Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-02-26
J.. TIL URSDAY. FEBRUARY 1891. NUMBER 81

box-stove in the post-offico, waiting
anxiously for the news. l remember
one black. stormy Saturday.
reached the office at the usual time
and found the office crowded with men.
The st. Louis mail had not arrived aud
all of the branch mails must wait the
arrival of the st. Louis mail. AS
came in with my mail bags the post
master handed me my paper, the Dot
Tar newspaper, and opened it at a
story, and said, "Ioung man, [ want
you to READ this story to US and the
crowd. | know you are good reader,
for you are yankee, and have had ad-
van;ages of good schools.' [ took the
paper and read. The story was giving
an account of the Indians making a
raid on some of the frontier settlements,
of them killing and robbing the inhab-
itants. Especially how young chief
had fallen in love with d pretty girl
and wanted her to be his wife, and how
she had already plighted herself to a
young hunter, a young white brave.
How in the forsy the young chief had
stolen the girl and took her Oh his
horse before him; of the pursuit and
rescue. How, just as the young lover
was about to overtake the Indian, the
chief spraug off his horse and with up
raised tomahawk was about to bury it
in the gals brain. The young hunt
er drew down on the brave with his
trusty rifle and put bullet through
the Indians heart. Then the meeting
of his sweetheart. How we'll remem-
Der how hushed and silent, with only
a long breath drawn now and then, as
they listened until the final scenes in
the tragedy. When such shout as
went up from the crowd, hurrah for
the hunter, and regular hand shak-
ing all around, and that was "pretty
good" And, oh, how my hand did
ache after all had had a shake at me.
After that Saturday I was always
| asked to read awhile, if there was
crowd around. 1 took that old Dollar
newspaper for a good many years, and
right here I want to say to all OF you
boys and girls read learn to be a good
reader, not only for your own good,
but for the good of all around you.
| Now that we have all of that $4,000
newspapers to choose from, you can
certainly find something useful and
! interesting to read, and, then, [ think
to he good reader is one of Gods best
! gifts to US. How it helps to pass of
| The long winter evenings! How it en-
tains the rest If the family, or friends,
and then IT gives knowledge as well as
pleasure. and when you read of travels,
voyages and discoveries, always have
and locate it in your mind, and you
will find it helps to retain what you
have jdst heard. You will have bet
ter idea of the world and its immens-
ity. Music is great accomplish ment.
Gives pleasure and softens the feelings,
make US more aff-ctionate, is a soother
of pain, quiets the nerves, balm for
our wounded feelings, but to read we'll
is health to the soul, as marrow to th-
boups. II is the chief corner stone OF
all knowledge, upon which rests the
intellectual well-being of society. Some
time ago / saw in the REGISTER some
writer spoke of the good ii mes we had
years ago at the Red Ribbon Society.
/ Was much in hopes some of the good
people of your town would revive the
- ciety or something to take the place
where the young folks and some of us
| that are not so young could get togeth-
er t. have good evenings entertain
ment, aud, at the same time, be adding
know edge and laying up and storing
our minds with that which is useful,
that will come to US and hold cOmmuD-
ION with US in our solitary moments.
For the mind is never at rest, and it
| will pay us back in just such coin as
we have laid up for it, just as we sow
so shall We reap. If we sow bad seed
we will reap bad harvest. If we sow
cheat we can't reapa harvest of wheat.
So when you read, select something
that will be useful as well as entertain
ing, and we have any amount of just
such reading matter in these days of
cheap papers aud periodicals and
hooks. [ have been reading for my
own good and all others that might be
present, Roughing It, " by Mark
. Twain, a most entertaining. useful
work. Every page is full of good in
terestiue, useful. as we'll as entsrtain-
ing matter. Everybody and bis wife
should re I'd it. 1 gives you an insight
Of the ups and downs, mostly downs,
of mining life and mining uncertainties.
The hopes and fears. The days of anx-
ieties and nights OF phantom dreams.
How fortunes are made, and how fort
unes are lost. The h ,rdships, the pri-
vations of mine life, it is full of interest
from beginning to end. and then his
style. so full OF life in all its phrases, and
so true to nature. Don't forget to read
/ it, and then "Uncie Toms Cabin" by
| Mrs. Beecher Stowe, a book of the past
ages, whose finger are fast being
/ wiped out, only remembered as the
memory of bal dream. And hun
dreds of other books, of equal interest,
and all foil of interest and knowledge.
/ Books of travels, such as Bayari Tay-
i lor's, aud of fiction, Dickens, Anthony
! TrOllpp, Walter Scott. and hundreds of