Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-01-01
Christmas i'm HedgesviIIe
HEDGEsyLLE. Dec. 2,

To the Editors ofthe Independent
AS an evidence of the dizziness of
times here a man passes through
our streets twice week and some
times oftener with a tin horn on
which he gives an occasional blast
to arouse the inhabitants from
their lethargy. The hope has been
fondly entertained that the APP
preaching holidays with its exhil-
Grating influences would awaken
us to new life and we would once
breath and feel as people do i'm
most other places. But alas for
events human! Christmas came
and with IL our disappointment,
for the day could safely be claimed
considering it was Christmas
the dullest of the year.
The few business houses being
| closed added in giving the day the
semblance of mourning more than
one of festivity and had there been
services at the different churches
it would have ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
the gloom and rendered the day
probably as it should be a first
class sabbath, but there was none
and there seemed no life in us I'M
til some small boy aroused the ire
of our learned and truly enlight-
ened council who were immediate
ly convened in secret conclave to
consider the Importance of stop
ping the sale of fire crackers with
in the limits of the city.
Messrs. Vamelyea and Bodine
two enterprising merchants and
confectioners of this place having
purchased large stock Of torpe-
does and fire crackers, consisting
at least of a dozen packes each,
which they were disposing of at
wholesale to the mischeivous ur.
chins who would explode them
wickedly and mischeivously in
the very face of the council, and
in defiance of their sacred man.
dates. It was plain something
must be done. True several small
boys had been arrested by
the indefatigable sergeant and
carried before his excellency, the
young mayor, who sat in his Office
clothed with authority and black
cloth suit /; who smiling through
his dignaty at their child like
simplicity, find each in proportion
to his offence-say when boy
threw but one torpedo, one dollar
and eighty cents was the amount
assessed and So in like proportion
as the offence increased. But pun
ishing the boys failed to check or
lessen the offences, and the young
mayor resolved to do the best he
could under the circumstances, it
not being practicable to see and
consult Mayor Chambsrs as on
former occasions, and as the cases
increased and the honor and dig
naty of the corporation was be-
coming more and more imperiled,
the young mayor gave unmistak-
able evidence of superiority of
mind over matter by retaining
his equilibrium and his black
suit. AT this critical juncture the
owl put in an appearance and as is
his custom began to NEEDLE, loud
ly advocating a meeting of our
village guardians, which was done
and the evil tapped at the root by
an edict forbidding the sale of gun
powder, saltpetre and charcoal
within the incorporate limits
which had the desired effect,
and long before the day was half
spent we resolved back to our
former sphere of inactivity, and
the north wind which enjoys a
free sweep here, resumed its re-
QUEEN over the deadestli little town
on the continent.
At night the ladies who are al
ways in the right, and who ever
deserves the highest commenda-
ton and thanks. evinced some of
the spirit of the age by entertain
ing the children of the Episcopal
Sabbath School at their Church
with a beautiful christmas tree.