Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-12-01
THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.
"Of course it is an outrage !"
Eyes. and an injury, too"

Eyes, and an injury, too"
Out came our memorandum tablet
and lead pencil, and up close to the two
young men we stepped.
ssHello, jim, what are you and Harry
growing about 2"
"Why, the way we are "bled" and
harrassed at these fairs by chance seek
ers. It is outrageous. There was time
when young men could go to fairs with
their best girls, pass an enjoyable even.
ing, get the worth of their money, and
go on their way rejoicing. Now, every
thing is changed"
Show so ?"
.sOh! in innumerable ways. Every
other girl is running" for some article.
They sight man as soon as he enters,
and pounce upon him, as the hawk upon
a Weakened spring chicken. It's 10
cents for this Is cents for that
s'just, put your name down, anyhow
That horrid Jane -, is trying to
beat me. 25 cents won't break you, etc."
until your head begins to swim and you
swear vengeance on all future fairs.
Now, Harry and / have determined to
stay away from them, hereafter"
s'But are these things as bad as you
paint them ?"
more so. Where can pleasure be
found among these "chance" seekers
You take a lady with you, and it only
makes them worse. They know they
have one at disadvantage, then. The
rub of the matter is you receive no ben
eft from giving. A young man works
for $1.00 per day. at night he determ-
ines to attend the fair-to enjoy himself
and at the same time, extend reasopa-
BILE assistance to those Interested. No
sooner in. than he is beseiged by bevy
of females, from 6 years up to Is, and
when he gets home, and sadly inspects
the remains" he may be considered
fortunate if he has only spent two or
three days. wages. The pleasure of the
evening has been marred, his money has
disappeared, and is it any wonder, as he
pulls the covers over his head, that he
mentally resolves to erase FAIRS from
his list of enjoyments You know how
annoying this thing is The same girls
at every fair, running for some article.
They never are satisfied. II fairs are for
mutual enjoyment and financial success,
this begging must cease. We. work
hard for our money. None patronize
enterprises more literally. But this
eternal, useless, hateful 'chancs" seek
ing is nuisance. We want the most
amusement our money can get. This
we will have, or stay at home. We won't
submit to plucking, when of wholesale
nature"
~ ~ M
The young men walked away, They
were right. There is too much of
"chancen seeking at modern fairs. If
it could be so arranged that visitors
could come in, partake of supper, loiter
at the lemonade we'll chat with the
olive-skinned, black.eyed Gyps:es, laugh,
promenade and enjoy the amusements
offered, more people. would!attend; there
would be more pure enjoyment, and the
receipts would be just as large. The
chance business has played out. No
young man of determination or correct
ideas of manliness, will rscklessly per-
NIT others to bleed him.
~ 80 -
Long sermons are going out of fash
ion in the cities. The Martinsburg pub.
lie has not been much afflicted with this
class of sermons. Sometimes, however,
a preacher will forget himself, and go
up to the "23rdly," but snore OF two
and bowed heads, soon convey to him
the awful truth that "man is not
heard for much talking," Great men
talk little. The best sermons ever
preached were those uttered by the Sa-
viour, and how short and simple and eff
fective, they are The truth should be
spread abroad. The present generation,
and especially the church people of this
city, want it strong, but in ordinary
doses. NotIso much that part gets away