The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-06
HATCHER! NOW | WONDER IF
JOB EVER HAD THE GRIPPE
If You Enjoy Genial GrumhIing and the Quaintest
Mixture of Fun and Philosophy Read
This Letter.

in that. The old story of a well man S
dying just because every one be met said
he was looking badly, demonstrated the
power OF the imagination on that side
OF the question; and it's just as reasonable
to suppose that a man can be helped
back TO health by making him think he's
better. 1t a mans got any grit lett in
him, he don't like to go back on himself
after he has told his loving, anxious wife
that "he feels BETTER and bring back
the shadow on her face. Yes, whenever
the wife performs any of those Womanly
tricks that none but a loving wife knows
how to practice, she's sure to conclude
with the question. You feel better,
row, don't you?' And of course he
says: Yes! much better" l am getting
better and hope to be out in a few days.
This is not that tough old grippe that
we run out with assafoetda years ago,
but one OF the younger grippes; therefore
more easily managed, but it's surely a
chip of the old block. I'll stop right here
with the proposition that if the grippe
will let me alone l will let it alone, for
all time to come. and hold no grudges
against it. That's fair.
IL the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight our city
was made to believe. that, in less than
a mile from the capitol building, there
was a fine mineral spring. The news of
its discovery filled the town with an
interest almost as absorbing as the poll
tical campaign of that fall, as was at
tested by the crowd that rode or walked
down to a slow place filled with mud
that smelt like sulphur, copperas, iron,
a pt I1ap hat nlf
les would revolt at. The spring was on
the land of Mr.. J. H. Kirkham, and was
on or near the southern extension of
Person street Mr. Kirkham dug hole
in the mud and planked it up; built n
SOFT of pavilion, and the public enjoyed
the evening visits to the rapidly becoming
fan Gus Kirkham Spring. If the water
was ever analysed l do not remember
who did it, or what the analysis demon
strated; but, I well remember how. ex-
uberant were Mr.. Kirkham's expectations
of amassing a fortune from his spring,
and hoy rejoiced the city was, in the fact
that il. had, almost within its corporate
limits, mineral spring whose waters
srelt and tasted as badly as the waters
of the most celebrated spring of the
South. For a year or two the spring
an unfortunate remark made by some
person. to the effect that the mineral
Tor minerals) with which the water
might, after all, be the washings of that
Fart of the city whose waters emptied
into that bottom, filling it with filth
OF every kind; l say, but for that re-
mark the spring might have had a big
MIN ElIt 4 hot nj trnf
af'oat than did certain gentleman take
the task upon themselves to follow the
water shed to ascertain whether the gen
tieman's theory was correct or false.
The investigation satisfied them that the
theory was correct, and then everybody
who had been drinking the waters of
Kilkham's Spring felt like he ought to
take a dose of ipecac And Klrkhams
Spring was no more.
Nevertheless, while the spring was in
good standing, we young people had just
as good a time, promenading down to
1t and returning, as the twilight
brought out the stars; and were quite
as romantic in our thoughts and feelings
as If we had been visitors at springs
whose waters flowed out OF pure rock
or d mountain side.
the downfall of his pet enterprise; but
when the older citizens, who knew the
history of the whole matter, showed him
so clearly that the place where his
spring vas had been raised from a
cowmire, by the deposits that had come
from slaughter pens and numerous gut
tiers that brought the washings OF the
streets, all east of Wilmington street.
+,
not to blame for turning against his min
eral water.
Hon. William Jennings Bryan was in
our city recently, and made fine speech,
which l did not hear because / was not
we'll enough to go out. 1 am the loser
by failing to go; for, despite the fact
that some people, who wear stiff collars,
try TO depreciate his talent, and dis
count his integrity, l cannot help admir-
ing him as a man and politician. His
theme The Value OF an IDEAL Is an
index to the lofty and inspiring thoughts
to be found in his lecture, which cannot
fail TO impress themselves upon the
minds of all who heard and read his adj
dless. Mr.. Bryan may never be Presi-
dent; nor will any other man ever be
elected to that high office again, who
places the man above the dollar. He
may be pure as Gabriel, as patriotic
AS Moses, and as true to the old time
traditions as Joshua, who led the tribes
into their promised possessions, but I'M
less he bows the knee TO tho Baal OF
wealth, he can't be President The North
has the money, and no man who will
not stand in with the money lords can
b. elected. Mr.. Bryan received the larg-
est vote ever given to a Democrat
believe; but he failed of an election be-
cause Northern Democrats whose love of
the dollar was stronger than their love
Of party, SO voted to defeat not only
the candidate their party had nominated
but to defeat principles for which that
party always stood.
Nh. Bryan, defeated as the champion
of the manhood of the nation, is greater
than if he had gained his election by the
power of money. But, all this is unpopu-
lar talk, and I'm not in politics; and
don't intend to get in.
I'm in a uuandary. Things arc get
TING in such a fix hardly know how to
pray an orthodox prayer and, 1T the
same time consistent prayer. To be on
the safe side, l usually fall Back on the