The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
breakfast and directed him to the requisite
quarters for obtaining future help IL he
needed it. or work If he wanted it.

Evil communication are said to corrupt
good manners, aud propinquity to COM
placent Kentucky, it is now claimed, has
worked damage to the gen
Indiana eral attitude of indian
BraE. There is no more devoted
Hoosier in the whole State OF
Indiana than L am" put forward a long
time resident Of Indianapolis, but In here
to confess that I'm getting heartily tired of
Indiana Drag. 1t is not any longer a mat
ter of question that Indiana is a fine State,
with a highly honorable record in peace,
war;, politics and literature; this being the
case, I think it is now time to sit back
quietly OH our well-earned honors and let
facts and results speak for themselves.
"Out on the road the other day, in con-
versation with a boastful Indiana man and
an Eastern man, 1 was much amused and a
man say to my Indiana friend: You Indi-
ana people are getting to be talented brag-
| gers; you are almost as gifted in that lire
as Kentuckians.' This pointed remark went
home with me, and, on consideration, 1 be-
Heve the New York man was justified. At
the time, however, / explained to him that
the Indiana brag habit had been formed
defensively; that Indiana had long been
abused and ridiculed, and that all heart
felt Indianians had acquired the logical
tendency to praise their much-loved State
whenever occasion arose. He admitted the
former necessity, but agreed that Indiana
now. on all lines. was so well on her feet
that the Kentucky habit might be aban-
doned. Sitting the matter thoroughly. the
citizen concluded, II believe on some lines,
the Indiana brag feature has been much
overworked. Indianapolis is, in many re-
spects, a beautiful city, but no honest
man can lay his hand on the good book
and say there is no room for improvement,
no drawbacks to the spirit of brag. There
are parts of Indianapolis as tawdry as
Coney island, and as dirty as Washington
city in it's summer-excursion state. Let
general civic cleanliness prevail before we
brag any more.
ALSO, Indiana's literary clans have been
over,bragged. We all know what illustrious
lights are entitled to first place; they need
no commentator. For the large army of
The Others why impair Indiana's reputa-
ton for literary attainment by crude, lavish
praise of second-rate authorship? 1t is time
to call a long, thoughtful halt as to Indiana
brag."
In spite Of all the talk about the travelling
mans b~ustling life. he enjoys his intervals
of peace. it appears.
Nothing does me more
At the good than to find myself
Days End. on a railway train, along
towards night" remarked
an active and thoughtful Indianapolis drum
mer. "As the day creeps on towards sunset,
the swiftly gliding panorama Of farms, VIII
lagos and towns takes on a new and inter-
esting phase. Labor is drawing to an end
and tired men and women are preparing for
a nights rest. In the villages, house-lamps
are lighted. children and women are troop
ing home from the groceries with bundles
of supper-food in their hands. Men with
dinner-pails and pipes go in groups through
the streets, chatting cheerfully. Town
crowds hurrying home at nightfall are of
equal interest, but less picturesque than the
village folk. Country scenes at even-fall
are of the most refreshing and soothing
character. About 4 o'clock country children
make a most attractive sight, scattered
along the lanes on their way home from
school, the boys. may be calamity jostling
49, eNf oH1 90 t4Ae CT NV 1lOSS-IOduS IN
throwing clods Of dirt after each other.
Also, farm wagons creak along the home
ward roads. cattle wind up from the mead
ows and horses are driven into the barn.
yards Toilers go home from the fields,
and women who have been country-yisiting
trip briskly down the dusky foot-paths.
Around the farmhouses night-fall work
makes a pleasant picture. The COWS are
being MIXED. and boys are carrying in
wood. Blue supper-smoke curls up from
all the chimneys, and the chickens arc
noisily seeking the roost. The teams arc
slowly coming up from the fields and for
ests. corn and pumpkins are unloaded, wood
is thrown of at the backdoor, and the
farmer refreshes himself at the well. or
the old pump. AT shutdown. scattered coun.
try lights on the brown landscape make
cheerful food for the imagination.
ut does me good . repeated the travelling
man. Ito wind I'D a busy day with all these
comforting evening sights"
Two kinds OF city men. as they get on into
middle life. yearn 20 own a home In the
country; these are men who have lived OF
n farm and those vino have
The never lived there. The FIRST
shack. mentioned longs TO repeat the
simple joys of intimate outdoor
! life. and the last named wishes TO expert