Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-01-21
9TH WARD, CRY Nv Moo York, !
49, " 1O-n

Un,ar,rrIrr. DECENTRALIZATION AT THE
CORNERS. r-s- ss - r-.rv -
6rH WARD, Cry Nv Moo YORK,
January 10, 1870.
YESTERDAY | received the followin let
ter from that old saint in trousers, Deekin
Elkana Pogram. 1t was delayed a long
time ez the Deekin directed it to "Rev."
Petroleum V. Nasty. The letter carriers
hedn't any idee that there wuz any man in
the 9th ward who he'd any title to that
prefix. But finally got it. l need not
say that after readin it / closed my bar
and hung Grape onto the door. Oh the de-
moralization Nv this cussid age! But it
wuz comfort to hear from him. "Ez in
water face ansereth TO face, so the heart
NV man to man" The tex shood reed, in
Kentucky at least, "Ez in Whisky" &c,
but take no liberties with scripture.
This is the Deekin's epistle:
CoNFEDRIT X ROADS, Ky,
Dec. 2, 1869.
My DEAR FRIEND Il ayale myself Nv
the presence Nv young man from lnjeany,
who kin rite, to inform 700 ez to the con-
dshen of things in your old home. Things
is bad here and is rapidly CROWN wuss.
Sence 700 left US it seems to me ez tho
kaos he'd come agin, and that confusion
wuz bein wuss confoundid. The first
families hev lost their grip; niggers and
ablishnists hev come in and hev taken
controle, and COnfedrit X Roads is no
longer place in witch gentleman Nv re-
fnement and culture kin decently live.
That infamous wretch, Joe Bigler, and
that onmitigated pest, Pollock, is in
partnership, at least Joe is selling goods
for Pollock, and his store is the resort Nv
all NV their class fur miles around. The
old settlers hev nothin whatever to do
with EN-. We wuz disposed to paternize
EN-, but when Pollock refoozed to let goods
WITCH zoe he'd bought go out of the store till
they wuz paid for, and the next mint give
credit to niggers, we Indignantly declined
woodent submit to. We indoost two mer
but they didn't stay long. They give
credit, and ther trade wuz consistently
brisk, but they he'd difficulty in renooin
their stocks. When one Nv EN- presented
his bill to me, told him Indignantly that
ef that wuz the way he proposed to do
biznis he mite ez well close. "Why," said
I, ~ mite ez well deel with Pollock" He
remarkt, insolently, that he wished he'd
delt with Pollock, and flung hisself out of
my presence. Merchants are, ez a class,
mersenary.
Bascom threatens to close out and leave
US. He hez alreddy mortgages on all our
land to it's full valyoo, and sence the offises
are all in the hands NV men who don't
drink likker at all, he SEE there amt no
money within his reach and he can't carry
us much longer. He signs for the good
old times under Johnson's administrator
when all the money received by the Post
master, the Collector and Assessor poured
into his drawer. He is morose and gloomy,
and waters his hkker fearfully. I allez
hev to take five or six drinks before / ex-
perience any sensashen.
But these things is not the worst or
most gloomy Nv the signs Nv the times.
There's room ahed Nv us. The chivalry
Nv the Corners hev lost all spirit. Only
last week ther wuz a temprans lecterer
advertised to make speech in the hall
over Pollocks store. "Shel this be per-
mitted?" askt Bascom Indignantly, bringin
his fist down onto the bar till the glasses
ratified.
"Never!" shouted Issaker Gavitt and
the others in the bar-room who scented
drinks ahed.
Bascom sot out the bottles we all took
suthin, and rusht toomulchusly to the hall.
700 remember with wat eagernis we
formerly mobbed obnoxyas speekers9
We wuznt at all eager that mite. We only
run rod or two; our pace got down to
slow walk afore we reached the spot, and
when we got into the hall we meekly sot
down and listened to the heretikle cuss,
and went away without heavin stun at
him. When Bascom reproached US for
our lack Nv spirit, told him that wuz no
yoose. Men cocdent mob anybody on
SIGH likker ez he furnisht 1t wont do to
diloot when 700 hev SIGH biznis on hand
But that wuz not the most alarmin sign
Nv the degeneracy Nv our people. Within
month two Methodist, preachers hev
held forth in this village, and neither NV
EN- were hung or shot What hope kin
there be where such things occurs And
wat is wuss two Nv our old friends atten-
did their meetins, and immejitly they quit
comm to Bascom's and notist their chill
dren yesterday with shoes on. Bascom
sighed eE he seed it.
TITS mystry to me" he sez
What is mystry?" SEE l.
Why, so long ez them men stayed with
me all day, they hedn't no money to spend
NOW that they don't come no more,
o.ASJ NV AnOAOy, pue oAOy WASTE IL VI
shoes and 1 don't get it. Why didn't
nacher make men capable Nv workin all
day and drinkin all mite ?''
Their amt no change in me or mine,
ceptin that my house is somewhat smaller
AT the beginnin Nv the winter, we wuz
compelled to yoose our kitchen for fire.
wood, ez me and Jethro, my Oldest son,
coodn't procoor the labor to cut the
winters fuel. The niggers won't work for
us. Next winter spose the settin room
will go, then the wing witch we yooze fol
spare bedroom will follow, and eff am
not gone hentz by that time, don't know
wat we shell do for more. The coil NV
fate is titenin about me.
The niggers up towards Garrettstowr
are akkoomulatin property rapidly, and
they pay ther taxes promptly, but wat
good is that to Bascom? The off1shls is all
ablishnists and that money is diverted
into other than legitimit channels. These
vandals hev macadamized a mile NV road
between the Corners and Garrettstown
and built bridge over the Run. Kin
700 blame Bascom for wantin to leave
here?
1 hev heard Nv yoor success and am glad
Nv It, Wood that Good git into suthin
NV the sort Wood my fate wuz differ
emit: But we can't all keep grocery.
shell stay here and when all the people is
gone l shell go down. Thank Heaven the
time is not far off. Yoor friend,
ELKANAH PoGRAM.
L. S.-Ef 700 Good send me two-gal.
lon jug Nv likker witch hez life into It I
shOOd alluZ remember il gratefully After