Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-10-08

ffce Press.
Although the records are silent
on the subject. there can be lltfIo
doubt that the Vandais who desc
iatcd Rome, Destroying KS proud
ana elegant monuments, Drlstrat-
ing lts temples, its statues and ila
amphitheatcrs, We're not the huge.
tawny-bearded, half savage men
they are usually represented The;r
ranks We're undoubtedly connposol
OF boys from eight 10 eighteen
years OF age. None but bows eouid
nave been so ruthless none bat
Doys so reckless and wanton Ia
their destruction, wrought such
thorough ruin, and rej0iced ia tho
desolation they made. NO one ac-
qnainted with the habits and dolnps
of boys as individuals or IN small
groups can think without shndder
of the mischief they might tlo were
they ever 10 take ii Into their heads
to unite. The rabbits arc but i
''feeble folk" but they can over
run a territory like 4 prairie OF
torest-hre. So too can ile still fee
bier ants, grstss-h0ppeis and iocasts
when combined in myriad armies.
They can leave a country in worse
condition than when an army of
human beings passes over ft.
Imagine, however, the terror that
the two or three million bows iri tho
United States might inspire should
they unite to over-rnn the country.
stealing all the fruit, breaking
down all the fences, smashing ali
the windows, carrying on all the
gates, treading down all the grass,
losing all the hammNrs, scattering
all the sand and building materials
that workmen are using in the
erection Of houses, and turning
on all the penstOcks SuppOse
they should combine themselves
simply to undo at night or on SUM
day, as they might, all that had
been done during the week in the
construction of buildingsl Conn
pared with their work the ravages
Of the white ants OF Africa, or tho
tornad0es of Iowa and l<ansas
would be child's play. Nor Is this
assertion as exaggerated as il seems.
A Cincinnati house-owncr. who
had contracted with carpenters and
painters to renovato his handsome
dwelling, and who on Saturday
night was notified that it was near
ly finished, was not, on visiting it
on Monday morning, at all IN the
mood for thinking the comet or the
drOuth, or the sun-spOts less malig-
nant and powerful for evil than
handful OF boys. The walls, newly
painted and whitened, were be-
allOver with yellow, white,
black, red and brown paint. The
bath-tub, which had been left stand
ing on its end, had received "a whole
bucketful OF the oily matter, and a
fine marbclized mantel was COM
pletely ruined by the use OF the
brush. The rail 10 the staircase,
which had been set OFF in oil colors,
was besmeared all over with pafnt
OF all colors. The paint which had
been left i'm the house was 80 badly
mixed up as to be wholly useless.
The carpenters tools were all IN
lured, and in the Kitchen n piece
Of lead pipe, about two feet In
length, was cut off.
Two boys, one aged twelve and
another eight years, were discov-
cred to have been the perpetrators
Of the outrage, but on their parents
to make good the damage,
they were not arrested. Altogether
eight boys were engaged in the
work" " is the proper
name for it-and the fathers OF the
)ther six-whUse names are known
will be called upon to pay fot the
sunday amusement of their OIL.
spring. Boys powers for mischief
ire sometimes absolutely appalling,
md the world can scarcely be too
thankful that wise Providence
las not implanted within them that
cooperative instinct for misclIief
which has been bestowed upon in-
'ects, squirrels, rabbits and English
IparrOWs.