The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-08-09
oTTAWA's CROAKERS.


as uselcss-nay as much worse than useless
as possible They may think they are very
good fcllows-tull of enterprise and good
wishes for Ottawa and her interests as can be
but all the time her worst enemies. They be
long 10 that class who either do a small bust
ness in a very slip shod way, or, those other
parties who sit around on dry goods boxes
and white, or loaf about saloons, or lop over
the fences of the court house yard and con
tinually like Micawber-" wait for something
to turn up ~! And alas that something new
er does and never will turn up, so they NOPE
and grumbc on and see no end to the mistor
tunes that are rapidly overtaking Ottawa in
their imapinations Those men belong to
that very numerous class of people who never
have done anything either tor themselves or
ANYBODY else and never will They are the
drift wood on the human tide, floating hith-
er and thther until they become snagged or
water logged and then sink ont of sight.
They have removed out of every other town
they have been in and out of this would leave
few mourners. You hear their perpetual
croakings every where you GO They croak
from town to town, and as they move denounce
every place they may happen to lodge in
though il be for single night! Should any
of them ever get to Heaven, which would be
by some oversight of the keeper Of the keys,
he would at once dcnounce the golden city
because it was too old foygish. While he
croaks about every place he has ever seen, his
chief delight is to run down the town which
may have the misfortune to give him a resi-
dencc. Catch one of these ravens of despair
on the cars, say, away from town, and al
stranger going west seeking a location aCCost.
ing says What sort of place is Ottawa" q
ON eXclaims the wilmer, raising his eyes and
hands and drawing down his face into state
of gloom that would do credit to firstcass
funeral, Ottawa is dead-dead as the devil
nothing doing-wish | had my money out
IF It-no tradc-no manufactories-no moth
ng" The stranger mentally thanks his stars
hat he too hadn't got stuck at Ottawa and
goes on elsewhere.
Ottawa is all right. There is no town near
Is so well fixed for business, trade or manu-.
actories. The city is Il model of educational,
musical, social and other desirable |
advantages. If we would improve it we must
work The secret lies in doing, not wishing |
t is in united action, not in old granny.like !
,runting. 1t is in working not loafing. 1t is |
lot waiting for something to turn up, but
urning something up and doing it ourselves. |
let those who croak upon the street corners
20 to work, and there is always something to
wages, take smaller pay so that they work.
}ut the grumblcr who airs his bad grammar
nd worse logic weekly in the Republican,,
hould do something better than to discour-
ge others. If he has no occupation, that is
honorable and respectable and any thing is
letter than croaking, let him paint houses,
lean streets, start wooden toothpick fac
Dry or something that is business and not
his everlasting drivel about our dead town"
We have live citizens here, men who work
ary and late. Those men are getting along
some are accommodating property. They
ave no time to croak and would not if they ,
ould Look at the towns around US. Grass
rowing in their streets, and weeds at their
tore doors, and they too have their wrctched
roakers Ottawa is a good thriving town
nd though not rushing ahead with mush-
Dom rapidity-still grows slowly, surely and
n substantial manner. We have ample
opportunities to make Ottawa an immense
natter lies not through sloth, idleness and re,
,ining but attention to our interest and cork.