Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-03-01
Burdette ON the Ohio Mound
Builders.


Burdette has been moralizing among
the pre- historic mounds of Newark,
Ohio. He reports his reflections thus /:
Here the mound builders said their
prayers and carved their captive
enemies on the efigy mound, the
eagle altar in the center. Here the
legislature of those days met; here
gifted SOlons went out into the cloak
room to see the busy lobbyist, and
receive their cash before they voted
on the bill. Here the fiat money
lunatic of the older days urged the
immr rdiate issue OF 10000 000O0,0 900
bushels of bass wood wampum, which
should in all respects be considered as
good as shell wampum and copper
money. Here, in the dusky twilight
of bygone age, men who weren't fit
to be poundmaster wanted to run for
congress, and did run, and beat better
men aud got elected, and caught tie
soldier vote by introducing a bill to
give bounty lands and money to all
soldiers of the late war who had at.
tained the ageo of 100 years and upward.
Two thousand years agol To day the
circle is lonely; forest trees crown its
summit. Centuries have passed away
since their tiny germs put forth the
first tender shoot that struggled
through the clinging moss and cum.
bering leaves, and looked out upon
the world, and saw that it was
good, and that it was made, prib-
cipally, for the Ohio man. Hde
In this haunted spot, other hearts haEe
throbbed with love and ached with
pain. Friends have walked and loTd
n these dusky solitudes, friendshl lbs
have been broken and hearts estrangld;
the lesping fires of generous ambition
hare dad away in sullen ashes; brkht
boDes that glowed like sunlight nlshe
morning have gone down in rayess
light and pitiless storm. Here nan
b'1od has barred its peerless breast to
the shafts Of the savage foe, and hore
lovely woman has stepped, with her
hare feet, on little green snakd not
four inches iNpg, and jumped Hear
aver the mound with howlIthat
soWyed all tho milk this side Of the
Hooking mounds. Thcy lived dthey
planned. and schemed; tEsy lnew
The sting of envy and the BITTERNESS Of
bate: they worshjpped here, ami the
arching aisles Of the forest rang with
their anthems as they sang without
lining:
Pt6resrexl is lanxdrchtl pltehtcl,
Brxti, brxh away ,y,
Whrxtzl sntzehoctl xr glchtrdzyma,
Chtozl, chtozl Rs day.
The throbbing hearts are stIl; the
Il, hit is gone out of the beamint eyes;
,Io hands that wrought are dlyfolded
IN ete, ual rest; the brains that banned
sre lock u in sluInber that no reams
];s,rrb The busy thousanB, the
Ssneration scccecdod generatiin that
once thronged the solitudes there !
stand alone to.day--here Is tHir sep
"lchre: the air is haunted viii their
duskv forms, the. circle is 8 carnel-
house, the spirit of death is in the
! forest
q throush the trees, and 10 wood.
ecker gay in his coat Of wlite and
SCARLET and black, glitter in tie sun.
llCht A picture Of Joy and ife anc
bssuiy. Think Of death an miserl
;Ithe world while that bright spiri
tnuches the blasted tree witlia fash o
,eolor and beauty before YOU
YM think so. do you? That's
llttle dash of color and beatty whicl
drives away the dark shadof q EEL
saa suiferingf VOL, do'Iit nes