Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-09-08
SOME GRIEVANCES or 1744.

Deborah Seeley Pleaded For Hogs anu
SyIvanus Seaman Complained of RalSes.
Complaints abaut the administra
ton of laws and ordinances in the
city of New York are no new thing,
as is shown by the case of Deborah
Seeley, who lived if she did not
flourish $50 years ago and came
into conflict with the city authori-
ties. The recital of her grievance
by the lady herself is certainly
quaint and interesting,
Il am poor widow" wrote Deb
orah to the publisher of The Post
boy in 1744, land have often set
forth the deplorable state of my case
to the alderman of the ward, but he
turns deaf ear to all ! say, and !
must therefore beg you to give a
place in your paper to an appeal to
the public for the justice of my call.
NV husband died about three years
ago, leaving me with three small
children and large score to pay off
at tippling houses for beer, punch
and cordials, occasioned by his too
great attention to politics and neg
lect of his cordwainer occupation.
After his death followed washing,
making soap, candles and some
other small matters which brought
me in now and then a ready penny,
enabling me to pay my husbands
debts and live in frugal manner,
which l did, having for some years
raised my own pork in my yard
"But I am debarred by law of
the corporation, lately passed, ban
ishing all hogs out of the city, to the
great damage of the widow and or
phan, which law, / have been in
formed, was obtained at the earnest
request of a certain city magistrate
whose name I refrain from giving.
Had that gentleman considered the
benefit accruing to the public by the
hogs, the injustice of depriving the
inhabitants of their company, I am
apt to think that he would not have
been so precipitate in an affair of
such consequence.
For reducing cancer nothing
like hogs fat, sugar cookies and
strong beer, made into a poultice,
applied warm to the part affected,
will serve, and hogs fat stepped in
rum with MULLEN is good for
collie. .
Mrs. Seeley appears to have been
something of a rhetorician, as she
adds, with touch of true feminine
logic:
Il must further observe that, if
they are to Danish all nuisances,
why don't they Danish the dogs,
cats, drunken husbands, and substi-
tute order for disorder? Consider
ing the hog, his bristles serve the
shoemaker and brushmaker., his fat
fries fish, boils olicooks, bakes pan
cakes, greases wool, makes soap and
is good for pomatum. Canon and
cheek of bacon with spinach, a leg
of pork and turnips is a fine dish
This none of the community can
deny If what I say will not prevail
upon the magistrates to repeal the
law banishing hogs, nothing will, I
fear But I would propose one ex-
ception to be added to the law, and
that is that every person that will
fat hogs in their bedrooms, parlors
or garrets shall not be deemed or
esteemed to be within the meaning
of the law, anything to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
In the same year and almost on
the same day that Deborah Seeley
complained of the hog ordinance
Sylvanus Seaman had word to say
concerning the actions of some rep
rehensible Tenderloin dudes of that
day whose place of nocturnal resort
was Beaver street. He wrote:
"Those young gentlemen rakes
who broke SO many windows at
midnight in this city, who show
their un-Christian way of rejoicing,
may be assured if they don't make
satisfaction for the wooden shutters
they broke in Beaver street their
names will be put in this paper. AS
this most scandalous, base and per-
nicious practice of breaking shutters
after nightfall is but too common
and notorious in these parts, it were
humbly to be wished that the legis-
lature would take into their consid-
GRAFTON the subject, as they only are
in the capacity to provide remedy
suitable for the acts of such male
factors. New York Sun