Strange Stories of the Great Valley: The Adventures of a Boy PioneerGrosvenor, Abbie Johnston
General
Strange Stories of the Great Valley: The Adventures of a Boy Pioneer
Grosvenor, Abbie Johnston
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ohio River Valley -- Juvenile fiction
Such lucky ones wore blue-cloth coats with brass buttons and long
tails, buff "small clothes" which were something like a boy's "short
pants," fine white ruffled linen shirts with "stocks," hand-knitted
silk stockings, low shoes, huge beaver hats, and although it was
beginning to go out of fashion, those who had "fine heads of hair"
wore a queue much beribboned. Also they carried immense canes. They
flourished gold watches almost as large and nearly as noisy as
alarm-clocks.
Each expected to be addressed as "squire." And every one of them was
so called; and with the greatest respect, too, since nearly every one
of them had earned this title. But then, the plainly clothed delegates
were also called "squire," and for the same reason--they had earned it;
and the Hoosiers were quick to give honestly deserved honors.
Yet the men in "smart" attire were exactly like the ones in every-day
garments in this one thing--they were bent on doing their work on the
constitution the way it ought to be done. It was a sacred trust to them.
For this constitution of the State had to lay down the principles which
all future laws were to follow. It outlined the different departments
and decided upon the duties of each one. In a system of representative
government there must be a legislative department composed of men
elected to make the laws, an executive department having control of
troops and police officers whose business it is to enforce the laws,
and a judicial department made up of courts which are meant to secure
justice for all persons under the laws.
Then there must be State officers. Doby counted them on his fingers to
be sure that he remembered them, for he was in a hurry to grow up and
vote. And after he had watched these delegates take such pains with the
constitution, he made up his mind that he should always vote for the
best man and keep an eye on him to see that he carried out his oath of
office.
On his right hand were, after the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor:
Thumb--Secretary of State, who puts the big seal on papers;
forefinger--Auditor of State, who keeps the accounts; middle
finger--Treasurer of State, who takes care of the money; ring
finger--Attorney-General, who is lawyer for the Commonwealth; little
finger--Geologist, who knows where the good farm-lands are.
On his left hand were: Superintendent of State Schools; Librarian
of State Books; clerk of Supreme Court, who keeps records; clerk of
decisions, who publishes them; and a statistician whose official name
Doby could not pronounce, but whom he regarded as the wisest man of
all since his head was full of figures on every possible subject and
he could tell any number, from millions down to one-seventeenth of
one-nineteenth per cent. of any articles that could be counted.
Besides these, there were enough boards and committees and various
minor offices to have numbered all his toes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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