The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-04

PASSING OF POTATO CREEK.
Washington dispatch conveyed to the
Journals readers a day or so ago the in
Potato Creek, Montgomery county, had
been discontinued. Just this and nothing
more. Not word of explanation was add
ed, and the cause for the action is left open
to conjecture, except to the persons living
in the neighborhoed of what was Potato
Creek. They are presumably responsible
for what has been done, for the govern
ment would hardly take so high-handed
a course as to abolish the office without
their consent and cooperation. But what
did they do to bring about this result, and
why? With those two intellectual centers.
Charlottesville and Alamo. so near them,
did they grow disconnected with the agri-
cultural SAVIOR Of their home village, and, in
order to dissociate themselves from it In
the minds of their friends, order their mail
sent elsewhere? Have they grown so proud
and naughty through merely living in the
same county with poets and novelists that
their former state of Arcadan simplicity
when the name, potato Creek" suggested
pastoral visits? Have they possibly ar
ranged for re-establishment of the Of
flee with a name more suggestive of aes-
thetic things, as North Athens" Chariot
ville." 'Purling Brook" Lilly Dale" and
the like? kFS
Or can it be that the false philosophy
and strained pathos OF Markham's Man
with the Hoe" has impressed them with a
dislike for name which suggests that USE
full farm implement? 1t is not quite clear
what vegetable it is that Markham's. or
rather, Millet's man is cultivating when
he is not resting, but it resembles the po-
tato, and it is certainly we'll known that
a hoe can be made useful in the potato
field. Therefore, 1t may be that the resi-
dents of Potato Creek have resolved to do
away with what might serve as reminder
of irksome toll If it were merely to show
a condemnation of an unpleasant poem
they could not be blamed. but if they class
themselves with Markhams man they do
themselves great injustice. Surely no resi-
dent of Montgomery county. least of all
Potato Creek-that was-is brother to
the OK" and none ever welded so dread
full tool as the ''hoe'' in question. On the
contrary, the Potato Creek man is an
alert, wide-awake person who has all the
latest farm machinery and does his Guilt
waiting by horsepower. So far from car
rying the emptiness of ages in his face"
or ION his back the burden Of the world"
he feels satisfied to carry the township or
the county when he runs for Office, with &C.
casionally hand in state affairs. The Po-
tato Creek man, in short. is all right, but
he did wrong to give up his postoffice. 1t
will be missed. 1t was a news center.
Things used to happen at Potato Creek
and get into the papers. When Indianians
far away from home picked up newspa-
per and saw therein dispatch headed "Po-
tato Creek" they experienced a joyous
thrill and a sensation of being near at home
once more. A dispatch from North Athens,
or from Ben-Hurville. or whatever name
the place may yet be given. will have no
such homelike charm. The news from 1t
will never seem of such an intimate charac-
ter. To be sure, Indiana has yet those
other names of bucolic simplicity. Bean
Blossom, Big Foot, Dogwood. Birdseye.
Raccoon, Dark Hollow. Popcorn and Ko-
komo. but what are all these without Po-
tato Creek? 1t is a Hoosier landmark gone
Hence these tears.