Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-04-01
A BURNT MATCH.

tobacco. stumps of cigars lemon and
banana peels bottle corks. cheese
parings. dirty Stops and many other
refuse fragments. all commingled in
one filthy mass. One fragment OF
this common compound found in the
street. | had almost forgotten TO men,
ton. 1t was simply the remains of a
burnt match Like the other contents
OF the gutter. it had served its turn.
Having my curiosity aroused concern
Ing these repulsive objects. and seeing
that the burnt match was the most
decent looking OF this molly mixture.
addressed il and begged it to give
mo history OF its disgusting sur
roundings.
Said the match: You behold be-
fore you one of the most loathsome
OBJ. Gets which ever meet the eye of
man. There is nothing so low and
abominable as the filth of the gutter
1t is the embodiment of all that is dis
gushing TO the sight and scent of man.
Think of it! |, who was once clean.
trim little match snugly housed in
neat box with my sisters. now float
ing half consumed, in tho slime and
slop OF the gutter! But let that pass
for the present.
My home originally was in the
forest l was made from the heart OF
a noble pine tree which for many and
many a year. swayed its dark green
crown in the merry breezes. and de-
family withstood the shocks Of storm.
Straight as an arrow it stood, far
above its fellows 1t was the first to
greet the rising sun and it was the
first OF its brothers the sun saluted.
kissing the dews from his emerald
brow. The happest days of my en-
istence were those in which | dwelt
within the heart of the great pine
tree. But in an evil hour came the
woodman. He viewed the shapely
trunk of the tree and soon the glitter
tering steel OF his axe sunk into its
heart. The sound of the heavy blows
echoed far and wide through the
silent forest They were the death
knells OF the great tree. Soon the
blows ceased. when, with q mighty
| crash. the magnificent monarch of the
forest fell to the earth.
The body was divided into con-
venient lengths and transferred. first
by oxen. then by locomotive to the
match works of great city; subdi-
vlded into millions of tiny sticks like
myself; boxed and sent out over the
world, SO that now the body of the
tree must be scattered far and wide
over the earth. Even my companions
that dwelt with me in the same box,
must now be scattered thousands OF
miles from each other After we had
been packed into thousands of little
boxes, they we're placed into larger
boxes and sent from the factory to
other cities. Many many miles my
companions and myself travelled be.
fore we saw the light of day. This
event happened in large city great
many miles from hero. One day
found myself, when the cover of our
box had been removed. upon the
counter of cigar store and was
| viewing the strangeness of my sur
roundings when in steps young man
He buys cigar takes up the
match at my side, strikes it, and be-
| hold! a beautiful light burst forth
| which the young gentleman imme-
| diatoly applied 10 his cigar He took
| some half dozen other matches from
| the box among which | was included
and put us in his vest pocket | could
not see where he went but knew we
were going the rounds of the city by
| the conversations we overheard. Fin
ally the young man took the train
| leaving the city and after long
| journey. we arrived at this place.
| A a,
grasped me from his pocket struck
me against some hard substance. and
in an instaut'I was all ablaze | saw
| glasses and bottles before me out of
which supposed the young man had
been drinking. My brilliant existence
was very brief. No sooner had the
| gentleman lit his cigar than he threw
me away. found half OF my shapely
| body consumed and what remained
was lying in IL filthy condition.
Il felt very crestfallen ut this sud.
den change in my career. Looking
about ! found myself in company with
a dozen or more cast OF cigar and CT
| garet,o ends and IL mass OF nasty
looking tobacco guilds and Spite
The man of the house next morning
threw filthy water over us. and
cmptied us into the gutter. was la
menting my degraded and wretched
state 10 my filthy companions when II
dilapidated quid of tobacco thus ad-
dressed me:
My friend. you have not rs good
reason for complaint us myself Look
at me. Do / look anything like a
beautiful green Leaf. drinking in the
sunshine and the dews OF heaven9 Yet
was all that once. grew on great.
strong stock with my brothers and
sisters, until | was plucked off by
man. How nicely they handled me!
What pains they took to sweeten me,
And when | began to pride myself on
my elevation and was lolled under the
Tongue of fine gentleman for few
moments what does the wretch do but
| SPIT me out groInd to a thousand
fragments! q, you have nothing Of
which to complain
Here the Tobacco quid gave him
self II shake and fell into dozen
pieces. He had no sooner ceased
speaking than cigar stump thus ad-
| dressed me-
My unfortunate friend. cease com
planning. | once held IA more elevated
position in the estimation of man than
you was fondled and caressed with
the hands and the lips of one of the
| most Drominent men--in fact | be