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Vermillion County Genealogy

Biographical and Historical Record of Vermillion County, Indiana


306 - History of Vermillion County

That it hezent bin in every case, not allus for the best.
Don't you mind the old log schoolhouse where' we learned so many things,
As reading, writing, spelling, and other useful ings?
All this is changed, an' fur the wuss, fur in ape-in arter colleges,
They don't teach nuthin' very much, except what ends in ologies;
They skip clean over common things an' don't seem much inclined
To lay good, strong foundations for the trainin' uv the mind,
They try to teach too many things, an' ther teachin's kinder scatterin';
An' that's the reason why you see we now hev so much smatterin'.
'Tis true they make a mighty show, an' uv everything they prattle;
But 'tis not exactly what they need, in fitein' life's stern battle.

An' so it is in other things, Jist see your politics:
The best men all must stand aside fur the tuffest kind uv bricks.
In by-gone days the people asked, Is he honest? Is he capable?
But now the only question is, Is the candidate available?
Which simply means, Can the fellow win? an' if so is he saleable?
We old folks can, I think, complain that among the ugly things
Thet now exist, that this great land is run by rotted rings;
An' moral worth an' brilliant brains hev very little chance
Agin the chap with a bank account, who makes a large advance.

But we cannot mend these matters, -- by frettin' ner by howlin',
An' these young folks say we old folks keep an ever-lastin' growlin';
So we'll jist quit an' let them try; fur we hev had our day.
We've fought our fight, we've made our marks, an' we hev sed our say.
An' the evening shadows round us close, an' we must soon away
An' leave these young folks on ther' guard to find a better way.
It is a fact we ar' growin' old, 'an old Time, who never lingers,
Will soon place on our beating hearts his cold an' icy fingers;
An' then we'll strike our movin' tents, an' soon we'll get our orders
To quickly take our line uv march beyond life's changeful borders,
Where we'll find another campin' ground, in a place beyond the river;
Where all old settlers' meet agin, an' all shall camp together,
In a camp where all ar' young agin, an' no ties we there shall sever,
But to our names, when roll is called, we'll answer Aye forever.
That meetin' will be comin' soon, an' if we but live accordin',
T'will be the grandest meetin' yet, away beyond the Jordin.

pp. 307 - 309

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