Year: 1875




assert, devote single minute of the time
thus filched from the public who have a moral
right to the services Of these favored few,
having paid for them, to make themselves
more familiar with the life, character and
precepts of the great man whose name they
use to cloak little theft of time. Appoint
| ing a day by law to be observed as holiday,
to be logical, involves the duty of ordering
the arrangements for its observation and
enforcing the same. To stop short Of this
! is but sham and a humbug. Observance
of Thanksgiving days is taken in hand by
the Churches, and hence this holiday is in
a tolerable manner carried out.


The Groome Guards did what they could
to honor or observe the day. 1t was their
first public parade. They tramped up
Main street and back again; which is as
much as French King did, who marched
ND a hill and down again. It's something
at least to have a King for precedent.


ReIigiouS--The religious interest and
meetings are being kept up in our town
with unabated zeal. Beside the regular
lenten services at the Episcopal and Catho-
lie Churches, the Presbyterian and Metho.
dist Churches are holding Bible readings


PRAYER meetings and other form of services
every afternoon and evening; while the
union noon- day prayer meetings are kept up
at the Odd Fellows Hall daily from 10 to l
o'clock. Rev. Mr.. Cullis continued his
labors in the Presbyterian Church up to
| Friday evening, and the untlagging interest
maintained confirm him leading pulpit
orator. When he preached the church was
always crowded, and the audience seemed
never to weary under his electric discourses.
! If all the generous impulses, noble resolves
| and sublime influences which have been
awakened by his discourses and eXhortations
are carried out in daily life, after the meet
ings close, what great blessing will have
fallen upon the town. Our wish is very
strong for this consummation, but past ex-
| periences, in spite Of our most earnest de-
! sire, makes faith very weak. 1t is compare
lively an easy task to form good resolu-
tions, especially when aided and stimulated
by a revival season, but it requires sturdy
effort and self sacrifice to carry them out.
| And just here is where a great necessity
exists in nearly, if not quite all our Chris
tian denominations. There is no thorough
systematic training in Christian life, or
scarcely any, by any of the churches, be-
yond the stated meetings which are of
public nature. The sermon is preached,
the hymns sung, the prayers said, and the
members 60 about their business. Many
of them know but little or nothing of the
creed of their church, or of its history or
doctrines; and it never enters their thoughts
to wish to know. Some of them practice
the good precepts they receive from the
minister, others partially conform to them
when it is not against their material inter
est to do so, while others again will cheat
you if they can, on every occasion; yet all
stand equal, and the slippery ones are not
questioned by their congregation, unless
the offense is serious enough to invite pub
lie condemnation.


L
change is about to be made in our hereto
fore wretched road system. Under the new
road law for this county, the Commission
ers advertise to sell the roads next month,
commencing at Elkton on the 18th of
March, when the roads Of the Third Dis
trict will be sold in sections to the lowest
bidder for three years. The days are ap-
pointed in the advertisement for selling the
roads in each District. One man may buy
one or more sections as he sees proper. 1t
is proposed by this system to place those
who undertake to keep the roads in order,
under some obligation to do the work in
proper manner, which they contract to
perform, and within a certain specified
period, as bridges are built and all other
kinds of public work is done. When the
supervisor, or rather contractor has exam
ined the section or sections of road which
he proposes to purchase, and makes his
estimate for keeping it in repair for three
years, and if his bid is the lowest when the
contract is knocked down to him, he will
bond with the County Commissioners to
make or mend and keep in repair the same
according to the specifications contained in
his bond. In each District one judicious
person will be selected by the Commission
ers whose duty it shall be to 60 over and
examine or inspect the roads twice year
or oftener if required, and certify all bills
of the road contractor before they can be
paid by the County Treasurer.


The changes in the system of road mend
ing which the altered law proposes are,
first, to make the supervisor responsible to
his employers, who are the Commissioners;
secondly, to make it an object to watch
the roads and remedy the first appearance
of break by the water, and thus save
heavy expense in repairing damage which
few minutes work at the beginning
would often prevent; and by judicious
management in keeping the roads always
in good order great saving will be effected,
and profit be realized by the contractor,
while the public receive the benefit of good
roads at all seasons of the year. 1t is
believed that one-half the outlay which
has been absorbed by the roads, which
averages about $25, 900 yearly would keep
the public roads in much better repair than
they have been, if it was made an object
! with the supervisor to watch them and
| repair at the first appearance of damage,
and employ only such hands as will give
faithful days work. No man, when he is
responsible for the payment of road hands,
will think of employing such as have made
up very large per cent of those usually
found putting in time on the roads. This
abuse which has cost the county heavily,
will disappear under the revised system.
| When man knows the exact sum he shall
receive for performing a specific contract,
| it at once becomes his interest to study