The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-01-22
LETTER FROM EASTERN INDIANA.
SnOW-RIchmOnd and Surroundings
Quaker SchOOls-MIsslOn Sunday
SchOOl-VelOcipedes.

all covered with snow" Indeed. not
only the ground, but all nature, for
the soft snow covered compactly all
vegetable forms, fastening itself not
ouly upon the branches of trees, but
upon their trunks. | never saw the
earth so beautiful as on Saturday, in
my travels. It was so Immaculate
that it looked almost sinless and like
"a bride adorned for her husband"
Richmond is the metropolis and
emporium, though not the capital or
seat, of the county of Wayne. It is
/ the home of our honorable Senator,
| Governor Morton part of Mr.. Ju
lians district, whom / found to be
about the most abused man, as well
as most praised, that / have heard Of
these many long days" 1t exalted
him, in my estimation, to know that
he was so we'll hated and also so we'll
| beloved. Woe unto you when all
men shall speak well of you" No
man of character in these days, or ia
any days OF life and thOught-any
| days of battling ideas and convictions
can be loved by all men.
As | intimated, [ was " on to Rich
nond," and entered it on Saturday
| The city is in the centre of one of
| the finest and most fertile stretches of
land anywhere to be found in the
State. 1t i in the best part of the
White Water region" It is we'll
built. having fine railroad facilities,
being closely coupled By main routes
OF only from three to five hours link
ing to indianapolis, Columbus, Gin :.
cinnati and Chicago. There are a
great many substantial buildings,
though | will mention for the comfort
of Evansvillians, and to bleach cut a
little of the depths of the stigma, that
Richmond divides the glory or shame,
whichever it be, of having no hotel
worthy of their other appointments
and adornments. The Huntington
House" will we'll compare with our
Sherwood" the fremont" being
possibly as good, though my leanings
or hankerings being rather after our
own house"
One thing, however, is notable and
worthy of note by our business men
and property holders-they have the
very best of roads leading into and
out of their eity-Well- conditiOned
turnpikes, so that some one said to
me you can't get out of our city any
where without going q considerable
distance upon a pike or rail. We
have three hundred and thirty-seven
(337) miles of turnpike 10 the coun-
ty." The consequence Is that this
city and Centreville, the county seat,
have thriving settlements around
| them, and are doing a thriving bust
ness with their neighbors, and the
price of lands is enhanced. There are
farms of large extent miles from the
city, for which their owners would not
take two hundred dollars an acre.
Fifty dollars an acre is considered
cheap. Let our farmers, therefore,
make a note of this, and inwardly di-
gest, if they want their farms to in
crease In value, and let them at least
be penny wise in helping to make
good roads around them. Here is
the estate of the celebrated farmer
and stock raiser, Sol Meredith, but, as
was told by a fellow traveller as we
passed it, there are dozen men, "all
around here, who are fully up to Sol.
as tillers of the soil and stockists.
Before entering the city we caught
sight of the celebrated Quaker school,
Earldom, where young ladies and gen
tlemen of all persuasions. and believe
colors, run their scholastic race in the
same stadium or track" and / am
told that the emulations aroused by
thus having gentlemen and ladies to-
gether is most salutary. The school
ranks high. Strange name, however,
for Quakers, who eschew titles, to
give 10 a school; for, scorning hero
worship and condemning titles, they
so revere the memory of their fellow
religionist-JohnJ Gurney-of noble
blood and title, as to call their school
by name which means in itself the
seat of an Earl.
But the Friends of this place are
progressivists. Yesterday [ attended
Sunday school in Friends meeting
house where, after reading the Scrip
lures and silent prayer, found large
classes of middle-aged and aged, as
well as children friends" classed to-
gether for the study Of ''the Truth"
In the afternoon in the same room
| attended the Mission School of
friend Charles Coffin and his accom-
plished lady. Here were about three
hundred children, many evidently
from the Eumblest walks of life,
many whose parents were saloon
keepers, and children whose homes
we're "a lower deep" than saloon
keeping. But among them were
bright Jewels" A friend pointed
out little girl whom he called Fannie
who had gathered into the school, as
permanent scholars, fifty-two children
during the past year-one for every
Sabbath.
Mr.. Coffin and his wife have very
nleasantway of managing their school.
They are like two joyous sunbeams.
Mr.. Z. told the children and friends a
thrilling incident. He said he had
just received letter from friend
Lea1iS Street, from Madagascar, who
was present at the late inauguration
of the Queen of that Island. 1t took
place, as narrated in the letter, under
a canopy of flowers. amid which was
entwined prominently the sentence:
GLORY to God in the highest. on
earth peace and good will to men,
and under the canopy aud before the
Queen was beautiful copy of an
open Bible. What lesson from this
late heather Island of the sea, to our
own nation. Shall we always have an
open Bible, and shall we understand
that if we ever close it the sun of our
prosperity will set? God grant that
this may never be.
Bye -the-bye, Lewis Street is a mis-
slonary to the heather, from Rich |
mond, by the Society of Friends. AZ
ter yesterday afternoon, | shall have
no scruples in my mind as to whether
| shall admit such men as Charles
Coffin into my full Christian fellow
ship. l did not know that I ever had
but now | know l have not. The |