The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-01-06

b sadAsDs6d - Psrsess' seheel liesss.
Chrietmas has passed away without
any e0ehuatastic dem0nst atoms Of Joy
manifestIng themselves among oar
ctasa ena digni0ed citizens. Indeed
the ennoals q District No. Il, fall 70 ~
coEq any jubllant proceedings on the
~ OF the community. from the ear.
isees authentic records down TO the
present. No ChristmAs tapers ever
shed their kindly light upon the spark
ing eyes, and anxious expectant faces
OF the young; from the b0ughs Of Or
or neml0ck, enthused In the school
mouse: Perhaps ut some FIXTURE day
our friends viii unbend, and gladden.
the little ones hearts by abandoning
themselves to the jollity Of the occas-
SION. Owing to the boisterOus weather
our "men folks" have tbe II said to the
aggravation Of the good wife) found
very important and urgent business
beside the stove. The highways and
byways have been nearly deserted.
Long columns Of smoke ascending
from among the branches Of the
family r0Of-tree," testify to the faith
fulness with which the men have
''tended" to the fire. An occasional
hunter with aqueous eyes, and the
bluest Of cold noses, might have been
seen peering into thickets, i'm search Of
an item for Xmas. Freezing fingers
and aching toes are forgotten a. he
"hue's his hOmeward way" holding
up in the air an unfortunate rabbit,
which has every appearance Of having
been 'shot to death by the million
guns of the republic" as Garfield
would say.
Our popular teacher, l.. A. Davis,
has taken two weeks vactiOn and Is
away enjoying the holiday season.
NC. Baldwin started for Indiana,
last Tuesday. He will be absent some
time visiting relatives.
Miss NJ. 4. Powell, of Salina, has
had such good success, and given such
perfect satisfaction with her singing
class, that she will likely teach an
other term Of twelve lessons.
Ine GreeIey Literary still nourisnes
The question for next Tuesday even
ing is Resolved that the Federal
soldiers of the Rebellion deserve more
praise than the soldiers Of the RevOlu-
iiun." The debate will he one Of UNI
usual interest. The names of the lead
ing speakers are NJ. McAuliff, affirm;
p. III. DOlan, negative. Determinations
and a paper by Thos- McEntee, will
enliven the evening.
"There was music on the MOON
light" in Greeley. On the evening OF
the 3lst, three of our young folks
started out I'm search OF "fun." One
was disguised rs an old cOlOred lady Of
dignified years, and carried u musical
instrument known in its by-gOne days
as ''zittar;;" ms eleven Of the fifteen
strings which it formerly possessed
were missing, 1t did not create as
many harmonious sounds as 1t might
have done-but as its bearer said, lit
was easier to play on" Another clad
in u linen coat and straw-hat, with
blackened face, carried q bugle and en-
livened the line Of march with caval-
ry, and their disc0rdant ''calls"-the
like Of which mortal never heard be-
fore. The leader of the expedition
wore linen vest and pants, over which
was hung u white buster about seven-
teen sizes too large. Three or four
rents i'm the back removed all pOssi-
bility of the wearer suffOcatiHH for
want of air. This individual carried o
large valise and an "uInbarell." The
expedition proved terror tn all the
dogs encountered. A rush Mt the Of
Tending animal, accompanied by the
studded opening and shutting Of the
umbrella, blast from the bugle, q
crash of chords from the zittar, the
sudden appearance ofthe valise in mid
air and the rOut was complete. He
never smiled again." One of these
ferOcious customers, whose singular
shortness of "vertabrae" would have
furnished Darwin with the foundation
for most elaborate argument upon
the relation of man to brute, has been
indispOsed ever since. Owing to the
inclemency of the weather, the bugle
did not work well. The keys unless
kept constantly in motion kept freez-
ing up-fOr a mile or two the woods
resounded with the most excruciating
sounds The house Of jovial 'sOn
of Erin" being reached, the party de-
cided to go i'm and tend to the "pesky
bugle." The door being thrust open
the party deeming ceremony unneces-
sary, filed i'm to the establishment Of
mine host" After pulling the brazen
instrument to pieces they went to the
house of Mr.. Robert Turner, and pro-
ceeied to hunt around for an Old tin
ran. n Duchet anu u CluO oCihS
covered, the key was taken. and q
grand martial flourish ensued. The
leader beat the time with club against
the side of the house. An occasional
punch which the door received from
the end of the .'umbareil' indicated
expressive passages to he observed by
the players. The bugler astonished
himself with his skill. The rum,
dunn, dunn, of the zittar, blended well
with the mournful cadences that rose
and fell from the mysterious depths Of
the pail, while the mighty pulsations
of time Jared the house. The strain
produced. closely resembled q cross
between yankee Doodle" and the
Knocking Bird" The rapidity with
which the musicians retreated across
the pasture of Mr.. l.. +. Parsons, was
amazing. The linen garments acted
ms a spur, the bugle frOze up entirely,
the zittar gave forth not sound, and
as your reporter saw them disappear
behind distant hill, he said: Well,
II n RRIcE