The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-01
FROM THE WEST.

For The Cecil Wing.
FROM THE WEST.
1t seems passing strange to one born and
bred in the East to hear men calmly dis
cussing the expediency of burning corn
instead Of coal, and assuring each other
that the thing is done successfully in Iowa
and Nebraska.
Why, | remember when l was child,
how we were relgiously instructed to take
every grain from the cob before we dared
commit said cob to the flames, assured that
if we burned a single grain we would live
to see the day we would want it, and the
inference was that in that day when we
should want it, we wouldn't be able to get
it.
| think it is something of this sort that
makes the farmers of the West loath to
universally adopt the practice of using corn
for fuel. Yet they declare their determine
ton not to sell bushel, at the prevailing
prices-15 and 20 cents per bushel. The
railroad monopolies are universally blamed
for the existing state of affairs, and in many
Counties of this State, indignation meet
ings are being held and various modes of
redress discussed. Some are for violent
measures, some are for increasing the
number of roads, and other timid spirits,
advocate the petitioning Of the various
Legislative bodies.
Eyes" eXclaim others, "this state of
things is likely to be remedied either by
Congress or our own Legislatures after the
disclosures of the Credit Mobilier scandal,
and while our Legislators ride about, each
one carrying in his pocket railroad pass
for himself and family
But let US elect honest menu
But where are they to be found:" and
echo answers, where ?''
We think we could answer satisfactorily
the question raised by the despairing Wes-
tern farmers and repeated by echo; but
modesty forbids, however, modesty don't
pay at all in this brazen age: so here goes
the answer-elect school ma'ms-there's
where you'd find your honest men and get
all your wrongs redressed without even the
trouble OF signing petition to that effect.
But while you laugh to scorn, and sanction
the imprisonment of the Women's
rights agitators, and even refuse to pay
a women the same wages that you pay
blockhead in pantaloons, for teaching your
brats, in books aud good manners, why,
you deserve all you get, so you do. You
deserve to be robbed by railroad compan-
les, and laughed at by successful politi-
clans, whom your votes have enabled to sit
in the Legislative Halls and carry railroad
passes in their pockets
The country press, you maybe sure,
pitches into the discussion quite lively, and
l doubt not every poor devil of an Editor
secretly thanks God that such a contro-
versy exists now that Stokes is convicted
and Epizootic or Zotoeptic, and the Boston
fire have grown a little stale, even in this
remote region.
Meanwhile the question is unsolved, and
look where you will as you ride across the
prairies you will see great pens of corn out
in The open fields. These pens are for the
most part Just built of rails and the corn is
thrown into them and left without cover
ing all winter Corn here is never cut up,
but the ears are jerked off the stalk and
out of the husk at the same time, and
corn field thus mutilated, affords excellent
herding ground for cattle.
Notwithstanding the high price Of flour,
very little corn is used in this State in the
manufacture of bread, this strikes your
correspondent as a great mistake; but I
suppose everybody knows his or her own
business.
In attempting description of the village,
near where am at present residing, l sigh
for the pen of a Dickens, his genius alone
could do it justice, and l am satisfied that
if he had lived in this vicinity six months,
out of the grotesquely humorous material
here to be found, he would have manufac
tured novel that would have so far sur
passed the famous .Pickwick Papers,
that the latter would have never more been
heard of.
Ye shouting Methodists have here built
them little meeting house and one of the
ordained, weekly breaches the old fash
lone d doctrine Of fire and birthstone. lie
is character in his way, wears red wig
and blue glasses and has lost two teeth in
front.
This embryo city was christened Glen
wood, but from the circumstance of two
men holding a free fight in the street while
the bystanders shouted to them to "pitch
in" the ancient name of Gleuwood is lost
utterly and the village is known. wherever
it is known, by the euphonious title of
"Pitch In "Pinch H." our merry host
calls it. Indeed the name suits it admira-
bly,, for it looks as though it had been
pitched down from some unknown height,
and then pitched into shape with a pitch
fork. The minister, he Of the red wig and
blue goggles always designates it as " Glen
wood;' asking fiercely if anybody "knows
why God shouldn't bless us poor sinners
here at Glenmood;:" while everybody in the
congregation who doesn't live in the town
smokers and smirks.
Here in little dwelling, about the size
that we generally build in the East to i'm
prision a big shanghai preparatory to fat
tening, We big round justice holds forth.
Three lawsuits per week on an average, ]