The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-02-04

u1s montoi ImSorlority 70 tno City Wan
Illustrated by some rorcib'. Exa,npi
Robe L J. Bur ls e, In MsnpLis TINES
Il am simply staggered by the
lager" says Miss Kate Field. a. quoted
by New York reporter. Il am .ust
from Clifton Springs, and have had
An allopathic dose OF rural stupidity.
speak the sad TRUTH" she continues,
4enlightment prevails most exclusively
in the cities. In the small village
ignorance stalks on every corner in un-
blushing effrontery. AS soon as the
young men Tin the country village ar
rive at mans estate, they seek socia-
bility at the bar-room.
Now, there is great deal OF sal
truth in all that. The very sa ldest
kind of truth. All, yes How opaque
the stupidity of the village errand-boy;
how clear the intelligence of the rapid
messenger" of the city, who keeps your
message week and then gives 1t to
the wrong person. How faultless the
porter; how marvelously accurate the
waiter; how seldom or never do we
scarcely hear any complaint on the part
of city people OF the stupidity of city
servants. And the wisdom of the city
man in the higher walks of life. With
what intelligent caution does he look
about him in the railway car, to see If
any may be near to hear, before he
tells his wife whether the field OF millet
they are passing is wheat, or spring
rye, or winter oats, or buckwheat. And
when he tells her that the Berry OK is
so called because he is red OK, and
that the off-horse is only used to help
pull uphill, how does the stupid vii
lager hide his diminished Opaque head.
Rural simplicity" even in homeo-
pathic doses, will stare at balloon
until it is out of sight, but you must go
on Broadway to see the superior intel
ligence of the city assemble in q crowd
of 500 business men around hole In
the ground to watch couple OF Irish
men dig down to leaky gas-main. It
is in the city of New York that the
police have to clear the sidewalk and
compel the crowd OF enlightened BUSH
ness men to move on when stage horse
falls down. It is in New York City
that intelligent people trample each
other to death in order to see the wind
blow mans straw hat off the Brook
Ign bridge. One cannot remain great
while in the city without observing the
superior intellectually of the people.
Yes, it is "the sad truth; enlighten-
ment prevails most exclusively In the
cities" while @in the small village ig-
norance stalks in unblushing ef1rontery
on every corner" All, yes. The en-
lightment of the lower wards, for in
stance The charming refinement Of
Bedford street, Philadelphia. The su-
perior culture and intellectually found
in the slums of New York. How re-
freshing, indeed, after IAN allopathio
dose of rural imbecility at Clifton
| Springs" is an intellectual stroll down
| the academic shades of Baxter street!
After the marrow, limited compass"
of the farm, what Joy to the Platonic
soul to iy from the depressing social
intercourse of the village and seek
the sweet converse of the Baconian
minds in the haunts of the slugger;
how tonic, how broadening the sapient
conversation of the tough and the
sand-bagger! After the "corroding
prejudice" that warps the views of
narrow-minded farmers wives, how
like the mamma of the brain comes to
the hungry mind the improving con-
versation of the lady who yanks rags
out of the gutter with an iron hook
how welcome the early visit of the
gentleman who wishes to know If you
have any antiques in the way of hats
to dispose Of; how like water from the
fiinty rock in the waste of rustic SIM
plicity comes to the soul starving for
intellectual pabulum the expert in
| unappreciatsd bric-a- brac, the profes-
sor of junk, who, with his humble but
intellectual dog-cart, makes psychology
ical collections of axiomatic bottles
and polemic boots. How intensely
hitherto it all is
"If," says Miss Field, "a man in the
country has any ideas he straightway
goes to the CITY," All? Yes, in the
autumn he does. The country roads
are thronged with him now. He has
the idea" that it is growing too cold to
sleep under the trees and straw-stacks,
and so he seeks the warmer and less
stupidity" ventilated police station.
The tramp is city creation, and his
exclusive intelligence was fostered on o
free-lunch route.
Yes, indeed. Something must be
dore to enlighten the appalling stu
pidity of the country villagers, or
affrighted Reason, in abandoning all
this fair land outside of the fenced
cities to eternal and rural" ignorance,
viii, climb some tall and lonely tree
and pull the tree up after her.
The latest list of American beetles
describes 9,490 species on this continent