St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-25
SUNDAY CHATTER.

III 1ilO CoulHCG DIS Guc postal ulT6CCOT, is
trying to restrain the delivery of papers
and letters on Sunday and deprive peo-
pie of the opportunities they have had
in this direction. His efforts have re-
vived discussion concerning the He
braic Sabbath and the Christian Sum
day. In some minor instances towns
have followed out the WANAMAKER
idea and prohibited the distribution of
papers. 1t is shown in the discussion
that the rigorous features of the day in
sisted upon, and which have been en-
forced in England, Scotland and parts
of the United States, are derived from
the Puritans, who could not feel COM
Portable unless they felt that they were
making others uncomfortable. The old
English kings used to make out lists of
''lawful Sunday recreationS" that
wouldn't be tolerated in modern times.
There is no dispute as to the need of
Sunday religlOusly, socially and physi-
cally. but there is no occasion to enforce
the methods of even a cabinet officer
upon those who prefer different styles.
"A bAn0 DOS 6CaTCs
1t is one of the curiosities of life, the
way people lose their heads when some
blunderer blurts out an absurdly inap-
plicable word of alarm. An illustrative
incident transpired on one of the ave-
nues on st. Anthony hill Friday. An
innOcuous and good-natured pup. five
months old, was suddenly taken with an
attack of canine cholera morbus, or
something of the kind, and ran in and
out the house and about, yelling with
pain. Some one in the neighborhood
observed him, and set up the cry of
s'Mad dog" The animal circulated
around freely. avoiding people and
hunting for hiding place, finally find
ing it in the cellar of the house. But
the dread imputation had been given
him, and terror-stricken public of all
ages and sexes gath red. One mother.
whose little son had been slightly bitten
by the pup in romp two months pre-
vious, was certain that he would now
have the hydrophobia. A gang of men
paving the street was near by, and
joined in the alarm: but none dared ap-
proach near enough to peer into the
cellar window. A deputation. however.
volunteered to summon the police Soon
came the patrol wagon. rushing up with
its defenders of the public and private
security. Still, not one of the gallant
men in blue dared face the dread canine.
None could be induced to venture near
enough to look into the window Of the
cellar. do you take me for fool?"
was the inquiry of one that met no
negation. Another. who was solicited
to go down and shoot the pup, tremu-
lousy declined OH tie ground that he
was 'no marksman." and had family
dependent upon him. Finally the po-
liceman on the beat came along, and,
unlike the others, he did not lose his
head. He went into the cellar and in
terviewed the unhappy cause of the
terror, found him perfectly harmless,
with no sign of being mad. and not dis
posed to touch any one. But as the mad
dog alarm had been given. he advised
that the dog be killed. So dose of
strychnine was put upon meat and given
him, and in few minutes the harmless
little animal was defunct victim of
the senseless clamor of people unable
to keep their heads.
Suicide Weather.
A young man committed suicide in
Philadelphia last week simply because
the fact became known that he had Sc
cretly married his cousin. There was
nothing improper in the transaction.
but he had absurd notions. Most sui
cides have about as little good sense in
their acts. In this case the young man
took arsenic, and before the twenty-four
hours had ended he didn't want to die
at all. There is this danger with arsenic.
1t IS tedious and discouraging. 1t is
noted, by the way. that the hotter the
season the more numerous the suicides.
This is true also of unseasonably cool
weather in summer. In the even, tenn
perate weather of the Minnesota eli
mate few suicides are reported 1t is
the sweltering, facilitating weather,
when existence is a burden and the mind |
grows weak in the presence of trouble,
that the suicides are most numerous.
They have their impulse mainly in
moral weakness and c0wardice. The |
soul sinks into abjectness in the face of |
present ills