Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-12-10
A CHICAGO Rainy DAY.
BY MTNDEN.

"Confound the weather." said Mr..
Brown in a veXed tone one morning,
as he let down the awning over has
grocery store front 1.-The sales to day
will be like angels visils--few and far
between. / can't 90 down town, my
cashier is not on hand, and l feel as
blue as the weather looks; but ! sup.
pose, he added, II will have to make
the most of 1t.
Thaddous Brown was a bachelor
and a small dealer in groceries on one
of our West Side streets that boasts a
horse-car line, and being a careful
and cautious trader had succeeded in
building up a fair business in a re-
spectacle neighborhood He was well
thought of by his neighbors and his
influence, strange to say, was gagged
TO great extent by his progress to-
ward Influence.
AS the air was quite uncomfortable
ne proceeded to demolish a pine box
and start a fire in the "bas, burner,
for the morning was indeed a dreary
one.
The rain, accompanied by fitful
gusts of wind from the east, battered
on the sidewalks; the sky was leaden
hued and the drops Of water fl jatinp
on the telegraph wires reSemoed sill
yer beads, the horse-cars ratified down
the cobble-stone streets and the driv-
ers grimly faced the chilly rain-drops
phe street-crossiuPs were almost i'm
passible for pedestrians, while the few
who venlured out found an umbrella
a nuisance and gossamer wraps only
available for prot elton.
Blown sat silent by the glowing
stove, and, as he felt its genial warmth,
he began 10 think better OF things gem
orally. He seldom had time to think.
In the struggle for success IN bust
ness, he did not stop to think of any
thing bat that which pertained to
profit and loss But now his thoughts
were busy, and as the rain continued
10 pour down he sohloqulzed thus:
''Heigh-hol What change forty
years brings. Forty years ago / was
a strapping country lad. Base burn
ers had not been head of-ln fact,
coal-burning was little older than /;
the telegraph was in its swaddling
clothes; dlto the daguerreatype; the
photograph unknown; kerosene and
Its products since were then only rock
oil, sold for medicine; gold had not
not been discovered in California: :
Iowa was a Territory Harry Clay
had been beaten, and Jim Polk was
President; the war with Mexico has
not begun; Louise Philippe was on
the throne of France; Germany was
an insignificant power, and Spiritual
ism was in its infancy; corn was a
shilling per bushel, and Ieapers were
unknown. When | attended school
the seats were made of wooden sla bs
with pegs driven IN them for feet; our
writing desk was wide board, sup
ported on wooden pins, placed IN one
of the logs of a cabin, which was de
nominated q school house and the
window above it was log-cut one,
nearly the length of the building.
The country church house, where the
'circult-rider' preached every two
weeks, was this same school house.
and the grove surrounding it was
composed of broad, spreading beech
trees, with sprinkling of ash. / had
never seen n rallrO0d-ln fact, there
were few to see. Tailow candles
were the rule, and the new star can
dies the exception; tomatoes were
'love-apples, watch few were willins
TO eat, and sweet corn was a stranger
in our section. Patent fl our had not
been dreamed of, and revolvers were
in their babyhood. Whisky was 20
cents per gallon and cigars were only
smoked by rich people. Fme-cut was
no luxury and groand coffee had not
beed invented. Steel pens were as
scarce as blotting pads, and black
sand and wax waters went hand L.
hand; envelopes were as rare as luci-
fer matches, and postage stamps aud
cheap postage had not entered our
domain. Corn vas sold in the ear.
and puts and calls, corners, bulls,
and bears were not in the CONNER
clal lexicon. Oh but those were rood
old Democratic DAYS. School teachers
received $l5 10 $25 per month; clerks
Sl5 TO $50, and farm hahds $50 and
found All kind OF store clothes
were sold at high figures, and calico
was worn on Sunday. Few men wore
boards. and one with mustache was
liable to be taken for a 'blackleg.
What change indeed, aud the story
is not half told. In the wIldes,
dreams of boynood nothing equal to
the reality ever crossed my vision.
But the rain continues H. come down:
the outside world is drearv. aad | ann
waiting customer. Such is life
Time drags YEARLY on such day
but
'Mr.--, can you tell NE of hoard
ing-house IA this neighborhood2' ask
ed young woman enJtring the store
at this moment Brown looked up
hastily lett bis chair, greett his Wis
itor with q busmess-lks air aud III
formed her that just then he did not
think of any such house near, and al
rected her .oa restaurant where she
could obtain the desired information
She thanked him and passed ont INTO
the storm, her garments scarce project
ed by the drlDpIur ru hbar tvran H.