The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-12
SCRAPS OF HISTORY
How aLady on the Cars Wouldn't
Buy any War Songs.


strife, recorded for the first time. In a
recent issue we find some mention OF
the permit system that was in vogue
here for some time, 10 the great annoy.
ance of our merchants, aal from the
same paper we clip the following laugh
able account of an adventure on the
cars in 1861.
| shall never forget one trip into
Wheeling, to which place was going
on an evening train, reaching Mounds
vile some time after dark. At that
point several persons came aboard
among them a lady fat, fair and forty.
She was apparently very important
parsonage, evidently in her own estima-
ton, at least. She was really fine
looking woman, well dressed, ladyhke,
except, Gt that is an exception, now-a-
days) that she was brazen-iaced enough
TO supply halt a score OF dItlident ladies
with what they might lack Of brass, and
have an ample supply left for herself
and then ! am not sure she would not
still have enough overplus to make her
a brass faucet
She was intensely loyal" her poll
tics on her tongues end, and as she
was one of the long tongued gentry,
she soon made herself the focus s-the
centre Of attraction, to all eyes and ears.
This was her aim and intention, how.
ever, as it was her business. In Il few
minutes we knew her history. She had
lost husband and some other relatives
in the war She gave vent to her bit
terness against rebels and copperheads
in composing and publishing a small
volume OF poetry-"War Songs, she
called them, which she was now travel
ing and selling. She was an energetic
aud perseverng salesman, and sold some
of her books, people buying them to get
rid OF her opportunities, but as dld
not fancy her manner and conversation,
when she came to me | declined pur-
chasing.
Certainly, sir, you'll buy one Of my
books
"Yes, ma'am; | don't wish one TO-
day"
She passed on.
| will Just mention here a. an evi-
dence Of the sitution OF affairs at this
stage OF the war, that one man who had
declined purchasing, was a little uneasy
atterward and expressed his aPprehen-
sion that he might suffer some penalty
himselfunder suspicion
OF not being loyal or in the classic
language OF the hour, "a cOpperhcad.
10 be sure, this was, to some extent, ig-
norance on his part, but it throws light
on the politics and public sentiment Of
the period.
After making her rounds the book.
seller took her seat near lady who
happened to be one OF the "copper"
head persuasion, and aitenptcd to
wheedIe her into buying a copy Of her
songs. The lady declined purchasing.
"Oh," says the fair authoress, you
should hear me sing some of my songs,
and then you would buy.
The lady replied that she did not
want her songs, nor to hear them sung,
as she did not think the sentiments OF
her songs would suit her
"Oho" says the poet sOngstrcss, ]
besin to understand We've come
across little 'Secesh,' | guess. Nor
you shall hear some of hem'
NO" replied the other, q" won
buy your songs, nor will hear them.
/" Well, now, says the book lady,
"we'll see about that.
SO, after clearing her voice, she
struck off at high pitch on one OF
her songs. But she had reckoned with
out her host Greek now met Greek,
for no sooner had she raised her voice
in the song, but the other struck up IN
a continuous screech, Ho-o-o-oh !!
Ho-o-o-o--O-O-o-h' in louder
tone than the singer.
This strange concert Tor want OF con-
cert soon attracted the attention OF all
in the car-which was rushing along
through the darkness, but only those IN
the immediate vicinity understood the
situation, a. the noise Of the car had
prevented the previous alteration beng
heard But ali heard-COuId not help
but hear-the strange concert. The
songstress was evidently taken consld-
erahly aback by this unexpected ma
nouvre-this flank movement, but
hoped to gain the mastery by persistent
and still louder singing. But she didn't.
The louder she sang, the louder went
Ho-o-ho-ho! Ho-o-o-oh The
lockers on were completely astounded,
thunderstruck, you might safely say,
and stared at each other in blank
amazement, as if TO read in the counte-
nance of some one what it all meant, or
ask what next The two performers,
however, loudly, earnestly intent, each
to accomplish her purpose and gam
victory over the other, now that they
had got into it. T.,
At length the war.soUg lady either
got out OF breath, out Of temper, or ielt
herself whipped. She ceased singing,
and then, and not till then, did the
other stop. The singer looked at her
neighbors and piteously exclaimed
well, did you ever hear the like
She won't listen to my song, nor let
others hear"
NO" said her opponeRt, quietly,
but firmly, Il told you | would not
hear it.
Our singer, to do her jvstice, was
pretty good pluck. She did not like TO
give it up and acknowledge herself beat.
well" says she, this won't do.
You mus. and shall hear it. I'll Try
again ="
And off she went on her song again,
and off went the other on her Hoo
b! Ho-o-o-o-h a full octave
higher than the singer.
The nasspnvers now having had time