The new North-west., 1889-03-01

CHAPTER XIV.
Jonathan Is the cousin german of John
Bull, but yet not SO German as one might
imagine, for if Germany supplies America
with two or three hundred thousand irnmi-
grants yearly, these Germans do not German
ize America; on the contrary, they them
selves become Americanized, thanks to that
faculty of assimilation which they possess III
such high degree.
One strong proof Of this is the way in
which women are treated from one end of
the United States to tho other And here
may say that i'll this matter Jonathan sets
John Bull an example which the latter would
do well to profit by.
Whilst English justice gives merely one or
two months imprisonment to the man who
is found guilty OF having almost kicked his
wife to death, an American town is in arms
at the mere r,lrnor Of a man having NAL
treated woman.
Sometimes the chastisement taxes a comic
form. There are few distractions in the lit
Ito American towns, and nntiye hunor finds
an outlet in strange fashions a man who
III treats his wife, or forsakes her for another
woman, is often tarred and feathercd. The
operation is curious and satisfies the ven
gcance of the pop,lacc, while procuring them
an hour's amusement
The delinquent is led, sometimes to tho
sound Of music, to q retired spot. There he
is stripped to the skin and coated over with
tar from head to foot This done, he is
rolled in feathers, which of course stick to
him and give him the appearance of m i'm
mense ugly duckGng. To give n finishing to
the operation his clothes are sometimes car
ried off and the mob wish him good luck.
This chastiseulent is often applied to q
woman whose conduct is known TO be ilu-
moral In such cases need not say it is the
women who operate on the culprit. They
srant their husbands md SONS to be able to
get about without danger, and they take
upon themselves the task of keeping the moral
atmosphere of the neighborhool healthy.
Tbs idea appears primitive, but morality
thriyes by it.
The susceptibilities Of American women are
sometimes very easily wounded.
A paper having announced q mans death
under the heading: John & gone to bet
ter homo" tho widow brought an action Of
libel against the editor
The further west ono goes the more nppar-
ent becomes the power of the women; tho
further west one goes the rarcr does woman
get Is this the rcason3
To every American hotel there is a ladies
entrance. This is to prevent contamination
from the possible contact Of man When it
rains or SHOWS All awning is thrown out over
the pavetnent but l dare say permanent
triumphal arch will ultimately be demanded
by tho ladies'
Here is q little story which would supply
very good subject to the novelist or the
dramatist
| Idaho territory lies very far west indeed,
and there is an alarming scarcity Of women
there. This has !,een curiously illustrated Of
late in the town Of Wagon Wheel
Recently two young ladies Travelled to that
remote region to attend to their dying
brother. The poor fellow did not long rc-
quire their services, and Immediately utter his
| death the sisters prepared to return home.
| Before, however, they could get away, nearly
| the whole population of the town-hcaded by
the mayor and other high ofiicials-were
making matrimonial oyertures to them Feel
ing ran very high during five or six anxious
days, and the mayors chances, despite his
mature years, ruled the betting at SIX to one
At the end of the week both young ladies had
capitulated, and were duly engaged. The
mayor was however, cut out by handsome
young miner The wedding day was fixed,
and the mother Of tho young ladies was sum
moned upon the scene Here troubles began
She duly arrived, but was hotly Indignant
with her daughters for the scant respect
which they had manifested toward their
brothers memory by such indecent
haste to wed The girls explained that
they had literally been besieged, and had
yielded to the overwhelming force Of circuu-
stances, AS usual, explanations increased
tho oRense, and the mother vowed that
neither of them should bo married out there
at a11-that, In fact, tho engagements were
"off," and that they must be off too. The
cup Of felicity was thus rudely dashed from
tho lips of the two accepted men, and they
made haste to tell their sorTows to the town
An indignation meeting was held, and the
mayor appointed committee to wait
upon the irnte matron in order to ask
her to reconsider her resolution The
mayor, with rare magnanimtty, consider
ing the cruel blow his own hopes had
just received placed himself at the
head Of the deputation and in the name OF
patriotism implored tho good lady to grant
the petition, which he ardently urged She
however, stood firmly on her parental rights
and declared that she would not leave the
town without her two daughters. Then tht
genius of the mayor shone forth like the sun
and proved equal to the occasion He blandly
proposed q compromise. Why need she leave
at al' He drew her attention--of course i1
most delicate tcrms-to tho fact that she was
fair, plump, and fifty odd, and that similar
language might be taken as descriptive OF
himself. There and then he offered her hi
hand and heart, and the young ladies a kint
father and protector.
That settled the matter, and three mar
riages took place with a great flourish O
trumpets at Wagon Wheel