Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-07-14
FROM DUBUQUE.
The Fourth-Amusement and
his Opera Glass Crime -Melee--
Improvements--St. Raphael Temper
ance Society.

his Opera Glass Crime- .Me1ee.-
Improvements--St.R Raphael Temper.
ance Society.
DUBUQUE, July 5th.
EDITOR BULLETIN:-The Fourth
of July, 1871, was the most peace
able day the city of Dubuque has
known for many years. Some good
angel must have come down and
Gained the troubled waters before
hand. There was very little drunk
enness on the streets, and very few
brawls heard Of in the saloons. The
day was divided up among our city
folk, between the excursion to Man
chester, picnic given on Kelly's
Bluff by the members of St. Raphal's
Temperance Society, and numerous
private parties that went out in the
country to enjoy themselves. The
number that participated in the
Manchester excursion is estimated
at one thousand. During the day
there was procession of fantasies,
and at night considerable display
of fireworks, also an entertainment
at the Atheneum, by Cal Wagner's
Minstrels. This latter performance
was well attended, and the enter
tainment itself better than the ordi-
nary run Of minstrel troupes.
While speaking of these things
allow us to offer a slight tribute of
appreciation of the becoming mod
esty OF manners which some people
are so eager to display in public
places. For instance: Mr.. Snobbs
belongs to the upper crust; there is
nothing common about him. Mr..
Snobbs has money, and with admir-
able acuteness he knows how
weighty it makes him. Probably
Mr.. Snobbs could carry all his
worth of brains in a thimble, but
this makes no difference, he has
got the money and feels it. Posi-
bly, Mr.. Snobbs was never anything
more than saloon keeper, or a
butcher, or tinker, and probably
is nothing more now than a good
for-nothing loater on the strength of
his money. But nevertheless he
swaggers himself into every assem-
blage, high or low. When a great
singing or theatrical performance
is to come oft, he is the first one on
hand to purchase tickets for tiny
self and lady, sab, if you please"
At the appointed time he and she
are there, seated in the most CON
spicuous place, and always with
some thing in their hands. At a
distance this something looks like i
couple Of soda-pop bottles bound
together with pewter band, but on
nearer inspection it is discovered to
be a pair Of gorgeously mounted,
goggle-taced opera glasses. Like
a monkey with a wine glass to his
mouth, Snobbs and his adorable
companion alternately survey their
fellow auditors. Every lady in the
room is stared out of countenance
and put to the blush, by the male
Snobbs, while female Snobbs in
spects the hair, moustache and
beard, and every article of dress, on
every gentleman within range. This
is the point we wish to make. The
way opera glasses are used in our
public halls is utterly abominable
TO our minds there is neither sense
nor decency in it-there could not
be q worse violation Of the canons
of good taste.
Within the past month a distem-
per has broken out in the ranks of
the nice young men of our city.
Several Of these, that were thought
entirely above suspicion, have been
found in the tolls, and have got
themselves SO thoroughly entangled
in crime that it is doubtful whether
theyget off whole or not. One gen
tleman, an agent for the North
American Insurance Company, en-
bezzlcd the funds of that company
to the amount of $500. Another,
clerk in the Auditors office, it has
been discovered, has been appro-
priating and selling county bonds
on his own hook for the last two
years, while there are rumors af1oat
Of several other instances of like
crimes.
On the evening of Monday, July
Sd, there was a melee at Smiths
brewery, between the proprietor of
the Dubuque beer gardens and the
ex-pugilist Clark, who knocked the
proprietor down with n slingshot,
nearly putting him out Of his senses;
he soon recovered, however, and
siezing chair, cooled Mr.. Clark's
pugilistic tendencies so effectually
that he was Immediately put under
the care of Il physician.
There never were so many i'm
provcments in progress in Dubuque
as at present. We cannot stop to
cnumcrate, but the most careless
observer can see them on almost
any street. Main street in particu-
lar is improving greatly. We guess
score Of new brick buildings
could be counted on it alone, and
the new printing office, which the
Times company is putting up, just
off of Main street, will be as hand
some as any Of them when finished.
Not least among the adornments of
the city in this line will be the
magnificent steeple which is to be
added to the cathedral. 1t is to be
304 feet from base to summit, com
pletely overlapping every spire in
the city, and the work on it has al
ready commenced. There is great
honor due the St. Raphael Temper
ance Society for the good work they
are doing in the temperance cause.
They are bringing every drinker
they can persuade within their
ranks, and happy to say, when once
fairly in, they seldom renounce
their pledge. We will give you