Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-07-02

Caldwell Tribune.

are publishing the following essay on
the Oregon mossback. We do not
know who the author is but it is evil
dent that he is well acquainted with
his subject. In reprintiug this the
word "ldaho" has been substituted for
"Oregon" and the result of this trans
formation IS our own genuine Idaho
mossback. You all know him, SO
don't bother the editor by asking
who he is; we will say this much--his
name Is legion:
"a rnossback, my son, is the sleep
| ing partner in our business relations
with the Pacific Northwest. He is
not indigenous to this corner OF the
armament, but on his arrival he so
thoroughly set his stakes down and
adopted the state with so much de-
termination that, for all practical
purposes, no is native"
Yes, he is peculiar to Idaho, and
would be anywhere outside OF n
graveyard. But he is not peculiar to
Idahoans. All mossbacks are Idaho
ans, but all ldahoars are not moss
backs.
Webster says: "NToss is an aero
genoes cryptogancus plant of celln-
lar structure with leaves and dis
tinct root"
In our mossback the root is not
distinct. 1t is imbedded in his spi-
nal column, but he has all the other
symptoms.
The word mossback as a term of
reproach has as much earnestness of
application as porous plaster.
When a man becomes mossback
he is of no use except to count one
IN the census. He still breathes but
his functions have lost all hope, all
ambition and nerve. They merely
90 around with the owner and have
life enough left to dread the day that
will consign them to the grave with
him alone to perform upon.
In waiting for things to turn up,
the mossback displays as much inter-
est as a seven year-old bank note.
Yet when a thing turns down when
he expects it to turn up, he don't
seem to care. 1t is his way.
A mossback takes everything easy,
including the market price, malaria,
election returns, chills, cod liver oil
and Gods name in vain.
He believes in patent medicines
and the ten commandments. He
likes to talk politics, and when he
does he is generally down on corpor-
atoms and the head of nail keg.
He is very reminiscent, and will
go back eight miles to look for lost
Inch pin, when it is only half mile to
the next blacksmith shop. He never
leads anything unless it is that por-
ton of his life not yet called in. He
joins the procession at the tail end,
long after the band has turned the
bend in the road, and he loses the
step.
He takes no interest in the human
race, but hangs around the judges
stand and waits to see the others
come in. He never bets because he
can't afford to lose, and don't know
enough to win.
He has been introduced on several
occasions, bat never gets on speak
ing terms with enterprise.
When an opportunity comes along
he goes in the house, shuts the door
and looks out the back window.
When the mail came by stage, he
asked one of his neighbors every day
to inquire for him; now that it comes
by rail he makes the request only
once a week. He don't believe in
railroads.
He buys improved farm machinery
because he can get it on credit He
leaves it out in the elements because
he hasn't paid for it.
He remembers that rich man can
no more enter the kingdom of Heav-
en- than a camel can vault through
the eye of needle. Therefore, he
remains poor and thin and will not
hump himself because that's what
allied the camel.
The average mossback owns more