The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-12-24

erS. Inc margin ID TOO larg e-w6ke
up the city dads, and give them one
OF your rip snorting articles.
Yours, 10. RuNIcoLA.
Agency City Items.
SHILLING AFTER SIxpENcE.-My
father was an Industrious, hard
woking, well to do, successful farmer.
He was economical and yet not stin-
gy. He tried'to buy we'll and sell
well, at the same time, he was willing
to ''live and let i've" He belonged
to that old puritanical class Of men
who lived in other days. He used
to say, when his neighbors would
spend money in q scheme Of specu-
lation, "That a bird in hand was
worth two in the BUSH" And in
refer ence to litigation, he said claw
yers got the fees and profits, while
clients paid the costs and retired with
and empty purse" Ifa man let his
plow stand to 60 hunting, or took
his wagon and drove off to distant
market, because he could get cent
or two extra on a bushel Of grain,
spending two or three days, when he
ought to have been at home, he wo'd
say such persons "threw q shilling
after sixpence." He maintained that
financial success. required "home.
work, home protection. home patron.
age" "If you would make your
farm valuable" said he, you must
work it; you must maintain near it q
good school and church; you must in
duce industrious men to become your
'neighbors, and you must encourage
the village merchant, the physician,
the shoemaker, the blacksmith and
miller" In all these matters we are
individually interested. They involve
principles that eventuate in, when.
practiced,) prosperity, permanency,
wealth and power; principles adapt.
alike to State, communities or indi-
viduals.
We have Otter been led to reflec-
tons on these matters by noticing
the action of our citizens. Day at
ter day they will pass through our
town and go to Ottumwa spending
a day. to do a little trading. Per-
haps they buy ten or twenty yards
of calico or muslin, or a dollars
worth each of sugar and coffee, ETC.,
on the Whole purchase they do not
clear a dollar. On fact, many good
judges think they don't make any
thing.) Now was that day employ
ed with team at home, who can
doubt which side the profits would
fall? This is not all. While this
penurious, selfish spirit leads per.
sons to save foe cents for their own
purse, the result of their action pla-
ces all the profits they hoped to reap,
in the pockets Of some one else. To
be pointed, I mean, that their pat
ronage given to Ottumwa goes to
build up that place, and enhance the
price of every farm around it, while
every dollar thus spent, goes to in
jure Agency, their own town, and as
they injure it, their farms are depre-
ciated in value. They virtually
"throw q shilling after sixpence." If
the citizens Of this town and commu.
nifty would make money, and make
property, they must patronize them.
selves. This thing Of gruntinr and
complaining about a town, talking
about its ineAiciency, crying it down
and praising up some other place, is
just the way to kill it. Such whin-
ers are business murderers. They
are cutting their noses Oft financially.
And while l am no merchant, Nor
public business man, yet have had
some experience in life, and l think
have some knowledge of trade, and
OF that carried on in both Ottumwa
and Agency City, and l must saw.
that my experience teaches me, that
| can do equally as we'll in q mercan-
tile way in Agency as Ottumwa.
1t we would see our town prosper;
if we would enhance the value of
farms around it, and lots in it, pat
ronize business men in it, encourage
others to do SO. By SO doing, you
will attract capital from abroad. and
with capital comes the factory. the
loom, the foundry, the consumer, and
hence market for home products.
RELI1ous MEErlNas.-For over
week past religius meetings have
been daily held in the Baptist church
by Rev. Mr.. Tibbets. Though not
largely attended, yet, considerable
interest prevails among tho member
ship of the society. It is to be hoped
that q general revival may be the re.
suit Of those efforts. Mr.. I. labors
with much zeal.
A meeting will be commenced on
the 10Th in the Methodist
and will be continued some
days. The Rev. Thos. E. Corkhill
of Mt. Pleasant, will be in attend.
Race the 26th and 9th.
The young ladies Of the Methodist
Church will. bold festival for the
benefit of their Sabbath school