The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-01-11
LETTER FROM cENTERv1LLE.

/ ~ CENTERvILLE, Jan. Z, 1872
ED, WoRLD According to pronisel write
YOU from centerville In the days, the like
! of whiehwe shall probably not see again, II
vas your home and mine. 1t has undergone
many and material changes since then Drained
of it's wealth, its peope-many of them-have
gone to seek fortune in newer and more prom
ising fields. Fire! mans best friend and dir
est toe has swept over it., leaving the site
whereon it stood waste of ashes, and though
it is much smaller now than formerly, the few
houses that have been rebuilt are much costlier,
and more substantial than their more numer-
Gus predecessors. There are in Centervllle, at
this time, two stores, one hotel, one livery
stable, one tinshop, one blacksmithshop, one
saloon, one drugstore, and perhaps half doz-
en- private residences, which-excepting, OF
course, Chinatown and the cabins of the min
ers-make up all that now remains of place
that seven years ago contained more than
thousand inhabitants; and which once as
pired to capitalistic honors, an ambitious dream
from which most of its people have awakened,
if / mistake not to rejoice that it was but a
dream. On the hill above and overlooking the
town tho Masonic Fraternity have the most
elegant and commodious Hall in the Basin,
which came near forgetting TO mention. 1t
is the chief ornament of the place, and reflects
credit upon that truly public-spirited Order.
A Literary and Debating Society" has
lately been organized here. Its meetings are
held on Friday evenings of each week, and are
at times quite interesting. The subject under
discussions last Friday, was Woman Suffrage,
and am Informed lively time was had. On
the affirmative were c. c. Dudley, s. X. Gold
trap, John Hemsley and others; while Frank
Harmon sustained the negative unalded. The
decision was in favor of the Woman Suffragsts,
as was. perhaps, the argument also. The i'm
ages of the past are being broken TO pieces;
its "holy of holes" invaded by the skeptic
thought of the times; the faiths and creeds
which were gives of steel TO the father are
cobwebs TO the son and the question whether
women should be admitted TO become voters
will not cease TO be agitated and discussed un-
has been reached; nor should it, What that
conclusion will be, however. it were hard TO
predict. The writer is OF opinion that voting
should not go By age. sex nor place of birth in
a Republic. but solely by qualifications.
The preparations for mining here the com.
lug Spring are, on the whole. rather larger
than usual; and as the camp is better supplied
with water bitches than most others, | think.
in consideration of the fact that We have now
about four fsct of snow on the ground, our
citizens may reasonably anticipate pretty good
times next season. and appearances are Ger
tainly cheering just now. The weather clerk,
who has seemed TO have matters considerably
mudded for some time has. after two or three
weeks of almost incessant storms, alternating
between snow aud rain-mostly rain.-takeu
a decided stand. and ut this time il is quietly |
showing. but with logged determination in.
dicatlvr of long duration.
Christmas and the Holidays passed off quiet |
ly here without the happening of any extraor
binary event. other than the appearance upon |
our streets. on Christmas morning. of an aged /
Santa Claus, with the territory immediately |
his optics several shades darker |
than usual 4 sacriegions wag. on seeing |
him. said that he had been " celebrating the |
birth of Christ, aud had come of second best"
which was accepted by the crowd rs most |
probable solution Of the phenomenon.
LAZARUS.