Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-12
JEMIMA,s FOURTH.

JEMIMA's FOURTH.
Hoao 1t scas Observed on the Frontier Pratt
stes-The MOvia0 Tide.
To the Editor of the Globe.
GRANT Co., July z, 1879.-Well, "Inde-
pendence day. is over. Now. think you,
those in stirring, busy city homes, there is no
patriotism in US of the prairies of Minnesota,
whose husbands fought, and some of them
bled and even died for continuance of that
inheritance left us by our revolutionary
fathers! Yea, verify. It was kindled afresh
IN our hearts in our own quiet homes, with
no booming of cannon reminding us long
ere the break of day that the eventful time
was upon us. We celebrated, too, in our
own quiet way, yet with the same intensity
of feeling and earnestness of devotion as
characterizes those grander displays in our
large, overcrowded cities and towns. We
thought then the day might
be made an occasion for
season of enjoyment, especially to the chill
dren of those who had fought, and who i'm
bibe in large degree the patriotic express
sions of thought and feeling, taking an hon
est pride in the declaration, s'My father was
IN the war;" And should our country ever
again be in peril-yet God forbid it-me-
thinks "a hundr d thousand more might be
,alsed as readily as once was to defend our
country's flag.
The day commenced bright and beaming,
| and as each family arrived separately in the
appointed groveclose to the sparkling lake,
there were faces beaming, too, and hearts all
aglow at the prospect of grand gala day.
Blooming, fragrant prairie flowers decorated
each and almost every one, with bouquets scat
tered promiscuously around, lighting up tine
occasion with a glowing brilliancy, and add
ing charm and radiance to the VARYING
scenes.
Shall describe some of them, the scenes?
Well, here are batch of sparkling eyed,
rosy-cheeked girls, with he ads huduled
closely together, planning some sort of mis-
chief-something to tease the boys about,
more than likely. You know how we'll
they can do it, and how easy, too, the boys
can be leased, poor fellows y We who are
getting on toward the sdown hill side of
life'' can look on and pity them now, yet re-
Numbering how in other days we delighted
in the same employment. There group of
youngsters preparing to get their boats in
readiness, wherewith to entice the fair ones
waters of yonder lake. Then, after little
coaxing, and perhaps few protesta-
tons from some (only to
bring out little argument, you
know0 the festivities are in earnest begun.
While the sailing and swinging are in op-
GRAFTON, for was there ever picnic without
swing? why it would not be picnic at all,
(surely not, according to the old slime hon
ored' custom of picnicing), baskets heaped
with delicacis and substantials are brought
out, unladen of their burdens and contents
spread upon the grass, waiting the return of
the sailors, who we know will come to us
with appetites we'll sharpened, ready to do
Justice to what we shall SO temptingly put
before them. Then, when lunching is over,
there is a return to other and varied pleas
ures. For evening enjoyment there is a sub
stantial platform erected, on which to strip
the light fantastic" But we are Obliged
to refrain from that exercise, finding these
ears that head is lighter than toe.
Are We not happy company, with the
sweet, fresh breezes of the prairie tanning
us this hot day-the "Fourth-and with no
city notions of propriety to trammel us?
AS free do we move as the air we breathe,
and happiness and contentment are the tails
man of our lives. Especially may the SOL
memory of the day we now celebrate, and
grow up inheriting the same patriotic en-
thusiasm that inspired their fathers, and so
become their worthy successors.
Please, reader, excuse depression from
The opening subject. Rising quite early
one morning, and standing at an open win
dow looking toward the hills beyond
on the opposite side of the Pomme
de Terre river, distant only q mile
from us, we discovered what to us seemed q
tent, moving slowly away from its mornings,
until entirely out of sight. It proved to be
what we thought, the tent of two men settlers,
who had taken "homesteads'' only two weeks
previously. They had broken land, stayed
their allotted time, and were now off. AS we
saw them slowly disappear, then entirely out
of sight, our thoughts reverted to what we
had SO often read in our school girl DAYS,
"They pitch their tents like the Arab, and as
silently steal away"
Such oftimes, is life with us here. Since
"Uncle Sam" has decided that he is erich
enough to give us all larger FARM
in the extention of acres, from eighty
to 16O, there seems to be an increas
ing tide of emigration. Many,
many times during the present season, while
looking from our window down the road, the
crombie road-and counted often hy the
dozen the prairie schooners, following one
after another, with their human freight, then
struggling along come-welI, 1 can never
count them, there are so many.-hundreds,
may say, heads of cattle, with fowl and do
nestle animals in the rear. Many times, l
repeat again, have been reminded of those
beautiful, prophetic thoughts of our own
grand poet, Whittier, entitled, "The West:'
I hear the tread of Pioneers, of nations vet
to be,
The first low wash of waves where soon shall
roll a human sea-
The elements of Empire here are plastic yet
and warm,
And the chaos of mighty world is rounding
into form.
What could have been more prophetic, for
are not those very elements rounding into
form daily, over this vast prairie. Begun
even before those thoughts were first uttered,
and continuing on through all these years,
and methinks will to the end of time. For
how inexhaustible in resources, and almost
boundless in extent are it's acres. Open to
those from all lands who may come, a free
and honored country, honored because of
the valueless inheritance bought with the
price of blood. Free because still uphold
ing tenaciously and grandly freedom of
thought and word, and devotion to the
God of our universe, in whatever way it to
each seemeth best. JENNA.
The Heirs of Plus TX.
The lawsuit of tho heirs of Plus X threat
ems to be a most complicated ecclesiastical
legal problem. The Mastai family have no