davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

1t is no injustice to say that the opening
wedge of rebellion which resulted in war
between the north and south was intro
duced in and by the Methodist Episcopal
church, and the fiercest blows of hate which
drove it home to the heart OF the nation were
delivered by ecclesiastic hands. The great
church was cloyen asunder and the fracture
extended to the whole fabric ofcivil govern
ment. The first shall be last and the heal
ing angel who plead for reconciliation" so
eloquently in Horace Greeley first,
comes last to unite the broken bonds
of a belligerent church. The scene
at Louisville in the general conference of
the Methodist Church, South. was sort of
contamination OF making up friends. DIR.
Albert s. Hunt, a cold-blooded yankee by
pedigree aud descendant of member Of
Jesse Lees first class formed under the old
elm on Boston common, Charles A. Fowler,
a popular young western divine, and Gen.
Clinton b. Fish, now of ST. Louis, appeared
as representatives OF the Methodist Episco-
pal church, scommission to bear fraternal
oyertures to the brethren of the church,
south. The act was officially significant and
was received in the spirit OF christian ira
ternity by the highest body of the church,
south. The meeting was worthy the mission,
warm, enthusiastic, the noble reunion OF
divorced lovers who have found that they
cannot survive a separation. The eloquent
speeches and touching "reminiscences cannot
be here reproduced, nor the applause
with which they were received. There was
the stern old Doctor McTyeire, the hottest
secessionist of all, both in church and state,
overcome by the spirft of mutual forgive
ness. and sanctioDirg the work of the peace
msa<ers. The sentiments of the speakers
were full of gushing affection; and good
use was made OF "reminiscences of the days
before the qusrrel. old letters love 1etters)
were brought out and read aud cheered.
old men, including the venerable Doctor
govick Pierce, were.en the platform, and the
wheel of fate turned back to the days OF
old lang syne. Now, all is lovely and the
christian brethren of the north a1d south
will quit pulling each others hair. 1t is OF
national interest, for, be it known, every
southern Methodist preacher is q roliticisR
and leader. Their religion is we'll spiced
with the political flavor, and now both rel;-
gion and craftsmanship will be encircled
with a rainbow.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

There are two sides to most questions, and
that of railroad monopoly is by no means an
exception. "Thompson's Pamphlet on
railroads and oranges takes the side of the
former. Who Thompson is, at this writing
"doth not appear" On the title page the
authors name stands ]. q. Thompson, Jour
nalist, and his address is inscribed old Box
100, indianapolis, Ind, which is pretty near
home. Bot a careful examination OF the city
directory reveals no such name. No matter.
1t is of less consequence who J.'Q. Thomp-
son, journalist, is than what is in the pamph-i
let. 1t has sixteen printed pages and they
are pretty full of meat. The scope of the
work is to show, in part, wha: railroads have
done for the country. not in generslities but
facts and fgpres. A brief sketch OF the his
tory of roads as related to civilization is given,
referring to the Appian way of Rome and
stating that @'the 1900 miles of durable
highway within the Latin dOminions were
more significant of her progress and pros
perity than were liberal government and i'm
mortaltemples.9' But the writer comes home
to Hoosier understanding when he describes
the mud road era of Indiana. A single pas
sage of ''old time marketing" will recall
familiar scenes to some still among us:
Retrace our steps swO score years and see bQw
IL was done. Let Oancinnati be the destination
and the homestead hundred miles to the North
west. 1t is decided - 'market"a load OF wheat
Days Of preparation precede the starting The
wagon is creased and tarred; the canvass cover.
is stretched yer the wooden bows; the dab az
or then Is ssed and
bottle OF IMMINENT, feed trough, water bucket
frying pan. coffee pot, pork, ern meal, com prize
h saE fh0 fIrrrfW
event. ana fends assen nGleg Is
God speed. With high hopes the journey Is be-
10 the end. The jaded horses founder through
mud, stumble OVER the interminable stretches of
A weeks travelling. and our farmer hero behoLis.
from the cone of the river height, the smoke of
TIE Queen City. speedily he converts his score
sum of ten or tweive dollarss The journeys de-
TAD g of stalling. breaking and swearing are re-
serSe ed for the readers imagination.
Bu< some figures are given to show the ei.
feet of railroads on the prices of the three
leading products of the farm, wheat, corn
and hogs. Taking the average prices for
ten years from 1850 to ls40 they are found to
be as follows: Wheat seventy-three cents;
corn. twenty-eight cents, and hogs, So So
gross per hundred. For the ten
ten years after railroads were built from
1S60 to 1870, the average prices stand: wheat,
81 20; corn, seventy-seven cents and hogs,
50 62. That is, with rail transportation
wheat has yielded 50 80 for every dollar
with the wagon roads, corn 81 70 to every
dollar and hogs 81 SO, or the value of these
products has been increased about one hun
dred and fifty per cent. But this is not so |
striking showing as that OF the enhanced
value of lands attributed to the
effect of the railroads. It is shown by Off
cial testimony that the average increase in
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

heavily and Justly too. When congress as
sembled it was conceded by all that some
legislation for the help OF the country was
the principal business on hand. With this
view all the financial quacks in the country
swarmed together with their prescriptions
for the disease. These may thank them
selves IL nothing at all Is done. For their
remedies were enough to drive any body OF
men crazy, If they had any sense 10 begin
with. Amer all, second surprise may be in
store tor the public by the passage of the
Senate bill some morning as unexpectedly
as the veto came.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

A. will beseen from the extended extracts
OF state papers, the counties are rallyingt TO
the calls of the farmers for Independent
action in their local politics at numerous
points. Every indication adds to the evil
dence of disintegrxtion in the parties. The
municipal elections all over the state have
resulted in the choice of officers without re-
gard to past political relations. 1t may be
alleged that these neighborhood affairs have
little significance. But 1t will be remem-
bered that not many years ago the party
lines were more arbitrary, II possible, in city
elections than any other. 1t was useless then
to argue for the protection of home interests,
that the government of an incorporated
town had ne legitimate connection with
political parties outside or inside. IL was
vigorously held that the city elections exert
cd their influence where party distinctions
were significant and that a successful party
must zealously guard every elective once,
no matter how trifiing or how remote from
leading issues. 1t all told upon the final
and aggregate results. There was
truth in that and there is force In the
fact that five sixths Of the town and city
elections this week have been OF
select tickets made in pronounced
contempt of partisanship. The counties
are going the same way precisely. Peoples
conventions and Independent tickets are in
preparation in large number OF the coun-
ties, although the movement is OF very re-
cent origin. Between this and June many
of these county assemblies are called and
more will be- The time between this and
June 10 is brief aud where action is to be
had with reference to that meeting, there is
no time to be lost in delay. Where con-
ventions are held, proper attention will be
given to pro viding for the 10th proximo.
But in case no convention is had by the
county, il need not de .er the friends OF the
movement from attendance at the state
gathering all the same. That will be sponta-
neous gathering of all the people, where
every voice will be heard a. of equal right
and authority with every other.
There will be no motion to sit
with closed doors, and no deliberations
which a part of the people may not be
allowed to hear. There will be no cam
paign mapped out which must be concealed
from the enemy, and no secret tactics for
the defeat of an equally polite foe- All this
is past. The people, who ask only for
capacity and integrity, as by a simultaneous
impulse are moving, without restraint and
witheut strategy. for the overthrow of or
ganized chicanery to accomplish purposes
which look to other ends than the service Of
the public and the wise and economical
administration of government. Such. at
least, Is the evidence that is borne by every
outward expression and reflected by large
portion of the press of the state. They ask
good men and honest work, not what school
of politics gave the candidate his e ducation.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

Periodically the humane people issue their
protests against war between civilized ma
lions, claiming that it is an inexcusabiy bar
barous prset;ce and the military spirit is al
together absurd. No doubt such views are
philosophically sound. War is a bad thing,
a very disagreeable performance to great
many. But, AFTER all, those who do the bust
mess like it. Nothing would be more accept
able to the rank and sile of the AEaerican
people this year, than good 'ex-
cuse for a fight, great. grand
military Tournament, costing thousands of
millions, to be left fort people to pay who
the present generation care nothing. This
might not be right, but the people would
like it, notwithstanding. Just new the plea
is for arbitration of difficulties, and It is
good. There is nesense la powerful nations
testing their strength by srying to see who
can kill the most men. Really, it lis a
question who has the most money
to spend. The treaty is only a mutual ar
bitration after all. The best assurance of
settlements by arbitration is when two ma
tions are afraid to try their strength. A
great deal is said abeut the wisdom of the
Geneva settlement. 1t was clear case of
discretion the better part OF vaior. When it
is Improbable, in large degree, to fight,
the powers will arbitrate IS England
and the United States have done.
Ali the good will rejoice in such
a result. But exhortstion win amount
to nothing outside the more weighty
of interest and mutual dread.
1t is of little practical moment to figure up
that $500, 600 600 per snnum are paid to sup
port ten million soldiers. The military art
is popular and sometimes war is unavoids-
BILE. No doubt as civilization and industry
endow the nations with material strength,
the gage of battle will be gradually aban-
doned. The moral sentiment will do its
part to dissuade from violence, but when it
comes to the defense and protection of
what is right every man is soldier, no mat
ter how much charity he possesses. We'll
come DO the day when wars shall cease, but |
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

DIR. William A. Hammond of New York,
whose authority as amedical expert is ac-
cepted the highest, has made a notable
delivery on the effects of alcohol. 1t was
the subject of his recent inaugural address
as president of the New York Neurological
Society. He holds that elcohol in some form
is beneficial in a high degree to some con-
stitutIons, and adduces very strong expert
mental and scientific testimony in support
of his views. He has proved that alcohol ar
rests to some extent the destruction OF tissue
under continued exertion. and that it thereby
eompensates in part for the lack of food
He made three careful experiments upon
himself, using a small amount of alcohol,
under three conditions: first, with a sufE-
Gent amount of food for the wants of the
system; second, with too little; third, with
TOO much. In the second case the alcohol
was beneficial, in the first and last Injurious.
The excessive use OF liquors he finds to be
productive ola long list OF dire diseases.
AS TO what constitutes excess, there
is no arbitrary rule; it must be de-
termined by the individual constitution
the same as the kind and quantity OF fvod
Dram drinking is condemned and also the
use of distilled liquors. Bat the doctor en-
courages the substitution of beer and wine
and their permission, while he would legis-
late agains. spirituous liquors. 1t is evident
that the influx of knowledge and sci
enee is destined To modify the
whole question in regard to the use
of stiInulants and To finally
show a true path out of the vsxedIbswilder-
ments OF temperance Legislation. Both
sides are on eXtresle and untenabIe ground
knowledge of the tSzIth and the whole truth
will one day set legislation right, AMI will
also redeem the rscs from the .cn<se of
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

exorbitant monopoly would perish
with any plan which dispenses with the
lighters. The prospect is not bright for get
ting congress to work upon the subject al
all. IfnothiDg is done, all the private inter-
ests and Jobs are postponed; a very distaste-
full result 70 those who see sparkling millions
almost within reach. Setting out these
speculative interests, and it Is pity they
could not be eliminated from the enterprise
entirely, the city of st. Louis is frantic for
something to be dene because OF its bearing
on all her local advantages. She wants the
commerce of the unobstructed river. and
nobody can blame her for that. Besides, it
would be gratifying il her pet Captain Eads
could have the honor and emoluments-
only $4,000, O00-of the great work. 1t is
plain enough to everybody that the
great river ought to be made useful. First,
it ought to be broke to harness so that Ii
would quilt running away, as Of late, and
demolishing everything within reach OF it.
Second, 1t should be fixed so that ocean
steamers can come in from the gulf without
stopping to give costly countersign to New
Orleans. So much the country properly de-
mands. If congress could do this work
without selling out the job at heavy expense
TO tine country, it might be justified in aid
ing the improvement. And it is beyond all
question that if government is justly au-
thorized 10 do the work at all, now is the
time to begin. It is an immense loss to have
the work delayed. Those i'm direct interest
are clamoring for the farmers TO come to the
rescue. and sit squarely down upon congress
in their behalf. The Northw estern states
have responded pretty strongly, too. But
what can they hope from body that has
actually done less than nothing in a whole
session9
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

1t seems TO be taken for granted .hy the
country generally that the currency bill as
reported by the Senate committee has mo
chance Of enactneent into law. II this 1e
true, il means simply tkat both parties to
the contest between resumption and infs-
ton are hopelessly unceGpromisiug. AS
for the president, he cannot recede from his
position a hairs breadth, were he SO dis
posed, which lac Probsblyis not. On the
other hand, the Morton-L Logan tribe prefer
DO action to an open rebuke and defeat.
Their imam cisi pulley is founded, not on any
principle relating to the subject, but upon
the clamor OF their followers and the effect
of their work upon the party and them
selves. Hence a sound law has no more
claims on them than the most vicious, con-
sidered in itself. There is large class, and
it includes some ofthe best fnaneiers, who
are decidedly in favor of doing nothing.
They have been so from the day that con-
gress assembled. These. will not regret
the result which most people
anticipate, viz: that it being
impossible to agree on this or any other
proposition, congress will adjourn without
doing anything in the way Of practical legis-
lstion. This is just what the members
most devoutly wish to do, without doubt save
for the mountain of odium that must roll
down upon them for holding business in
suspense all winter, and 2aralyzing the
spring trade and doing nothing at last.
Such al outcome will weigh down pretty
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

1t is pretty hard to decide on testioouy
who is right in regard to the best method of
improving the mouth OF the Mississippi
river. There is very sharp fight over the
question. iust now, and the probability that
all parties have large money interests at
stake casts suspicion on all the arguments
and representations. The elemeat that gives
unaecustomed heat to the contest at this par
ticul&r time is pressure which always devel-
ops heat. The pressure is TO force action
upon congress and to determine the Icharac-
ter of that action. st. Louis and all her
newspapers are the champions OF
Captain Eads and his plans for con-
Quoting the Mississippi current
out into the gulf beyond the
bar by system of "jetties," which have
been briefly noticed before by the Sentinel.
Captain Eads' pamphlets aud professional
authorities are quite conclusive to the super
fetal mind. But on the other hand the OPP
ponents of his scheme claim to refute all the
arguments. 1t is charged by the st. Louis
papers that three interested parties are fight
ing Captain Eads. First, the whole corps of
army engineers oppose it because 1t is not
their plan. Second, the ring of New Orleans
spectators who are interested in the
Fort st. Philip canal project; and
third, the tow-boat company whose
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

the value of lands in eight western states is
go per cent, OF farm lands worth the aver
age of si1.62 per acre, are raised in value to
an average value of s34.93. The number Of
acres in the United States thus affected the
writer estimates at two-thirds of all the farm
lands, or 81 ,S2s, 1851, on which the increased
value would be fifty-three hundred million
dollars, twice the public debt. Mr.. Thomp-
son goes on to show the capital invested in
farms and railroads, respectively, and comes
out with the conclusion, while the net earn
fifth per cent, the profit on farming capital
s eight and nine-tenths per cent. The fig
ures are ingeniously presented, and whether
they are strictly accurate or not, the showing
of what the railroads have done for
the material interest ofthe country is placed
in a very strong light which 1t would not be
an easy matter to contradict. Whether any
body would be disposed to criticise, it re
mains to be seen. 1t Is claimed, and no
doubt honestly, by the farmers in their or
CARNATIONS, that they have no war to make
on the railroads. There are few. if any, so
stupid as not to understand the value OF the
railroads, and that the corporations and the
country which they serve have mutual de-
pendence and common interest. This senti-
ment has been fully and clearly expressed
in the manifestoes of even the Illinois farm
ers' convention, where the feelings against
the roads has been strongest. little time
will suffice to sdjnst these sentimentsin hsr-
mony with the truth.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

The House committee on public lands has
discovered chance to create new public
Office, aud have prepared bill for the pur-
pose. The incumbent is to be styled COM
missioner OF forestry, and is to report the
methods for preserving the forests OF the
country. A portion OF his duties will be,
no doubt, to make tour ofEurope at gov
ernment expense, to see how the thing is
done abroad, and after he gets back he will
want few deputies and force of clerks sp-
pointed to assist him, and building put up
in Washington for his accommodation; and
then he will get out every year q new book,
with illustrations, which will be printed at
the congressional printing Office, at cost of
a few hundred thousand dollars, and fur
nished free by congressman to their grateful
constituents.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

Butler in Massachusetts, by the election Of
washburn, says: 1.-The time seems to b
every day drawing nearer when the politi-
cal forces OF the country will divide them.
selves into two hostile camps, one of which
will be the honest people Of the country, and
IN the other a number of corrupt officials
who will attempt to retain their powerjus
rs Tweed, Sweeny, Hall and Connolly did
in this city four years ago, by defying the
will Of the people: There is no substantial
difference except in degree between politics
In Washington-with It's Sanborn contracts.
its district pavements, its continuous stream
of scandalous northumberland the coDdi-
ton of politics In New York for many years
under Tammany."
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

more WELCOME that necessary prelimina y
when the claims Of right are so recognized
that there shall be no necessity for defend
ing 1t from ihs attacks of violence. On that
recognition lies the basis of arbitration
which proposes to decide what is right
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-12

Gable communication IS reopened between
the West Indies and the United STATES, az
also Central and South America.
Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-11-07
STATE NEWS.
ChcsnHts are down to 81 so per
&ushpl ias the upper country.

(ilcSnHiS are down TO ~ .oO pei
Gushel faa the upper country.
Pr,aractcd meetings and religi-
OTIS revivai- are being held all
over the State.
A vigilance committee has been
organized in Cross Creek township,
Brooke county.
VIM. House was instantly killed
by a fall Of slate In the Hampshire
aanines. on the 23d inst.
There is in the Mountain Herald
sOEficea beet two and half feet
aong al d five inches in diameter.
The residence of Mr.. James
Baker. of Monengalia county, was
burned last week. Loss not
stated
The West Columbia Mason
county, Monitor says black bears
are unusually abundant not far
from that village.
A boy named Bates fell from a
distance Of IS or so feet while
nutting, in Monongalia county.
Strange to say, he was not killed.
Two prisoners escaped from the
Raleigh county Jail a few days
since, but were recaptured after an
exciting race, in which about two
hundred persons joined
Women do carpenter work in
Monongalia county at least we
notice that Mrs. Louisa Ferrel
fell frem a scaffold where she was
at work Notwithstanding house,
a few days ago.
A smart-looking colored miss
out in Buc harmon wanted to kiss
"a dapper little "store" clerk. but
he couldn't see it. A combat with
yard-stick and poker followed, re-
sulting in a drawn battle, with no
blood split.
The Piedmont Independent says:
Edward Harrison, a youth of Is
years, son of B. T. Hasrison, Esq.
of Westernpurt, Nd, was run
over and instantly killed, on Tues
day morning last, three miles east
Of Piedmont, at Carter's Camp.
The Fairmont Vest Virginioa
learns.that sqirrels are SO plentiful
in the vicinities Warrington and
Glover's Gap that they can be
killed with clubs and stones, and
that they are making heavy n
roads upon the fall crop of corn
and apples.
We learn from the Parkersburg
Times, of late date. that vein
of variegated limestone, resemb-
ding marble, and possibly identi
cal with that mineral, was recent
ly investigated in Richie county,
and is supposed to be very valua-
BILE also that several parties from
Pennaylvaniaare examining the
fimbel lands on the Little Kama
wha. and will probably purchase
with view to immediate develop
npuf
Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-11-07
TO THE PUBLIC.

WILL OPEN on OR ABOUT THE
4 9Th inst, in the room recently occu-
pied by r. J. Rankin, Esq opposite the
National Bank, large ard carefully Sc
lecied stock OF DRY GOODS and NO
TIONS. These goods will be purch ssed
entirely for cash, and at the close Of the
business season, when prices always rule
low and having no old stock 10 embar-
rass profits, | will be able to offer them a,
the lowest possible rates
My old friends and the public generally
are requested TO examine my stock before
making their purchases.
G.. w. HOKE
Nov. 7--ltw d Nov. 9al0