The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-12-28

will toll mournfully for a little
while, then stop. For it has cracked!
And never again will it ring out, as
it rang that day In 1776 when it
heralded the news of the Declare
ton of independence, nor be tolled
for the passing Of one of the great
figures in the struggle for liberty.
John Marshall is the last of these
and it is appropriate that when his
voice is stilled in this year 1885,
the voice of the Liberty Bell shall
also remain silent henceforth.
But even though the Bell has
proclaimed liberty throughout all
the land" the fight for liberty is
not yet ended. In one part of what
is to be the United States that
fight is just about to begin. Down
in Texas this year 1885 will see
Stephen F. Austin and James Bowie
and James Fannin and Sam Hous-
ton take the first steps toward win
ming freedom from Mexico-a strug-
gle which will come to a triumph
ant conclusion early the next year
on the field of San Jacinto.
While these great events are TAX
ing place down on the Rio Grande,
a little town in Missouri is the scene
of another event, seemingly unim-
portant at the time but destined to
result in many hours of delight for
thousands of later Americans. On
November 30 Florida, No., becomes
the birthplace Of a boy who will
bear the name of Sam Clemens
when he grows up to be Confed-
crate soldier, a Mississippi river
pilot, a miner and a newspaper
man in Nevada. But it will be I'M
der the name of Mark Twain that
he win be known far and wide, and
American literature will be enriched
by his "Tom Sawyer" and ''Huckle-
berry Finn" and "Roughing It" and
life on the Mississippi" and SIN
nocents Abroad"
In the Missouri town of Florida
a boy is born, but in the state of
Florida, as this year 1885 dies, some
brave men will die in the outbreak
of one of the costliest Indian wars
in American history. On December
% the fierce chieftain of the Sem
inoles, Osceola, creeps stealthily up
to Fort King and shoots down Gen.
eral Thompson, the Indian agent,
and five other white men. And on
that same day his fierce trfbesmen
ambush the command of Maj.
Francis L. Dade near the Withla-
coochee river. A monument which
stands ON the grounds of the Unit
ed States Military academy at West
Point tells the story-"To commem-
crate the battle of the 2Sth of De-
cember between a detachment of
the One Hundred and Eighth Unit.
ed States troops and the Seminole
Indians of Florida, in which all the
detachment save three fell without
an attempt to retreat"
Thus begins a war-another war
caused because the white man will
break solemn treaties-which Is to
last seven years and which is to cost
the United States the lives Of near
~ 1,5O0 soldiers and nearly as many
settlers and volunteers, not TO men,
ton a money cost of $4,000, 600
December 81, 1884. Nine o'clock
in San Francisco and Portland and
Seattle. But into thousands of
homes on the Pacific coast come the
blowing of whistles, the ringing of
bells, the footing Of horns and the
singing and shouting Of human
voices. For 1t is midnight In Bos-
ton and New York and Philadel.
phia and the magic Of radio is car
rying simultaneously the sound OF
their celebration clear across the
continent to those who will not sim.
ilarly celebrate for three hours yet.
The Old Year is deadl The New
Year is born! What historic events
viii come to pass In this year 1885,
G. Western Newspaper Union.