The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1874-03-05
Correspondence of the News.
Letter from Memphis, Tenn
The Temperance Movement
t0 Ohi0-"Mardl-Gras" and
It's Revelry.

In -MaF0i-Gr0s" and
It's Revelry.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Feb. 18, 1874.
Although separated by the distance
of many intervening miles, I am far
from having any desire to lose my
identity with the old Buckeye State;
nor have I, in any respect, by absence,
lost my interest in the fair little city
of B., with which I have been SO long
connected as 10 feel proud ofits pros
perity and takepleasure in the welfare
and happiness Of its people. On the
contrary, while I daily read and hear
of the great Temperance wave that
is rocking the foundations of South
ern Ohio, including our own "Model
Town." with the strength of a long
gathering tempest, my heart is kin
died with the same ardor it would
feel, were permitted to be one of
the noble band, whose songs and
prayers are each day heard at the
throne of Heaven, pleading against
the nefarious and soul-destroying
whisky traffic, the curse of hundred
lands as fair as ours. The glorious
work began in Hillsboro, and as q
''The wave behind impels the wave before"
pray God it may not cease until
each village, town, and city of the
State, as well as of the Union, is
moved by the impetus, and there is
written over every arch-way-"Death
to King Alcohol, and victory over
death.
While many, by their acts, through
the blessed influence of prayer, have
acknowledged an interest in their
own souls, it is not surprising that
from various sources the whisky-sel-
Ter, the dram -drinker and their sym
pathizers, are loud in their SCOTS and
jeers at the present Temperance
movement; but after all there is a
deeper current, and under the exter-
ior of ightness and jest more than
one already feels that it is "hard to
kick against the pricks."
Yesterday was Shrove-Tuesday,
and "Mmdi- -Gras" was celebrated in
Memphis in a way which made it the
fmaddest merriest day of all the
year. Notwithstanding the inclem-
ency of the weather-the rain having
poured necessarily during the night
and until noon-the maskers appear
ed on the streets at an early hour,
splashing through the mud and Wa
ter with avidity, arrayed in the most
grotesque and laughable costumes
ever invented by the imaginative
mind Everything possibly sugges-
tive of the ludicrous was burlesqued
to perfection, by single individuals,
groups, professions, ETC., on foot, on
horseback, and in vehicles-all en-
naGsque.
Every Society and Order showed a
spirit of rivalry as to which could be-
come the most ridiculous. In all
truth, there were "The Mystic Crewe,
the Noisy Crewe, the Motley Crewe,
the Crazy Crewe, and the Devils
Own Crewe." Among the most
amusing of thousand burlesques
seen on the streets, were the Duke
and Countess of Edinburg, the form
er dressed a la clown, in an elabor-
ate robe of red and white calico, with
buttons that were monstrosities to
behold, while the Countess initiated
the true "Heathen Chinee," fresh
from the pig-tail country.
An old, dilapidated-looking car
riage, with broken spokes and shack
ly appendages, finished at top in
splendor, represented ''The Progress
of the Times" Another, drawn by
the most pitifullooking mules and
oxen, exhibited "Women's Rights"
The "Siarnese Twins" promenaded
the streets eheerfully, closely united
withsa link of cotton! George Wash
ington, with the hatchet that "never
told lie, in full dress, carried one
instantaneously to the old time ofknee-
buckle breeches, cooked hats and
Continental coats.
Thelast of the ludicrous sights thatI
Will consume space to mention, was
huge, comical old wagon, covered
with notices, such as ''Copper-dis-
titled prayer meetings" "Rectifying |
saloon keepers of Ohio" ETC., etc,
full of absurdly dressed women and
old fogy men, singing, shouting, and
reading addresses intended as q
take-off on the late Temperance
Movement in your State, as you will
readily perceive. As it passed, I
couldn't but wish the occupants
might soon be singing and praying in
different way, for of all cities I GER
tainly think Memphis has the sorest
need of Temperance Reform.
During the day, all the jolly,
laughable part of Mardi-Gras was to
be seen, but at night the streets
were brilliantly Illuminated, the droll
wonders of the day had ceased, and
the Mystic Crewe-the Menaphi-
appeared in all the gorgeous embla-
zoury of the East The horses
were richly caparisoned, the gay ca
valiers armed cdp-G1pie with bur
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