Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-27
HoGEM TO THE Faoxr.

fired at her by surrounding tow
with greater pretentionsto refinement
and the show and glitter Of civiliza-
ton than that ancient and gradually
decaying city. Hogem II her young
days changed her name to Pioneer
City, but ncighboring towns never
would treat her with due respect, nor
refer to her by her new, bigh-toned
name. 1t has always been Hogem-
simply that and nothing more. Even
the golden glory of her ancient days,
soon after irs departure, was forgot
ten, and in her decay aud iec.s pitude |
Hogem was too good name for what
remained of this once great ancient
city in the estimation of surrounding /
towns that tried to put on style wear
ing plug hats, toothpick shoes, striped
canes, flaming red neck-ties aud the |
like, eating pie with fork, using
napkins, finger bowls and other in
ventions of advancing civilization,
dancing the new tangled Newport
and Racket, and keeping apace with
the spirit of the times in art, poetry,
general high-grade literature, science
and music. Hogem remained in the
backwoods Of primitiveness and gen.
eral uncouthness, and instead of
catching ON to new-fangled notions,
kept up slow but steady march
backwards, further and further into
the shadowy, dark, deep, thickly tim
bered, tangled and bowling wilder
ness of lost art, science, literature
and civilizations decay. Hon. Ben
Wilson did his level best to head her
off and stop this backward march, but
the spirit of retrogression was too
strong for him, and it was all that
Ben could do to hold his position and
keep from being hauled into the pro-
cession and carried along. Although
art of every kind was being eaten
away-consumed by the rust of in
difference and the cut-worm of neg
lect--it was by the most gigantic,
herculean efforts that Col. Matt Da-
lis, with extravagant wear and tear
Of feline intestines and horse hair,
succeeded in keeping alive the art of
music as it existed in the wilds of
Missouri half century ago. Matt
would occasionally strike out boldly
and try to lead the denizens of that
ancient "dug- g-out" few degrees high
er in the divine art, and cultivate an
appreciation of music of higher
grade, such as "Sweet VIolets," Son
ly a Few Faded Roses, ""Why Not?''
''Asleep in the Arms of Jesus" ""Scat-
ter Seeds of Kindness" ''Sweet Bye
and Bye" Il Cannot Sing the Old
Songs" "Oh, Where has My Little
Dog Cone" etc.; but 1t was no use
They would have none of it. They'd
: grab him by the throat, choke him off
and threaten to throw him into
l Grimes creek as soon as that raging
!, stream reached high-water mark, Oh
e shoot him up Mr.. Wilson's gravel ell
: evator, and run him off as tailings i
a he ever endeavored to ''punish ZEN
+! ap'in with any more of them thar dog
Il eoned new fanged chunes what am
/ rot no music into 'em." Then they't
e sing out for "Rackensack," "Nigge
d in a Wood Pile" ''Pig in the Tate
g Patch" ''Old Zip Coon" ""Such Git
d tin up Stairs Never Did See, "Ya
is Hee," "Soap Suds Over the Fence,
e "The Granger's Dog" &C., and as tn
n Colonel would hoe 'em down on h
n strong-lunged fiddle, they'd keep Ii
k such a racket with their hoofs tha
ee tbev'd not Let the Dead and tn
lie Beautiful Rest" "That's the kind {
le music for weuns," they'd chime in
sh the ring of vivacious strain woul
IN die away on the agitated air. "Dan
ut them new-fangled, lazy, sleepy chun
r. with frills and filigree work onto 'ei
Id We allus wants sumthln que
he what's got git up, music and soul IN
We It," Matt managed to keep the c
ad vine art up to its Missouri standa
ng of fifty years ago, but he was not
er. lowed to either improve on or cast t
RI old aside.
Hogem, very naturally, in her re
ropressive march, marched to
di- deepest depths of straight, unter
in fed, bourbon Democracy, and the
tic she made her force felt by saving
in uuterri6ed ticket at each recurri
be- election. But 10, and behold! 1
mt. whole world stands transfixed, agha
ssn The seven wonders of the world ha
I.. ;.oraoca5 m eiUht The fol