Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-07-12
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SOURI, THURSDAY, JULYsl2, 1883.

factory, but you can't tell anything about
these old fellows: They may have had
axes 70 grind; Any way the fire cracker
from that time became one Of the dearest
fof American Institutions, and it has come
down to us with a fnse that suffers and
fizzes. and Its red wrapper as sanguinary,
and It's contents as astonishing, as 1t was
fn. the days when John. Hancock's boy
traded on his birthright for bunch, half
Of which were squibs, When We see the
enjoyment that cal, be extracted from fire
crackers, we wonder how Adam and Eve
got along m the garden Of Eden without
them. May be there were fre-crackers
int those days, and that ON the 4th of July
in Paradise, Calm and Abel traded OIL mini
tickets for them, and made 1t hot around
there, With firing an along the line. Let
us imagine Adam and Eve sitting on the
veranda conversing upon revolutionary
topics. and watching the dear children.
Cain ana Abel, IN the alley. tying a bunch
Of crackers to nefghbor' dogs tail, ana
as the crackers began to explode, and the
dog run down by the brewery like a Bar
rpm County settler Fighting Indians, how
Adam and Eve would clap their hands,
and shout, and say, "Boys ,oal be boys"
|. And again at evening, after the spinn-
ing wheels had been set off on the gate
post in the garden of Eden, and the Smith
children, who had been permitted to wit
ness the display, and gone home,r saying
it wasn't much of a celebration, We can
see Adam chastising Cain with o piece Of
barrel staye, for burning a hole in the ell
bow OF his pantaloons, while Eve was
bathing Abels face with, sweet oil, and
wondering If his eye fsss;nkers would ever
grow out again. And after the children
had been put to bed, and the house had
been locked up SO trampss coald not get
in and raise Cain among the canned fruit,
we can see Adam take q dose of pain kill
ler, to neutralize. the effects of q days
debaueh on red lemonade, and as he
clasps his aching heart he says to Eve that
he is mighty glad the 4th of July only
comes ence . year. And Eve, who has
tied wet towel around her head to ward
off ans approaching attack of nervous
sick headache, as she asks Adam to pass
the bottle Of camphor, says the remark is
right into her hand 81 nd 4assq ss..z.f
But we are drifting from the subject.
When the signers of the Declaration Of
Independence had fairly got their. foot in
it, and had knocked the chip off the
shoulder Of the King, they began to look
around for q man to play "First Base
They looked the league players all over,
but couldn't find man that would fill the
bill. They wanted man who could not
tell lie. If that revolution should occur
to-day, how easy it would be to find a
man that could not tell lie. They could
take a pair OF ice tongs and 60 into this
crowd, and at the first haul they would
get man that could not tell o he.. The
woods are full of them around here But
in that early day it was different. That
was before men had become politicians,
and had been nurtured in AN atmosphere
OF truth and yeracity. 1t was before the
era of congressional Investigations, when
witnesses We're, selected for their probity,
and their adherence TO alltharfs good and
true. When they were looking for man
that could not tell . lie, the country was
sparsely settled, and it was customary to
meet at stated periods and tell lies for the
beer. In all these tournaments there was
one young man who never paid his en-
trance fee. He said he was speor or
phan, who never had had any attention
paid to his education, and he could not
tell a lie. He had tried as hard as any
body to master the accomplishment, but
a lie always stuck in his throat. 1t was
related Of him that on one occasion he
went into the garden and. slew o. cherry
colored Thomas cat, belonging to neigh
Dor, and when his father caught him at it,
and was about to send for the police, the
boy began to weep on his coat, and he
said-and I want you to mark the Words
he said: tFather, I cannot telfa lie, the
cat died Of small pox." Whata lesson is
here for the youth. Let US ineulcate into
the minds of the young: habit of being
truthful. tf II zEzE ..cE sar4AaEAy
This man vas George Washington.
George was brick. He was not one OF
those fellows who sit around IA saloon
waiting for somebody to set them up.
George did not stay down town nights to
play poker until all the places were clos
ed, and then go home and fall over the
baby crib, and stub his instep on ttereck-
er of chair, and get on the wrong night
shirt. George Washington never firted
with the girls. Girls made eyes at him
for years and he never told his loye.A II
wouldn't have been healthy for himte tell
his love, for she would have made it hot
for the father of his country if he had.
Martha would. Washington, whatever
may be said to his discredits .aever sold
lightning rods or books " w ashington
never went around to different wards the
night before election and left tickets with
the bartender, wrapped mp iu q three
dollar bill, with Instructions to get the
boys out to vote. Washington never was
the kind Of apoliticians who rode on 6
railroad pass, and put in O bill on the state
for his car fare. He never took girl zte
the 4th Of July, or to . circus, and made
her buy her own dinner. Washington
never raised & the bottoms zof strawberry
boxes up two inches and put the best Der.
rles on top e. i4,,aTga ri @2st,
He. never edited newspaper. He eeuld
not tell . lies at the rates that editors
charge. No he was good man, with
none of ne small vices that are SO prev
alent these days. DIES sds ''&g Ero HE'' sssss
:. The bird that should hsve been selecte(
as the emblem Of our countrys the bird o
patience, forbearance. perseverance,, ant
the bird of terror when aroused, ID tn
mule. There Is no bird that comhinel
more virtues TO the square foot than tn
mule. With the mule anhlaaoued on on
banners, we should be q terror TO ever,
foe. wedre nation Of uncomplainin,
hard workers. We mean to. do the fai
thing by everybody. We plod along. do
/ ing as we would be done by. So does II