, 1877-01-06
THE CLOSING YEAR.

Dc1OIo duOtAcI lSouo VI ILLS pdPCi
shall have reached our readers, the
Centennial year of our Republic
will have fallen before the sickle o1
the reaper, Time, and been gathered
in the garner of the centuries. II
has been a great year, as set forth
by the products of our industry
and the display of our natural
wealth; it has been a most humiliat-
ing year, as shown by the utter rot
tenness of our government, in the
late national political struggle. Well
was it for the great and lofty souls
who met in old Liberty Hall on that
pleasant July morning, hundred
years ago, that their eyes are closed
in death, and that they were not
permitted to behold the disgrace OF
popular government overridden by
the brute force of the bayonet. The
belt of land beside Atlantic
waves, on which they first planted
the germ of republic, has grown
and expanded till the star-wrought
mantle of Fort McHenry dips its
fringes in the sunset sea. In lands
of which Marco Polo and Vasco de
CANA dreamed, the same flag waves
proudly and affords its shelter to
the humblest of our citizens. Across
the coral reefs of India and beneath
the seas of Kathay, stretches the
magic Gordon of sunken wire which
binds Earth's continents in unity
approved by Heaven and applauded
by man, weaving like a magic
shuttle, the bridal robe of a worlds
harmony and the funeral shroud Of
havoc and war. In the prophetic
words of Oregon's noblest son, ''the
genius of American liberty has
led all her sons to the altar of Free
DOM"
But while we, seated in our warm
homes, by hearths on which the
yule-log sheds forth its genial glow,
look back pleasantly upon the dy-
ing year, there may be frail forms
fainting at our door, whose lips
may be mute though their pleading
glances are praying that another year
may bring again the sunlight OF old
and the radiance of happy days
long since departed. Remember il
was Christ himself who said "The
poor We have always with ye." Oi
all Christian virtues Charity is the
noblest; and there is no season
more appropriate for its exercise
than the present one. Therefore
of such as you can bestow, give
cheerfully and with willing hearts
Midnight hovers in the skies as
we write, and the poor old year has
less than another day to live. Lei
it be one of study and reflection.
that We may form sterner resolves
for the coming year and shape oul
courses to the paths Of rectitude
whence peace never walks abroad
There is none so humble but he has
a mission in life, a duty to society
and an obligation towards mankind
The new year may find some of us
in the enjoyment of riches, while
others toll in scarce-deserved pov.
erty; it will dawn alike upon ths
beautiful and the homely, the hero
and the coward, the saint and the
sinner, the sage and the buffoon.
Over costly domes and into paper
patched windows, with impartial
glory. the morning sun shall shed
its pure and holy ray. And to all
of our people, high or low, rich OF
poor, wise or simple, we wish "a
Happy New Year," adding thereto
the homely benediction of Rip Van
Winkle-"May you live long and
prosper"
The pool rooms in San Francisco
were crowded last night by specu-
lators, eager to obtain the state of
odds on the horses starting for the
two mile and repeat race tomorrow
at the Bay District grounds. The
following is the average pool, Lady
Amanda, $50; Matte A, $50, Balli-
nette, S25; Bradley, $40; Henry.
Overland Pat and Target, SIS each.
Tomorrow being New Years Day
and observed as holiday in all the
other newspaper offices, we shall
publish no paper. The AtezHgencer
and Tribune have made similar ar
rangements in their respective es-
tablIshments.
A contemporary says that eve