Year: 1877




''To ax-if Mrs. Muigan


Has any pigs to sellv'


A NEBRASKA TRAGEDY.


rhe Sad Fate Of Certain Babies In Hack


berry Precinct.


m Y Times.l


blackberry Precinct is town in Ne
braska. 1t is not very large town.
and the inhabitants are rarely visited by
the travelling lecturer, the circus, or any
are thrown on their own resources for
amusement, and their principal recrea-
tions are social parties and little diff
culties" at the leading Saloons" Not
very long ago blackberry Precinct de-
termined to indulge in ball, to which
all the citizens Of the place without dis
tinction Of sex or rank should be invited.
The largest available house was rented
Tor the occasion; a superb band OF
music, consiting of colored man with
a violin, was employed, and a magniti-
hot whisky were the leading fea-
lures, was provided. Preparations on
80 grand scale had never before been
made for any blackberry Precinct ball,
and it was expected that the affair
would prove magnificent success.


1t 80 happened that sixteen of the
youngest and most popular matrons of
the town were in the possession of ba-
bies under thirteen months of age.
These ladies were extremely anxious to
attend the ball, but inaSmuch as bottles
except Of the variety adapted eXclu-
Hively for the use Of mature citizens
were not to be had in blackberry at any
price, there was practical difficulty in
leaving the babies at home In hungry
and motherless state during the entire
night In this emergency, man of rare
inventive genius, who was one of the
managers Of the ball, proposed that the
sixteen mothers should take their babies
to the ball with chem and deposit them
accessible. This plan was adopted
with much enthusiasm, and at s o'clock
the sixteen babies were brought to the
ball and placed on large bed in the
second-story back bedroom.


It had been suggested by careful
mother that the infants should be
checked, 50 that each mother could be
sure of recovering her own at the end
OF the festivities. Unfortunately, no
t checks could be procured, and it was,
therefore. resolved that each infant
of colored ribbon. Accordingly, this
was done, and when the sixteen babies,
with their hunger temporarily allayed,
and their dresses decorated with distin-
guished bows, were laid side by side on
the bed, sixteen mothers agreed that
the spectacle was too beautiful for any
thing, and the collected infants were one
and all perfectly sweet.


Dancing began at 80, and absorbed
the whole attention OF the guests. 1t
was not until 10 o'clock that it occurred
10 one OF the mothers that her infant
might perhaps be in want of little
luncheon, or might desire to express its
views in regard to pins and things in
general. Accordingly, this excellent
matron withdrew from the ballroom,
assuring her partner that she would re-
turn almost Immediately. She did not
return, however, and the next mother
who left the ballroom with like prom
ise also failed to return. Gradually the
the existence OF the babies, retired to
attend to their supposed wants, until
ten months had thus vanished, not one
OF whom made their re-appearance in
the ballroom.


The remaining six mothers, who were
probably exceptionally fond Of dancing,
entirely forgot their babies until the
approach OF dawn, and the fixed deter
mination Of the band to go to sleep on
the floor caused the brilliant assembly
to break up. The six mothers repaired
In body to the Sc ,ond-story back bed
room, whence loud shrieks and wild de-
monstrations Immediately arose. Every
one rushed to ascertain what was the
matter. and, In response to their inquir-
les, were informed by distracted moth
or that the best babies had all been
carried off, and that the remainder were
inextricably mixed up, owing to the loss
OF their distinguished bows.


It appears that no sooner had the in
fants been left to themselves than the
bright-colored ribbons had attracted
which they Immediately undertook were
prosecuted with so much zeal that in
Presumably brief time every bow was
torn off. The first mother, who arrived
at the scene at 10 o'clock, was a woman
OF great GOODNESS and resource. Find
ing it impossible to select her own body
nOm the mass Of unmarked and con-
glomerated infants, she wisely selected
the largest and best baby of the lot, and
carried it home. Her example was fol-
lowed by the next nine mothers, each
one OF whom picked out good, service
able infant, and fastened away with it.
The result was that the last six mothers
found nothing but refuse infants, and
could not agree as to any method
Of satisfactorily distributing them.
Their indignation was naturally very
great. Each one insisted that she had
brought with her baby of exceptional
value, which was alone worth more
than the entire six that still remained,
and each insisted that she should be
allowed to make the first choice. In
these circumstances, with a view to
check the further effusion of hairpins
and curls, Judge Doolittle proposed
that. inasmuch as the ladies were unac-
uuainted with euchre, the matter should
IA settled by throwing dice. This was
done. and each mother in her turn
nicked out q baby and went home,
asserting that she had been atrociously
cheated. but that il her husband was
really a man, as he pretended to be, he
would secure for her justice, and re-
Tenge at the mouth OF ms 1hsae aevolsea. ases oo
-.-a &C vet No Redistribution of infants