Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-10-12
Woman and Taxes.

Ihe Springfield Republican, print
ing letter from Abby Smith headed
An Idyl of Modern New England"
and editorially calling attention to it,
said: "We ask every thoughtful man
who has the ballot and every thought
less woman who is in the habit o: say
ing that she doesn't want it, to read
Abby Smiths story OF the New Years
call paid her by the tax collector of
Glastonbury. 1t is we'll worth read
ing, if only for the quaint simplicity of
the style. This is a bit OF Defoe's
English. But the matter is still more
noteworthy than the manner. In re-
fusing to continue paying heavier
taxes than any other property owners
in Glastonbury. while refused a voice
in assessing and spending them, Abby
Smith and her sister as truly stand for
the American principal as did the
citizens who ripped open the tea chests
in Boston hsrbor, or the farmers who
leveled their muskets at Concord.
And they seem to have very much the
same quality of quiet, old.fashioned
Yankee grit. They don't shrek, nor
wiring their hands, nor make fuss of
any sort. They are good nature itself,
and pluck itself. They simply stand
upon their rights"
From this "Idyl of Modern New
England" here is brief extract. Abby
Smith is relating their case in the
Springfield Republican: "My sister
went into the yard to entreat him (the
tax collector) to leave two of the COWS
together-there was eight-that one
might not be left alone. But she
could not prevail, and the little thing
(the poor mans portion) has cried ever
since. The cows were taken to q
neighbors's and the neighbors said
nothing could exceed the trouble they
had to get them into his yard. He could
do nothing with them. These cows
will sometimes be very contrary, when
no one can manage them but my sis
ter. She will call them all by their
names and they will come to her upon
the gallop. They will follow behind
her in single file, and she Can lead
them wherever she chooses. When
we had 5 new tenant they wouldn't let
him come near them, and she has been
obliged to stand at their head (where
they could see herr every day when he
milked for ever so long"
The names of these famous COWS
were Daisy, Whitley. Minney, Jessy,
Roxey, Martha Washington and Abigail
Adams. The fame of the sisters spread
so far and wide, that the mails OF
glastonbury, hitherto not very weight
ty, were loaded down with letters and
papers from all parts OF the country.
Their table was piled with them, and
their time occupied in reading and
answering letters. 1t was quaint Alb
by Smith who set the ball in motion
and kept it rolling by her unique
speeches and simple old-fashioned ways
and her Greek and Hebrew lore, and
her five translations of the bible. And
these and Abby and the cows together
made a combination and fame which,
for originality, has been unrivaled in
modern times.
People from many quarters made
pilgrimages to the old Smith mansion,
and the sleepy town Of Glastonbury
hitherto without q record in the world g
annals, became distinguished by two
women. While Julia raised cows, Alb
by raised the breeze that waited them
to public notice. But their fame
rests equally on both. In the days OF
the Millerites" and their talk about
the end of the world, Julia wanted to
learn if there was any warrant in the
original Hebrew for Miller's predic-
tions fixing the end of the world in
lS43. So she studied Hebrew and
then went to work and translated the
bible. She translated it five times
then put it away in bureau drawer
and published it many years after
when she was IS.
WHEN catarrh attacks q person oil
scrOfulous diathesis, the disease is al.
most sure to become chronic. The
only efficacious cure, therefore, ia
Ayers Sarsaparilla, which expels
scrofula from the system and the
catarrh soon follows suit. Local treat.
ment is only waste of time
|
| AT the celebration of Emancipation
day at Roslyn the programme in.
cluded a grand barbecue, in which two
oxen, a dozen sheep and two hog.
we're roasted. With vegetables, etc.
these were served to over 1000 colored
| mon womon apI chiIJrap