The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-11-06
HALLOWEEN.

Young America was abroad In the land
in full force Saturday night. Halloween
comes only once a year and the young-
sters fully appreciate that fact. Many
were the schemes resorted to by them in
order to escape the maternal eye long
enough to slip away from home and take
a hand in the mischief being done, and in
most instances the y%oungster was success
fuI. About the only way his mother
found it possible to keep him at home was
to hide his clothes, and as il was pretty
dark out doors and not very cold she
found it necessary to keep an eye on him
then. But there were enough who escap-
ed the vigilant eyes of their parents to
carry on all the mischief absolutely need
ed. They carried off gates and put them
in hollows, took b poor rams yard
benches and traded them for his rich
%nsighbors lawn settee. carried the
poor mans saw-buck and tied 1t to the
rich mans door knob and played every
prank conceivable. One prank played by
the youngsters, and really the result of
their ambition to emulate a great exam
Pile. The act which has called down the
wrath of man OF their heads was this,
they built a heavy, eight rail stake and
rider fence across Eighteenth street at
Auli & Wilson's store which effectually
prevented teams from passing until it was
torn down on Monday. We do not think
the boys intended to violate the law ia
doing this but they were moved by a de-
sire to follow as nearly as possible the life
Of q great man.
The crowd OF young Americas had got
ten through with their work of exchang-
ing gates and yard benches and were sit
ting down talking over their finished
labors when q of them expressed dis
gust at their amusing themselves with
such fruitless sport and suggested that
they begin life's work in earnest. They
considered the examples of the different
men who began life as q poor boy and de-
oided to follow in Lincoln's foot steps.
Abraham Lincoln began life as a rail
splitter. The night being too dark to
handle the axes and wedges used in max
ing rails they thought the next thing to
splitting rails was building a rail fence
and at once set to work.. The street be.
ing the only land they thought they had
an interest In this they decided to COM
memo their careers right there. Fast and
diligently they worked and soon they a
as substantial q STAGE and rider rail fence
before them as ever Lincoln helped to
build. After viewing their work with
great satisfaction and complimentIng
themselves on what they considered a
good job we'll done they retired to their
homes, each heart fired with lofty aspira-
lions. and slept with dreams that they
were destined to become presidents of
great republics.
The next morning they came forth ex-
pecting praise for their life's work so we'll
begun when they heard only abuse for
them on every hand. They heard that
such hoodlums should be locked up in
Jail and their actions severely punished
by the law; that 1t was a crime to obstruct
= public highway even though there was
nc other place to build snch q handsome
rail fence. Their lofty ambitions were
completely crushed by the Cousins" they
heard on every hand and they have deci-
ded that there is no encouragement to be
expected from a cruel world for a young
man who wishes to rise, and have babe
the hope or following LIncoln's footsteps
and becoming president OF the United
States depart forever from their breasts.