Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-07-12

they, together with the hapIess
officer who let them go free, re-
ceived a stern rebuke and were
given their choice Of fine or i'm
prisonment. | think this is the
first instance Of the kind recorded
in this city.
The death Of Mr.. RJbert Dale
Owen, which took place at his
retired home on Lake George,
brings freshly to mind The main
incidents Of a strange and events
full life. Mr.. Owen is, perhaps,
most generally remembered by
his connection with the "Katie
King" aft iir and exposure in 1874
undoubtedly the most remarka-
6le spiritualistic episode on record.
Shortly after this exposure, which
put him III an uDfavorablc light,
Mr.. Owen went to an insane asy-
lum, not, however, on that &C.
count, if his friends are to be be-
lieyed. Mr.. Owen inherited soci-
alis!ic and even communIstic ten.
denotes from his father, a wealthy
Scotcbman, who, getting thorough
ly into his head the crotchet that
all wealth and rank should be a.
bolished, came over to this coun-
try and spent LA fortune in un-
successful attempts to carry bis
ideas into practical effect. The
best known of these Efforts, and
the one where Robert Dale Owen,
then young man of %, first
came into notice, was the colony
he founded at New Harmony,
Ind, where the enthusiastic Owen,
senior, had bought 10000 acres
of land and a thousand dwellings.
The experiment was a failure, as
were subsequent attempts in the
same direction. Robert Dale
Owens marriage was as peculiar
as the rest Of his life. No cere-
mOny was ever performed, both
be and bis wife insisting that is
was senseless and unnecessary.
They merely drew up and signed
an agreement regarding their
union. The marriage was, how
ever, happy one and endured
for nearly forty years, when Mr..
Owen died, to the great grief OF
of her husband.
In view Cf the recent terrible
fires in New England and Can
ada, and on general principles,
the insurance men have just
closed a manful struggle against
the permission of fire-crackers
and fireworks generally on
Wednesday next; but the small
boy, planting himself sdudrely
upon the traditions Of century,
has successfully defied them and
put them utterly to rout. Per-
haps Mayor Ely, when he put
his signature to the ordinance
permitting the use Of these OBJ
noxious articles, re1em bered the
immense access of patriotism
which, together with burned fin
gers and a blackened face, result
ed to himself in his own early
years from the indulgence Of the
festive fire-cracker and its big
brother the "double header" and
was unwilling that the rising
generation should be deprived
of such an incentive to the pres
erYation Of national independ-
ence. Let things remain as
they are and there breathes not
the caitiff boy who would shrink
from shedding the last drop Of
blood in his veins in defence Of
those institutions which sustain
our annual bang. But once let
the fire-cracker be thrust into
ignomlnious exile-then stand
from under! The republican
form Of government without
fire crackers would be to tho
small boy even as champagne .
from which all fizz has been cx-
tracted. He would droop and
pine, and the American eagle
might bc-nay, doubtless would
be, dragged through the mire ut
the tyrant's chariot-whcel; nor
would the S. b. raise a finger in
its behalf or even care a last
years pcg-top for the whole ca
tastrophe. So let us retain the
little red scourge by all means
in spite of the published statis-
tics which show a fire loss Of
500 for every dollars worth Of
fire-crackers imported into this
country. RADlX.