Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-07-04
A mrscHIEvoUs JEST.


what n Proposition 10 Play n Dead
March To-day Led to-.
Eureka, or that larger part Of it which
NAV be seen on Main street towards even
ing, was thrown into 9 fever Of excitement
yesterday by an occurrence which might
have led to serious consequences. 1t
seems that H. H. Kirchner was taking a
walk shortly after s o'clock, and was com
ing up the street. When in the ~neighbor-
hood Of the Truckee Saloon he got into an
alteration with q Cornishmsn, w. T.
Jeffrey, a New Town ssloon-keeper, whom
he struck q slight blow on the mouth.
The details of the affair are Of no interest,
except in regard to the cause Of the blow.
The man Jeffrey made the remark, as
Kirchner was passing, that money would
be raised or that he would raise money to
have the band play a dead march through
the streets of Eureka to-day, the Fourth
Of July, or words to that effect. jeffrey
saws he made the remark es q joke, but
Kirchner did not accept it as such. Words
followed, which led to the blow.
Kirchner resumed his walk up the street
to Jack Perry's corner. He was standing
in front Of the saloon giving Perry an &C
count OF what had happened, when q re-
mark from Thomas Andrews. smother
Corpishman, caused a repetition OF what
had happened Q few minutes before in
front OF the Truckee Saloon. Kirchner
was arrested by Officer Tickell. but was
held only o few minutes, when he was al
lowed to 60 at liberty on his own recog-
nizance.
The affair was the subject Of discussion
all along the street, and everybody was
a~nxiously inquiring for the particulars,
when the battle began suddenly again.
About Z O'Clock jeffrey, armed with q
stout cane, came up to Col. Perry's saloon,
and entered with the avowed purpose Of
knocking Kirchner down with it, to get
even for the blow he had received in the
mouth. What words passed in the saloon
we do not know, nor did we care to in
qu;re. A moment after jeffrey entered he
was seen coming out with his back toward
the street and Kirchner rushing after him.
The two men came together on the outer
edge of the pavement and q scrimmage en-
sued, which lasted but an instant, when
they we're torn apart by Officers Mckay
and McGovern, assisted by several citizens
who happened to be standing at the corner.
Constable McGovern, who had seized JEFF
frey, took him under arrest.
This is . naked story Of the facts as far
a. our representative observed them or
could collate them from seemingly disin-
terested witnesses. The affair brought
out such feeling throughout town and
there was SO much eagerness to know the
circumstances that ii seemed necessary to
devote this much space to the recountal.
Now for a word Of comment, such as
falls within the legitimate sphere OF the
press. In doing 80 the writer wishes to
consider no immediate participant in yes
terday's trouble, though he knows one OF
the men as q friend, while he is not aware
that he ever before saw either Of the other
two.
1t is q mischievous thing when the third
OF July comes, and the blood Of American
citizens ia warmed up on the eve OF u
Natal Day, for any one suspected OF not
being in full sympathy with us in COM
memorating the Day on which our ancestors
unfurled the national flag and declared
that this country should be free and indie
p~endent-it il, we say, q mischievous thing
on the eve Of the Fourth Of July for any
body to slur the occasion. II is 9 harmful
and dangerous topic for jest at this season.
That it il the part Of discretion to turn a
deaf ear TO such a speech as Jeffrey's there
can be no question, whether it be meant
purely as Q jest or conceived in unfriend-
illness for our institutions n intended
for a slur. We are not disposed to think
that Jeffrey wished to be insulting, but the
manner in which his remarks were re-
ceived shows that such animus was attrib-
uted to him. In fact. we are told that sew
eral others were indulging on the streets
yesterday in speeches similar to that OF
Jeffrey, and that there was q spirit of spite
aud ill-will among q number which led
them to talk in an unseemly way about the
Fourth Of July. This, however, seems
almost incredible. There Is nothing mar
row or contracted in the laws OF this coun-
try with regard to foreigners. They are
as welcome among us TO all the privileges
Except that OF becoming President Of the
country as we who are born in the
United States; nor are the worth and re-
s~peotability Of our adopted citizens under
estimated. 1t is, in fact, to many OF them
that we are indebted for the present Union
Of the States that makes our banner glorious
and beautiful. We are all living together
under its generous folds. and the distinc-
ton OF "home born" and s'foreign" which
may be conspicuous to-day will BIO wiped
out in q generation or two, when our chill
dren will stand for us and all will be ma
tive to the soil. This is a great day in
America. 1t is grand. 1t is sacred. Let
us make p~leasantries about 1t during the
course OF the year, but when it is dawning
upon us with its memories OF ZIG, now per-
haps dormant in our hearts, but not dead,
let jests be smothered, and let silence bury
the suspicion Of a desire to slur 1t.