Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-02-01
11=} GRAND RAPIDS WIS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY |, B


cabulary were Winfield Scott aud
Phil kcarney and General Twiggs
and Col. Jack Hays. The Grants,
the Shermans, the Johustons, the
Lees, were unknown to fame. Nor
had the journalism of the country
been penetrated by such strong names
as Manton Marble, and Whtelaw
Reid, and Murat Halstoad, and
Horace White, DR.. Holland, and not
Samuel Bowlcs, edited the Spring
field Repwbliean John Russell Young
was reading proofs for Col. Forncy (;
and Croly and Couant were barely
out Of school. Dana was an embroyo
Htterature, and had, perhaps, little
thought of becoming War Socreta-
ry--a man of action aud business--to
burst finally into the gorgeous news
paper sunhower of to-day. The
Duykineks and Parke Goowin and
DR.. Griswold held possession of the
critical citadel in New York, :, and
the old Home Journal, with Morris
and Willis, was a real literary power
in the land. Porte Crayon was q
lion; and Miss Flnra McFlnnsey
made a sensation as great as Heathen
Chinee, and much more substantial
and better deserved. 1t was fashion.
able in those days to discuss Poe and
the Raven. There was Bohemian
set who were going to establish
new religion in literature and set mp
new school, in the execution OF
which purpose they drank great
quantities of beer, and smoked great
pipesfui of tobacco, aud wrote all
manner of odd rhymes, irregular and
funny as their own llyes--untll--until
there came a sudden flash ard smell
of powder, and when the clouds blew
away they were all gone, like the
goblins in the Castle Spectre.
A queer old peaceful time When
Macaulay wrote that letter to Rvcs,
Of Virginia, aud predicted what came
to pass very speedily, all those pens
flew into an indignant passion, and
his Lordship got himself roughly re-
buked for daring to cast an asperslon
upon the perpetuity Of American llber'
ty and Union. Webster's famous per
Grafton was immensely popular; and
indeed. for the matter of that, 1t
might be protitably revived in our
schools and debating clubs, though
the suggestion is beside the present
writing. Edward Everett. presented
our ideal orator; and Maudc Muller
was as familiar a character as Victor
il woodruff We had not Colonel
James Fisk, Jr., but we had
Captain Isaiah Rynders and what a
sensation Paul Murphy and his chess
men raised, to be snrc Charlotte
Cushman made Neg Kcrilies almost
as popular AS Jefferson has made Rip
Van Jvinkle j, Forrest and Murdock
were favorites; old Burton carried all
before him iE comedy; John Broug,
ham troIled off quibs, burlesques and
extrayaganzas by the yard, aud nj the
girls we're in love with Lester Wall
ack. Bret IIarte and John Hay had
not put on their literary pinatores, and
JOAQUIN Miller his war.paint. Bundy,
dreamless of an American PnH MoH
Gazete, read law in Wisconsin.
HoweIls was the denizen Of an Ohio
village and the brave boys" OF
Franklin Square were little chaps III
roundabouts. We had serious carl
catures then; for tie wit of Roche,
fort and the billingsgatc of Brownlow
had not united in the pencil Of Mast.
In literature, in art, simple, common
place, provincial, almost rural Why,
Maurice Strakosch was considered
frst-cIass pianist and John B. Cough
made people cry.