.... Mr. J. L. Dummle, one of our most respected citizens, left his
home to go, as he said, to his office. There was nothing unusual in his
demeanour, and he appeared to be in his customary health and spirits.
It is not known that there was anything in his financial or domestic
affairs to make life distasteful to him. About half an hour after
parting with his family, he was seen conversing with a friend at the
corner of Kearny and Sutter-streets, from which point he seems to have
gone directly to the Vallejo-street wharf. He was here seen by the
captain of the steamer _New World_, standing upon the extreme end of
the wharf, but the circumstance did not arouse any suspicion in the
mind of the Captain, to whom he was well known. At that moment some
trivial business diverted the Captain’s attention, and he saw Mr.
Dummle no more; but it has been ascertained that the latter proceeded
directly home, where he may now be seen by any one desiring to obtain
further particulars of the melancholy event here narrated.
Mr. Dummle speaks of it with perfect frankness and composure.
.... In deference to a time-worn custom, on the first day of the year
the writer swore to, affixed a revenue stamp upon, and recorded the
following document:—
“I will not, during this year, utter a profane word—unless in
sport—without having been previously vexed by something.
“I will murder no one that does not offend me, except for his money.
“I will commit highway robbery upon none but small school children, and
then only under the stimulus of present or prospective hunger.
“I will not bear false witness against my neighbour where nothing is to
be made by it.
“I will be as moral and religious as the law shall compel me to be.
“I will run away with no man’s wife without her full and free consent,
and never, no never, so help me heaven! will I take his children along.
“I wont write any wicked slanders against anybody, unless by refraining
I should sacrifice a good joke.
“I wont beat any cripples who do not come fooling about me when I am
busy; and I will give all my neighbours’ boots to the poor.”
....A town in Vermont has a society of young men, formed for the
express purpose of rescuing young ladies from drowning. We warn these
gentlemen that we will not accept even honorary membership in their
concern; we do not sympathize with the movement. Upon several occasions
we have stood by and seen young ladies’ noses disappear beneath the
waters blue, with a stolid indifference that would have been creditable
in a husband. It was a trifle rough on the darlings, but if we know our
own mind we do not purpose, just for the doubtful pleasure of saving a
female’s life, to surrender our prerogative of marrying when and whom
we like.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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