Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-12
Correspondence from the Key
stone State.

Tow,sD,, Pa, Feb. !, lsso.
( Deer JouraaL We have just had a touch
Of winter, with five or six inches Of snow,
which has brought out the sleighs and horse
sicds in large numbers. 30 that the streets of
tha pleasant little town present lively APP
pearance during most Of the day. Some of
the vehicles are quite stylish, but most of
them were built for service rather than pleas
ure. There are but few single teams. and
those are arranged after the Canadian plan,
it'll the thills set over so that the horse can
travel in the left hand track made by the
double teams. This custom is established
by law in Canada, but by common consent in
this State, AMI ought to be adopted in Main,
where it j. often difficult to drive "A span up
on the country roads when the snow is deep,
and but few double teams pass over them.
The expense of adjusting single sleighs ac-
corlng to thi. plan would be trifiing, but the
imIruy emcnt in winter roads by giving a
double instead of single horse path. would
be much more than | can indicate by any
pen and ink sketch 1t must be tested to
he appreciated
Thursday morning the thermometer indi-
Gated zero which is the coolest weather Of
siderable ice was formed in the river oppo-
.itc the town. Local ice dealers began to be
more hupefal. and hotel keepers who put up
Zee 10 keep their customers and their beer
cool, felt assured of much larger profits
from the sale III malt liquors during the next
simmer. than they could expect if they
had to ship ice from abroad The beer
: trade however, would be less affected
, here than the other parts of the
state where the German element pre-
Z vail. and lager - the standard drink. From
e the number of persons seen drunk upon the
, streets. and what | have learned from obser-
walton and inquiry. think the people of
Towanda take more kindly to whiskcy than
to the mildcr drinks; and there seems to be
t no lack of bars to supply all who have taste
- for stmulants.
=. Towanda has. among her manufacturing
interests shoe factory where fifty or more
: persons are employed. Much of the work Is
b.. done by hand, only few d,achines being
Il used, and no power applied. In this respect
ihcv differ materially from our eastern cstah-
Il lishm, MS where almost every part OF the
I making of 4 boot or shoe is done bv macEin-
, cry. There is also a nail factory in partial
operation where forty or fifty men are now
u employed. and in few weeks the company
|. intend to put On a full force when the crew
, will consist of one hundred and twenty-five
o J
or more men.
The State Convention, of which mention
was made in my last letter, was held on the
9TH inst and passed resolution in favor Of
: the unit rule and for the nomination of
$ Grant This was brought about by the per-
sona influence and PERSUASION of Senator
Cameron, who almost on Blended knees be-
" sought the delegates to Weld to his wishes 4:
II at least. | am informed bv one of the dele
| NJ,
majority of the delegates sent were elected by
, constituencies Overwhelmingly in favor of
u Blaine. and yet the will of the people was de-
4 teated to CRAFTY the Camerons who use Grant
As a cudgcl to kill Blaine in the National
l. Convention at Chicago. The opinion here is.
Il that Grant could not carry PENNSYLVANIA if
. nominated. as there is deep feeling against the
third term arrangement. nor is he regarded
u as being, in the presidential chair, more of a
Z terror 10 revolutonists. insurreciionists. or
q evil doors in general. than would be Blaine.
sherman, or halt dozen others who could
! be mentioned.
t II il obvious that Grant is being pushed in
\ to the arena at this early date bv Don Gamer
on and his satellites, to check if possible the.
growing influence of Mr.. Blaine in other
Q States. and prevent him from receiving a suf-
fcent number of votes. on the first ballot at
Chicago, to make him so formidable cand-
date that he could not be overcome after.
=. wards.
: Curses deep. if not loud. are pronounced
against this stalking horse PLAN by repuhli-
cans here. and have heard quite number
say that they would not vote for Grant if he
, should he the candidate. These may be but
straws. and vet indicate the course ct the
winds. The delegate of whom speak above.
says that the action of the convention in op-
position to the manifest wish of a vast major
l i,y of the republicans in the State. has lost
tor Gen. Grant, the sympathy of fftv thous
and voters in Pennsylvania. i know it has
made very many men Indignant and they do
no, hesitate to denounce the one man power
60 arbitrarily displayed at Harrisburg on
"Wednesday.
Well, "all great men are not WISE" and /,
may be that the course taken by these leaders
, is no, the highest manifestation Of political
wisdom or strategy. The time NAV come
when. even they gill learn. that the wish Of
the rank aud file in grea, political parties can
net he denied with impunity. More anon.
j. MI