF enquiry in regard TO the personal habits of
Cen Grant is received. In reply, take pleas
ure in saying that - man enjoys better oppor-
tunity of knowing whether Gen. Grant is daily
drunk or not, and Am fully satisfied if those
cruel copperhead and rebel charges were true
would know it. !, therefore, urge you to de-
nounce false al snch charges preferred against
brave soldier and true republican.
Signed Be. Cook.
Mr.. Hart, after reading this letter, triumphant
ly remarked this letter, he trusted would silence
the cepperhead lies in this town in regard to the
drunkenness of brave soldier and pure patriot
AT this point long and deep drawn sigh was
audible throughout tho club, and one honest old
bucolic fellow, turning TO me, said "Now.
Squire, what did 1 tell you? / alters s'posed
Grant was a good temperance man. Cook would
MT lie, weuld he.' Certainly not, my dear
sir" replied.
The next question seemed tho most absorbing.
This question arose in regard TO Grants antece-
dents. Some member Of the club had come for
titled with Bonner's Ledger, and Grants Boyhood
therein written by his daddy. They didn't seem
seemed to all agree that a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet. So it seems to be q
matter OF serene indifference to the club whether
his name is Hi or Ulyss. This promising Young
fellow, who claimed he had "teacIe,y' school and
could "cipher clear through 'rithmetic,' and
who brought to the club room the Ledqcr, so as
to post the club, said no knew his name to be