Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-10-19
8 The dodge Faimilg.

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This.is very extensive family.
The Smith connection is not half
so numerous. The Brown con-
nection falls still further behind,
and the Jones stock is nowhere IN
comparison. Every city, towr,
Villages neishborhood pro-
7 fession, trade, or business. has its
Dooges. Go where you will. on
whatever errand your business
calls you, and you will not con-
:. verse with a dozen men until yon
have discovered that you have
made the acquaintance of ohesor
more of the Dodges. nwods
The pedigree of this family can
not be traced toany reliable head:
We are, consequently, left to con-
lecture where il originated or
! how 1t became a snrnames We
all know why some families bear
the name of Baker, Carpenter.
Tanner, Painter, and Shoemaker.
The original head in these cases
pursued the calling indicated in
the name. In ancient times ear-
rows. darts, lanees, and stone, were
used as weapons of war. They
could be seen flying through the
air, and the persons at whom they
were hurled might avoid being
hit or hurt by dexterous dodge
The soldier who made business
of lodging the missiles very nat
urally got the name of Dodge
If bis name was John, William, ,or
Peter, he was now called John
Dodge, William Dodge, Peter
Dodge. Hence, the country is
full Of Dodges to-day. And what
is very remarkable about them, is
that they are all set of dodgers.
On Sunday the minister preach
es searching discourse for the
benefit of the Dodge family as
we'll as the rest OF the congregation,
but while the majority apply the
truths, the Dodges apply them to
others, and are as dexterous In
dodging arrows Of divine truth as
their ancestors were in lodging ar
rows shot from a material bow. O.
The people who desire and at
tempt general reform in politics
and morals find every encourage.
ment when they propose their
plans to their fellow-men, but they
so learn the truth Of the Indians
proverb, "white man mighty an
especially when they find
out, as they are sure to do, that
half of those who promised so fair
could not be relied on, because
they belonged to the inevitable
Dodge family. The men who gave
such positive assurances of SYM
pathy and cooperation in this
noble enterprise were found want
ing when their sympathy and Co
operation were needed, because
they all belonged to the same un-
,onscionable family Of Dodges.-
The men who promised to be fore
most in that noble undertaking
never. came up to their engage
nents, but pursued the even ten
or of their ways without any re-
cards whatever to their new en-
simply because the
white blood of the Dodge family
we're running through their veins.
What a happy world we would
nave if the Dodge family was all
'ut of it The church, the State,
society at large or in the select
companion, would all work har-
noniouslyS in ii cir respective
'pheres, accomplishing the true
ends of their establishment, with
scarcely iolt or a jar in their
movement, were it not for the
presence of the irrepressible and
D dge family. We
shall henceforth look upon this
amily as the common enemy of
Ill wholesome progress, and what
ever its rretensions may be, we
Will remember that every men+
Der of it has as many faces as
Proteus had shapes, and a heart
n comparison with which Pha-S
'aoh's was rs tender as that Of
| weeping. child. We 1--we all
with the love of beneYo-
ence-many with the love of
,omplacence---and while our
benevolent feeling embrace the
DOdges in a general sense, we re-
'erve to ourselves the privilege of
holding them, at the same time, IN
,reat contempt.
An Illinois constable made a
'eturn OH the back of a paper