The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-25
January Magazines.
S0ribner'a,

t.. "a Soribners.
u Scritner's monthly for January opens witt
deeply interesting and richly illustrated
article on New York in the Revolution.
n 1t Is crowded with stirring incidents ant
sketches that had been measurably forgotten
but the revival of which is eminently appro
pirate to the opening of the centennial year
I. Here is delightful sketch of an editor o
ITS: ....... ......... ...
The New York Journal, published by Johr
Holt, was the sturdy and unpurchasable or
gan of the Sons of Liberty. Its editor fec
the city after the disastrous battle on Lone
! Island, and he was heard of 8fterward as pub
Fishing his newspaper at one and another oil
the towns on the Hudson under circumstances
that would have appalled, less determined
man. la the month of August. TIT, while
at EsOpus, he printed an advertisement, in
which he proposed to take any kind of coun
try produce IN the way OF trade. His pros.
pectus reads very quantity; "And the print.
err being unable 10 carry on his business
without the necessaries of life, is obliged to
atiix the following prices 10 his work, viz
For a quarter Of Neus, 12 lbs. of beef, pork,
veal, or mutton, or 4 lbs. of butter, or Z lbs.
of cheese, or ~ lbs. of fine -four, or half a
bushel of wheat, or one bushel OF Indian
corr, or half a cord of wood, or 800 W.T.. of
hay, or other articles of country produce as
he shall want them in like proportions, or
as much money as will purchase them at the
time; for other articles of printing work, the
prices to be in proportion to that of the
newspaper. All his customers, who have to
spare any Of the above, or other articles of
country produce, he hopes will let him know
II. and afford him the necessary supplies,
without which his business here must very
soon be discontinued" 1t is gratifying TO be
able TO state Il at the sturdy patriot survived
tine revolution, and lived to revisit the city,
of which he had been Postmaster ia 1775.
Mr.. Scudder's story of "Cupid and Mars"
on the other hand, gives good centennial
idea of Boston, which was also in possession
of the enemy during the Christmas season a
hundred years ago. And as further appro
pirate to the centennial year, we have in this
number the first lnstallment of a series of
Revolutionary letters Then in the opening
nstallment of Edward Everett Hale's new
serial of "Philip Nolan's Friends" we have
some very fine glmpses Of Washington, in
this way:
Nolan said to his old friend cautiously:
"Did you see the Generalg Did you see
General Washington when he drove Howe
outy'
Nolan spoke with that Kind of veneration
for Washington's name, which was then, per
haps, at Its very acme-at the period when
the whole country WAS under the impress of
Of his recent death.
Guess / did Seen him a great many
times. l was standin' right by him when he
cum into tho old tavern at the head of King
street Jest where the pump is, by the Town
House. Gage boarded there, and Howe and
Clinton haa their quarters there, and so the
Gineral come there when our army marched
in.
"They was little gal stood there starin at
HIM and sll the rest, and he took her up, and
he kissed her, he did.
"'Ne said to her. Sis says he, which do
you like best, the Red Goats Or the Yankees! g
n the child says, says she, she liked the Red.
Goats the best,-gal.like, you know,--cos
out, ne says to her: 'Woll' says he they du
have the best clothes, but il takes the ragged
boys to du the fghtin' o, | seen him lots %
times
Five chapters of Bret Harte's story, "Ga.
briel Conroy,' are given, again crowded with
interest. A new character appears In Mr.
Peter Dumphy-time, spring of 1854:
His outspoken faith in the present and fu
ture OF California was unbounded. His sin.
cere convictions that no country or climate
was ever before so signally favored, his intol
Grafton oil any criticism or belief TO the con
Iary, made him q representative man. SO
positive and unmlstakable was his habitual
expression on the subjects, that II was mpos
slble to remain long in his presence without
becoming impressed with the idea that any
other condition OF society, climate or civiliza
tioh than that which is obtained in California,
was mistake. Strangers were brought early
to imbido from this fountain; timid and
weak Californians in danger Of relapse had
their faith renewed and their eyesIght res,or.
ed by bathing in this pool that Mr.. Dumphy
kept always replenished. Unconscionsly
people at last got to echoing Mr. Dumphy's
views as their own, and much of the large
praise that appeared In newspapers public
speeches, and correspondence, was first voted
by Dumphy
1t must not be supposed that Mr. Dumphy's
positiveness of statement aud peremptory
manner were at all injurious To his social
reputation. Owing TO that suspicion with
which most frontier communities regard
polite concession and sauvity of method,
Mr.. Dumphy's brusquc irankness was always
accepted as genuine. "You always know
what fete Dumphy MEANS" was the average
criticism. "lle amt goin' to lie 10 please
any man. To conceit that was so out.
spoken as to be courageous, TO an ignorance
that was so freely and shamelessly expressed
as to make hesiis,ing and cautious wisdom
appear weak and humanity beside II Mr.
Dumphy added the rare quality of perfect
unconscientiousness snmixed with any adul.
terating virtue.
Christmas receives due attention in the
present number. There is a good deal abou,
| Il in the New York article as well as in Mr.
Scudfer's story, besides VII CHI we have n
poem, The Kings Christmas" with illus,ra
lions. Clarence Cooks interesting papers on
house furnishing are resumed, and John Bur.
roughs has practical paper on house build.
Inc The x<orts ara : ID nj. n. =.