The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

r :v /% ' immm '•Nwafc# u Pledged but to Truth, to Liberty and Law ; No mmmmmrn mtmrnm Win us and no Fear Shall Awe." VOL. 1. M'HENRY, ILLINOIS, WEDBBDAY, MARCH 29, 1876. , Af Published Every Wednesday bjr .TA."V slyke Editor and Publisher. (Mtee In Riverside Block, Over Smith Bros. A Oa'i Store. , TERMS OP SUBSCRIPTION: Tear, (in Advance,) ,fl 80 not Paid within Three Months, 2 0# • I'iafescriptSsas received forjthree or six months ' ,-^e the same proportion. BUSINESS €ARDS. H. T. BKOWN, M. IX PHYSICIAN and Surftcon. Office in Brick Wnfk over P. G. Maye Water Street, McHenry lit E. A. BEERS M. D. T>BTBICIAK and Surgeon. Office at residence, A two doors west of Post Office, McHenry a J. HOWARD, M D. PrTGTCTAW and Surgeon. Office at the ttore of Howard A Son, McHenry, 111. P. G. MAYES. Merchant Tailor, and dealer in Ready Made Clothinjr, Cloths, Oassimeres, Vestinir Ac., One door nqrth of Colby's Drugstore McHenry H. C. IRISH; ^TTORNEY AT LAW, McHenry. IlL RICHARD BISHOP, A TTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW. J\ Office in rear of Murphv & Tlishop'n Bank Worth Side Public Square, Woodstock, 111. GEO. A. BUCKLIN, NOTARY PUBLIC, Conveyancer and In, surance Agent. Office at Bucklin A Steven's Store, near the Depot, McHenry, IlL BUSINESS CARDS. K. BENNETT, M. D., SURGEON and Acc.oucher. . Diseases of : Women a Spec ial t v. Office and Residence on Otoy Street, Woodstock, 111 » FT •iff; NO. 35. W. H. BUCK, M. IX, > ? HOMEOPATHIC Phvtwlan and Surgeon.-- Office East Side Public- Square, Wood­ stock, 111. Office hours 11 to 12 A. M., and 2 MiP.M. , O . B I S H O P , WHOLESALE and Retail dealer In kinds all and the best quality of Farm Machinery. Second to none in the Market. K»ul and Soft Coal ponauuiiiy ub nanu.-- «arAls>o buys and sells Foreign Bills of Exchange on ill the Principal Cititra of Europe, MCHENRY, rl ' i; ILLINOIS. Waukegan Cigar Manufactory, •. M. DKNNIS, Proprietor. Manufacturer and Wholesale Dealer in CIGARS, TOBACCO, --AND-- Pipes of Every Description. 56 GENESEE STREET, WAUKEGAN, ILL. E. E. RICHARDS. TTAS a complete Abstract of Titles to land J~1 in McHenrr County, Ill'nots. Office with County Clerk, Woodstock, 111. D. A. POTTER, Notary S. Claim, Insurance a RICHMOND, ILL., Notarv Public and Con-vevancer, IT. " Collecting Agent. FR. HECHTLE. HOUSE, Siorn and Carriage Painter, McHen­ry 111. Will do all work promptly and at treasonable fates. G ENERAL E.M. OWEN. ftoaler and" Mantiffcetnrers Prices low and Terms favorable. MCHENRY, ILLINOIS. GEO. SCHREINER. SALOON and Restaurant. Nearly opposite the Parker House, McHenry 111. 49*First.Class Billiard and Pool Tables. J. BONSLETT., DALOON and Restaurant. Xenrlv oppoeite ft the (in. 4VGOOD STABLING FOR HORSES..M O.W.OWEN, WATCH MAKER & JEWELER, MCHENRY ILL., Dealer in all kinds of American and Swiss Watches, Clocks from,the best factories in the country. Silver, platedware, Silver Spoons, Ac., ALSO AGENT FOR THE Weber and Bradbury Pianos AND THE Estey Organ I Which we believe to be the best Organ in the market. We think we know that by experi- ence, and we believe it, for it is backed up by the Best Musicians in the World. I also sell other Organs at less prices than the Kstey, but cau't recoommend thein to be as good. O. W. OWEif. Jnly Mt JOS. WIEDEMANN, gAT.OON and Restn uran t. Near the Depot McHenry 111. Boarders by the day or week at reasonable rates. Warm and cold bieals at all hours. 4VGood Stahling^or Horses. MURPHY & BISHOP. BANKERS. Office North Side of Public Squat 'TRANSACTS a General Bimkinsr and Ex JL change Business. Deposits Received.-- Interest allowed on Special Deposits. Buy an<t sell United States Bonds, Gold, Gold Exchange, etc. Exchange on all principal cities in Europe for sale. Woodstock, III. MCHENRY LIVERY STABLE. H. K. WIGHTM AN, Proprietor. First class rigs, with or without drivers, furnished at reasonable rates. Teaming, or all kinds Hone on short notice. W. W. ELLSWORTH. BREEDER <f the Celebrated Magie Hog. Also Light and Dark Brahma Fowls. Pigs •hipped to all points by express. P. O. Ad­ dress, Woodstock, lit, ar ran ted. ROBERT MURFITT, AWATCH-M AK KRof 18 years experience, has located at Nunda, and will give his atten­ tion to the Repairing of Clocks, Watches, &c. Siiop in W;mm>» & Co.'3 Drug Store. All Work PETER LEICKEM. TOEPAIRS Watches, Clocks and Jewelry of JlI> all kinds. Also Repairs Violins inthebest possible manner, on short notice and at rea­ sonable rates. Also 'Violins for Sale. Shop grat door North of Riverside Block, McHenry M. ENGELN, GUN AND LOCKSMITH. Scale Repairing done promptly at short notice. Keep on hand a good stock of Guns, Revolvers, Pow­ der, Shot, Gun Material, Fishjng Tackle, Meerchaum and Wooden Pipes. MCHENRY, ILLINOIS. McHENRY HOUSE. TtfcHenry, IlL John Karges Proprietor. JLVl Centrally located and the best of accom­ modations furnished. Charges reasonable. RICHMOND HOUSE. RICHMOND ILLINOIS. Frank Foster Pro-prietor. Good accommodations for all rties. Sampleroonis for_Salesjnen. Livery Itable attached. Shows Ac., Public Hall for Lectures, » FRED. RENICH, CIGAR MANUFACTURER, --AND-- WHOLESALE TOBACCONIST. WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS. tm C. BI9& A. A. BICK. . • Ii. C. BICE & SOU, D E N T I S T S , NUNDA, ILL. Satisfaction Guaranteed on all work. Teeth Cleaned. Filled and Extracted in a careful and skillful manner. Artificial Teeth inserted In full or partial plates, on all the basesknown to the profession. Call and have your teeth examined. OFFICE of L. C. Rice, West Madison St, Chicago. Office of A. A. Rice, second 4loor Korth of the M. E. Church, Nunda, 111. References. -- Wm. Archdeacon, Nunda; Rev. Frank Burr, Green St, Chicago, 111,. SWWill visit McHenry every Saturday.-- noons at the Parker House. THE OWENS Fox Hirer Valley Mills. H. 0. LUFF, Proprietor. McHenry - - - - Illinois. 01 k FEED, CONSTANTLY ON HAND. CUSTOM GRINDING Done promptly, and satisfac tion guaranteed Thankful for past favors a continuance of patronage is respectfully solicited. 49~The Highest Market Price in Cash for good Milling Wheat. H. D. LUFF, Successor to Owe 11 Bros. W. H. SANFORDp MEerclia-iit Tfiilor. In the store of C. H. Dickinson, East side of Public Square, WOODSTOCK, ILL. si- a lit "A seed Stock of Fine Cloths for Suitings ways on hand. Suits made to order and warranted- Give me a call. W. H. 8ANFOBD. Woodstock HL, 8ept. 27th,--WTO*, MOUNT1** ROOT BITTERS. THIS BITTERS, for its intrinsic properties, is known as one of the Best Tonics of the Age. As a laxative Liver Cleaning, Bloocf Purify­ ing Medicine, it has not its superior. It should be taken in quantities from a Tablespoon full to a small wine glass full three times a day, according to the strength and age of the lnva- id or the degree of sickness. For Sale by the Case or Bottle, -BY-- I* KAPPLER, Patentee, Woodstock, 111. The McHenry Brewery. KJng $ Herbes, Proprietors. T'HE best of Beer Shipped to any part of the l. country and warranted as represented.-- Orders solicited and promptly attended to. WHO IS TO BLAXKT "Within a few months, so m&ny reve­ lations of corruption in high places have oorae to light, that it seems as if no new exposure could astonish any one. That a Cabinet officer should •toop to the taking of bribes,- was in­ deed a starting, te-irible development; and no wonder Washington was pro­ foundly agitated over the disclosure, no wonder politicians and people are questioning: "What may come next?" Our national dishonor to-day is a thing to weep over, if weeping would avail. Not that Mr. Belknap has ad­ ded to it overmuch--we do not think he has. It was humiliatingly great be­ fore, The member of the Cabinet was Only a man: the slh of any other man in any other place was not less than hi«, in point of fact. And men in offi­ ces of trust have been sinning widely wickedly, shamelessly, until the curse of their acts blights and sting and de­ grades us all. Public defrauding has come to be so constant and so prevalent that public faith is well-nigh destroyed and Doubt hangs like a'dark cloud over the whole sky. Well,what of it? Chiefly this: Back of all the &in and dishonor, begetting it, responsible for it, is an over-zealous, blind, mistaken partisanship. Moved by this, men of common honesty have connived at practices questionable, and upheld unscrupulous men, becoming particeps criminis with them for par­ ty's sake. To further partisan ends, a system of assessments has obtained wherever public officials existed, which taught legitimately enough that money used for improper pnrposes might be improperly won. To maintain party power, individual conscience has been hoodwinked, individual honor sacrificed individual manhood Stultified and de­ based. Who is to blame ? The party press, that seeks ever to convict an opposing party and perpetuate its own? The, politicians, who live by party patron­ age? The public teachers, who have been voiceless concerning a daugerous tendency and its certain result ? To a considerable extent all these; to an ex­ tent immeasurably greater, we, the peo­ ple, on whom a party press depends, through whom politicians work, and by whom public teachers are mainly in­ spired, In every sin of ^very dishonest Ka^ dfrt?cf1y a" part. We help put him there, stiine of us; we let party fealty bind us as against common faith, and comyion justice at)d common good. If not in this special case, then in a hundred others like him, whereby we offered a premium «for political rascality and a pledge to party rogues, "But," you say, "wo must have par­ ties." True; and men must act ,with one or other of them. But it must not be a blind lead^ug. "Manhood before party!" must be the rallying cry, if ever our national dishonor is to be wiped out. If once we admit that this Government can live only with the suc­ cess of any party, we are witnesses that very soon it* will die. All history prov68 that long party success begets demoralizing corruption. All parties are of the people, and the people are ail interested in the country's life, That which lives by the people can not be killed by any party, so long as there is no blind, wicked, universal partisan­ ship. These are not new truths; but they are old ones too often forgotten. This Centennial year should be a season of remembrance, and when Dishonesty with brazen face sits dowrn where Trust should modestly abide, let us have re­ gard to the influence directly chargea­ ble, and amend them in any way we can. An intelligent black boy was trudging aiong a highway at night in the vicinity of Palestine, Texas. There was a • negro woman riding a horse in the direction in which the boy was going. The intelligent black boy reappeared in Palestine that night out of breath and as pale as he could get. He said he saw a ball of Are come out of the sky and strike the woman and set her ablaze. The horse ran one way with the woman afire on his aback, and he ran back to town to tell the people what had happened. The people went to look after further particulars of this curious incident. They found the wo­ man lving on the ground With all her clothing burnt off but with life enough in her to tell that she had been struck in the breast by a ball of fire. The horse was found with his mane singed, and the woman died the next day. The people think she was hit bj a meteor. consli profit! Ever since Mr. Beecher called for witnesses from Heaven, Niobe Sherman has been hunting for the name of a lawyer there to whom he can send a commission to take testimony, and is dissolved in tears because he can*t find one. For bargains in Shawls, call at Bucklin A Steven's BLACK HII1& e Government haaXpro- irference with expeditions Hills there will be a gen- 1 that.direction. As a class, ien, in profitable business, their lives and fortunes (Indians, but will go quietly tread-mills as usual, tin­ men, dishonest men, men did a day's work in their they could shirk, will be up r, and the army of miners Will iostiy of these, the burden »ps many a neighborhood in hsrd times. They will fare •in the Hills; but their weight if to d from the home com muni­ s'. consequence times will be it easier. Laboring men, no riven to compete with these rork that needs doing can get and enough to do. Ker­ ch a rge up the unpaid bills to loss with a certainty that will not show such a heavy sranee of loss; that there will loafers filling up their stores, room for customers. Of Mne desirable citizens will pull kit they will be the exception general rule. The Black |y prove, in the end, a good the financial question. How- tdmittlng settlers to them, the [government has proven itself |al liar, and has written against the foot of two centuries of one more evidence of its de- ion to keep uo promise to the rhen it has a motive f^>r ignor- ie President, by his order is the *; but this act, iu that he acts tme of us all, makes liars of us 'Lo," the poor Indian must suf- onsequences. late number of the Philadel- says: all the extaordlnarv pre para­ de for the Exposition during wo years, there are to day not 1 10,000 (tble bodied men in this •acing all the varied branches d aud ordinary labor, who cau- employinent at any wages, aud ire other thousand^ now gladly g at scarcely half pay, to obtain York paper; in comihcnting eve Bays: tipfc ftttd fjuffcring is not ilitdclphla, for here there are nearly three times 10,000 ueople receiving full or partial aid from our public and private institutions. The tendency of young men and young wo­ men is towards the city. If these peo­ ple really knew, or acted upon their own best interests, they would rather look to the country for relief than to the cities. More is to be got out of the soil than out of the bricks and mortar of our crowded cities." There is no>doubt but thinking and industrious men who are idle will do better in the country than in the cities. But let the specie contraction policy of General* Grant, Senator Sherman, Speaker Kerr, Bill Morrison and Wall street be carried out, and there will be three out of employment before Octo­ ber next to where there is one now. tionsr the 1 iZAii VAK it. > --Mrs. Merry, wife of «J. G. Merry, of this place, died very suddenly last Wednesday forenoon. She was sick but a few hours. It is supposed that heart disease was the cause of her sud­ den death. Her remains were taken to Shopiers, Wis., for interment. --The Dramatic Club are rehearsing the new play, which will be presented in a few weeks. For the benefit of those that are unable to attend in the evening a matinee will be given in the afternoon, commencing at 1 o'clock. --A big row occurred Friday night about 8 o'clock that for a few moments looked as though it would be a big thing on ice. A chap named Con. Sul­ livan indulged in too much "O, be ful," and commenced abusing Whiting and wanted to fight him. W. got out a warrant for Sullivan Constable Thompson arrested him, and while taking him to a justice's office William Evans and John Sullivan grabbed Con and pulled him away Thompson re-arrested Sullivan who was fined $15. The other two were ar rested and bound over to the circuit -court, they giving #600 bonds each.-- Independent. ammortEtD CORKRRPON OKNT. Sprinofiei.d March 20tli 18T8. EDITOR PLAIKDEALER:--Last Friday morning about S o'clock A .disastrous fire broke out in the Opera House, which leveled that magnificent build ing and the adjoining stores to the ground in less than three lionrs. A more terrible conflagration has not been witnessed here for a large number of years. There was a high wind at the time the fire broke out, which grew stronger towards morning'so that the shower of sparks and cinders from the burning building were carried from 7 to 10 blocks, endangering every house in that direction, and if it had not been for the constant rain which fell all day Thursday, the largest portion of our ptfoud city wouldfdoubtless lay in ashes no\ijr. But as the rooft of the houses were thoroughly soaked by a twenty fotir hours raiu, they were saved by the strenuous efforts of the citizens, only those immediately adjoining the Opera House burning. The entire loss will nearly reach $150,000, of which only about $5000 are insured. The Opera House was erected ten year* ago, at a cost of about $125,000, but at present its actual value was held at about $80,000. It was built in the Italian style, situa­ ted ou.the corner of Sixth and Jeffer­ son streets, fronting 60 feet on Sixth and 181 on Jett'erson streets, presenting a facade of pressed brick, lined and or­ namented with cut stone from the quarries at Joliet. The buildiug was three story high, with circular corner at the intersection of the above named streets; with a massive but elaborately finished cornice, ii_UM keeping with the imposing apiWance of the mas­ sive structure. It was built by f Mr. R. Rudolph, but at his death passd into the hands of Mr. J. Bunn. There was not a cent insurance on the building when it burned do occupy tii£ Messrs Mt heaviest liquor hotfle joy- Mr. Mr and ^ ELGIN. --The butter and cheese sales last week aggregated $25,829 and embraced 2582 boxes of cheese at 9 to 8| cents and 41,575 pounds of butter at 36 to 40 cents per pound. --For the year ending Feb. 29, 115 persons died in Elgin, and the inter­ ments In the Cemetery for the year were 145. --The German Lutheran Society con­ template building a new church edifice during the coming season. --The Black Hills excitement ruijs quite high in Elgin and many are ar- • ranging to go to the new El Dorado. --There is talk of organizing a joint stock company for the manufacture of a new force pump, ' Of the business men in the) Opera House ifc Brother sustain the They had a wholesale and loose about $20,000. The pause of the fire is not known. Of course opinions differ widely. Some think that the Exhibition given here tlie.night previous to the fire may have something to do with it, while others believe that it originated through care­ lessness on the part of the Janitor and 4Aie stage hands# The fire, was iiot dis­ covered till it broke out on the roof, too late^to save the building Itself, but the adjoining houses might have been saved of our fire department had not been discharged several weeks ago, by our Mayor, having 110 money to pay them. But although they were dis­ charged, yet they responded to the call of the^fire,bells, but before they got to the place the fire hq,d made too much headway, because it took them about a half an hour to get the engine ready. The loss is heavy enough, but taking into consideration the late Cincinnati disaster where so many lifes were lost, we have cause edough to rejoice, for though the.Opera House was a splendid edifice, erected at an immence cost, yet it was never considered a very safe building, and at the Reunion of the Army of the Tennessee it threatend to break down, nearly creating a teniblc panic. 1 Last Friday St. Patricks day was duly observed by our Irish citizens. In the morning a procession took place in which all the catholic societies of the city joined, making it the largest one ever held on that day in this city. In the evening a banquet was given at the Armory, the proceeds of which were given to the St. John's Hospital. This hospital was established here last fall, by Sisters of Mercy, driven from the old country by Bicmark. Although they are a religious order, they take up any body irrespective of religion. Gen. T. W. Sherman has promised to give us a visit on the 13th of May. The Sherman Guards, a newly organ! zed military "ompany, composed of soldiers who fought under Sherman, will ar­ range a grand ccntennial celebration on that day. •This has been a remarkable mild win­ ter In this section, but the way it looks uow, we are going to have our snow in March or in April. No i ce has been cut in this vicinity. Carloads of this in- dispensible article are arriving daily from northern cities, where the ice crop seems to hlYP b©ttO good this season. V F; LKTiiCM. BY JBT KBB8B. What a difference there i« In letter*! Recall your feelings when yon received that letter the other day from your friend. You had not heard from ber for weeks, and how nervously you tore open the envelope, only to find the l«t- ter full of just such nonsense as any schoolgirl could write; it contained not one line which would show the writer's "Individuality." In fact, had it not been for the signature and pes° raanship, yon could not have told who wrote it. Perhaps half of It consisted of an elaborate apology from the wri­ ter for not having answered "your very ue'cotne letter" sooner, and the other half, of a long-drawn, urgent request for an immediate reply. She said she could not write much bnt would do her best and you "really must excuse mis­ takes," for she was in*lsuch a hurry*-- while she takes it for granted that yon have time to read all she has scribbled In her great haste. She continues, "It is a lovely day, the air is soft and balmy, the little birds are twittering close to my door" and so«m* Well, now comments on the weather are all very good, in fact,sometimes almost indis­ pensable iu conversation^--buty unlese there is somethingjparticularly notice­ able about it, it is hardly worth yomr three cents postage to send to yoir friends the astounding . information; that the day is or 'horrid™ m- the case may be. (Of course no inter-* mediate expression would be wed ifr this gushing writer) "• But our great cry is for natural fet­ ters. The other day a lady asked for my autograph and ahe added "wrffe something that sounds like ye«.Tr There is just the idea we want. Ob^if people would only understand thfcl "What comes from the heart goee to the heart," and if we write our wkm ideas, just what "sounds like us" we may^be'sure our correspondents will be better pleased with our letters-' than they would be if we were to write let­ ters much more elegant and graceful bat having a borrowed "sound." As a general rule we db not corres­ pond with people merely for the sak« of finding how many large wwtfe they can remember. And speaking of this reminds me of a letter I received once in which there were three or four "do notV aud "can not's" so close together that it was'impossible for me to read it right, and it was Wriiten by a per­ son who, I know, says "don't" and "can't" as often as I do. And there are people who make It their boast that they can write letters in wno time,** but these letters are generally appre­ ciated accordingly, not that one should spend an hour over a sentence, it is not the words but the selection of ideas, which mark the values of letters. My ideal letter would contain some news, considerable fun (if the writer were of the fun-loving order) and a good deal of talk on some subject of mutual interest, but above all it should be naturals that is, spontaneous, almost involuntary, to give it the (ing of orig- tnaltty»- I beg your pardon for having aired my opinions so freely, but I snepect there may be oth ers who have felt just as I have, and if so tbey will readily catch the idea I have so unskillfully at­ tempted to convey. tSf The Boston Transcript has this encouraging word for business pros­ pects : Sagacious business men predict from what is already seen in some of the money centers of the country, that a large spring trade will take place, necessitating the exchange and trans­ fer of immense quantities of goods, although no expectation is entertained of old-time profits upon the transac­ tions. Still, it will not be nnpleasant, even if no great amount of money is made, to see the wheels of trade fly swiftly round and speeding the day when universal confidence and general J prosperity shall again return. Presentiment*. There are few people who have not at some period of their lives experien­ ced presentiments of some sort. The most recent presentiment that we have heard of resulted in the saviug a train of cars. It is recorded in the Hartford Times. While Conductor Fanning of Hartford, Providence and Fishkill nil- road was seated in the "caboose," ha heard an unusually sharp whistle calling "down brakes" Hurrying o*t of the caboose, he sat that brake, and then went forward to set others, hut found the brakeman had heard no signal. Ho ordered them to stop the train, which was done. The train was then near a bridge. Conductor Fanning went te^ ward and found that one or more sticks of lumber on a car were projecting, so that if they struck the bridge it would have been certain destruction to the train, and perhaps a loss of life. The engineer on being asked his opinion *s why the brakeman bad not heard the signal, replied that he had sounded no sigpal, and knew of no danger. Viv Fanning said that he heard it distinct!/ and that it sounded unusually clear and shrill l&~The Scott County (Indiana) Democrat says: "One of the sweetest little school inarms this county contains undertook to whip one of of her aged scholars--a boy some fifteen years oM --a few days ago, but when she betpM the operation, the young maaeould no% resist the temptation, and eoelly clasp* ing Miss L. around the ne«kvgnve he^ * hearty kiss. It is unneceessary to stain that he escaped punishment--that day at least,"