The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-06-10

S' ICY, oho W oHi t"'euC SeIii-
uses said to q passing stranger, Why,
sir, the mountains of fresh butter and
eggs that we send to- eastern cities is
enough to set hucEster crazy aud drive
a failing Commission Merchant to sui.
eide. 'Tis fact, sir, and can prove
it," Aud the stranger passed on. In
deed the supply Of produce often sur
Lasses the facilities for shipping it
This, in time, will render a Railroad
necessary,a and the hopeful and ambitions
already see visions of the "Iron Hoss"
ploughing up the valley of the classical
waters Of "Straieht Fork"
l will venture to cay, not as a mere
boast, bnt as fact capable of statistic.
81 propf,that the produce trade of Gray g.
vile is larger than any other town in
the county, and l make no exception in
regard to size. 1t is perhaps not gen.
orally known, vet it is true, that our
merchants number among their regular
and best paying patrons citizens living
almost in the very suburbs of other
larger towns wot of.
The improvements of our town du-
ring the past year have not been very
extensive. The town council might
want me to mention the grading of the
street as an Improvement, but I don't
believe I'll do that don't think any
body but the council would want me to
do so The grading was done last
spring The winter frosts froze up the
new-made street.-The spring rains
thawed it out, and then the wicked in
habitants cusscd the mud and town
council. This experience saddened the
hearts OF the pious, and the. general
opinion now is that the grading enter.
prise was s failure.
But if we have not made many i'm
provements in material point of view,
there has certainly been decided i'm
provement morally. 1t cannot be de-
MED, however earnestly We may depre-
clte the fact, that our town had once a
very questionable reputation. There
are some mitigating circumstances, it is
true, vet il we should attempt to estab.
lish for our town, as it once was, a rep.
utation for temperance and piety, the
verdict would be against US. In fac,
in those good old times when whisky
was five cents pint and cigars ten cents
an armful, the morals of our town, as
viewed from the standpoint of the
present advanced stage Of civilization
''seem as though they were not" 1,
was then that the brawny, muscular in.
habitants of the neighborhood gathered
together in the town TO talk of the
weather, crops and politics, and drink
old Toms apple Jack. Saturday after
moons was the time set apart for theil
meetings, and the attendance was al
ways large and lively Fights and foot
races were the leading amusements.-
FisticuIFs especially were freely indulged
in and twenty years ago man thai
wouldn't 'peel off" and ego for the
eyebrows" of his neighbor, on the
slightest provocation, wasn't consider
ell anybody whatever. In the vernacu
lar she jest didn't amount to shucks."
There were indeed some fne speci
mems of stout, hearty men in those
times-more powerful than any to be
found in "these degenerate days." if We
are to credit the feats of strength and
daring as narrated to the youths of The
present generation. They were not all
however, possessed of that pluck and
fearlessness which characterized the ma.
jority, as is evidenced by the following
little traditional incident which occurr.
ed in the place some years ago.
Old Anthony Bismark had son
named Peter, very giant in size, Ugh
ed over 200 pounds and was supposed
to he powerful on the muscle. 1t was
remarked however that Peter never EN-
p;oyed his strenath in any actua
achievement, but rested his reputation
on telling what he could do in certain
emergencies. One day while the father
and son were both in town, resting
themselves ON one of Toms empty
store boxes, as was then the fashion
there happened along one Cantline, witt
whom old Tony had had little misun
derstanding the day before. Cantlin'
Immediately renewed the controvers,
and as speedily closed it by. knocking
old Anthony off the whisky barrel A
this point in the fracas Peter disap
peared inside the grocery, and, as it was
reported. hid behind molasses barrel
But after it was all over and Cantlin'
had left, Peter came out and was seer
talking very earnestly to his father ant
looking as brave as an African lion
Now as old Tony was suffering from 4
severe attack OF "rheumatiz' and ole
age, some one asked Peter why h
didn't take up the quarrel for his fathe
ard give Cantline logging. But ole
Tony was too much agitated to keel
quiet, SO when the inquiry was put t
Peter, the old man gushod over ant
said,
"Yes, dare wash mine Peter so pee!
enough to yip two like him. but he dosl
not Won dings nit him. Aint it."
"But you know father,' chimed il
Peter, Il told Cantline very plainly wha
! could do with him."
20 yea," replied old Tony. "that
all very thrue Peter, but then you know
Cantline he rash gone all the utle."
| But "a change has come over tn
spirit" of the place. Sunday schools
Churches and Debating societies have
in measure. revolutionized public sen
timent, and the habits and custom
that we're once almost religiously obser
we'd have given place to other fashion,
more in keeping with the presen! age
The Debating Society that existed in tn
town few years ago was one OF tb
spiciest and most eloquent polemica
institutions In the State know thi
1 be fact, for one of the member
told me so the other day. 1t has al
ways been a sad regret to me that
didn't belong to that society. The,
say every member of that old institu
ton gets elected TO some office, and
guess lis a fact. ] think we of th
younger generation will get up a De
batting Society next winter-the success
Of the old one is immensely stimulating
have more things | might writ
about, but space and the increasing no
weather forbid You may hear 500
again from RUSTIC