Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-12-13
SoUANKUM, Dec. Bro, 1888.

OSUANhUM, ACGs OlO, Aooo'
MR.. EDITOR CLARION AS your paper
has been enlarged, and as you had to print
that Bill Pritchards Wagon and some other
things over the second time, told John
Henry, Chat is the man l married) that
thought would write you letter, as news
seemed kind Of scarce, and he said should
do so, he knew better than to say | should
MT. Well, the election here is over and am
glad of it, and suppose it is over elsewhere
too, but if you had been here on that day you
would have got news enough to fill your pa
per dozen times why it was just awful
would not say anything about it, but see
you are still printing the result of the ire
count" and so I told John Henry that l
would tell you about it here. A full and &C.
curate description of the scenes in and
around squankum on that day would be i'm
possible, but we may be able to give a faint
pen picture Of some.
From early morn until eve vehicles of all
descriptions were pressed into service to car.
~ the anxious inhabitants to the polls. One
party used wagon from Kansas, built, we
think, especially for the purpose, while the
other party ran one that was emblazoned
with the different stars of heaven, except the
star of Bethlehem, and said to be drawn by
stock imported from the lake of Killarney
The halt, the lame and the blind as well as
some who had been seeing too much were
treated to free ride, and those whose spirits
had sunk too low to think of worldly things,
had their spirits raised by pouring spirits
down. The necessities of the poor were re-
lieved by trade dollars and promises of being
well looked after in the future. None were
passed by or forgotten by the angels of po-
litical mercy serving on the various sanitary
and christian commissions abroad on that
day. Some tardy sons of the soil were visit
ed every hour until they could NO longer,
but with countenance Of joy they exclaim-
ed:
"You may have all the world besides"
Give me Boots,
but want them saddle scanned, and I will
60 along, and suppose the order for some
of the boots might now he found on file in
store in your very town.
Towards the close of this great political
drama. when the trade dollars ceased to jim
gle in the pockets of the bosses, and the var
ious brands ofspirits had been sampled to
the very dregs, the order books were relied
upon altogether, to llup the box. Couriers
were sent out to hunt up the lost sheep of
the house ofIsrael and inform the stragglers
that orders to almost any amount could now
be obtained, up to six o'clock. Late in the
evening an officer might have been seen rid
ing through one of the principal streets Of
Squankum at full gallop, with his eyes set
in his head, turning neither to right or left,
but with gaze as if it was rivited by the
magic orbs of Wlliard's Snake, he dashed on,
up hill and down hill, ever and anon giving
vent to kind ofyell similar to the groan OF
a halfkilled calf until he reached the haven
sought and found he was still in time A
citizen who was vainly endeavoring to over
take the above John Gilpin rode so rapidly
that the passing current of air cut OF his sad
die flap as clean as if cut with knife and it
is now on exhibition as one of the wings of
the great Rooster But at last the
clock struck six and the box closed with a
snap.
The count gave but little joy to any, for
the majority was too small for the one side
and too large for the other, and the cutting
of the man of the "hoss marines" brought an
ashy hue to the cheeks of his friends. In
fact none thought that they had got the
worth of their money except those who got
boots, trade dollars and orders, THAT they
could not use.}
Now, Mr.. Editor, in the next place, I see
so much about school reports, statements
and sometimes an address to the people by
the school board, that l told John Henry
that was just going to tell you all about it,
but he said had better send that next week,
and tell you this week about our new tenn
perance club that is started here, this time,
and perhaps his chuckle head did get level
on once, anyway will do SO, and next week
I will clear up this fuss about the schools
and tell you all about that six ocean man
and also why two of the schools near Squan-
KUN are without teachers or trustees this
winter.
Well, this new temperance club was Or
ganizcd by some young ladies here, with
view of instiling mot distilling) some little
sobriety, little morality together with a
sprinkle ofcommcn sense into the young men
aspiring for matrimonial honors, Now ap-
prove of it and hope that they will succeed,
and told John Henry so, and he said SO too,
and thought that 1t would be a good thing
for us to Join at once but told him better
than all that I would like to see him join q
young ladies temperance club, indeed, not
i'll know myself, not much; told him if he
wanted to help it along he should give our
Jen,ima Ann quarter and let her join the
club as she is expecting beau this winter
and it would be the means Of bringing her
las politicians say before the people, but he
said he was afraid it wouldn't work, as the
red badge which all the members have to
wear on their head as danger signal could
not be seen seen on Jemima AIMS, as her
hair il so red, and as far as she was concern
cd they would have to adopt some other
mark o: distinction and he suggested black
ribband around the forehead in her case, as it