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Show preasion that life in the good old days I was much better than it is today jthat people had more personal liberty-land liberty-land an easier time of it. Yet this is not the fact, lln the so-called good old days, getting back to the time of the colonies, the so-called blue laws were much more strict than today and there was less personal liberty. Writing Writ-ing under the title, ''Life in the Good Old Days," in the current issue of the National Republic, William Turner tells something of this life. Among other things he says: "In June, 1662, this interesting record rec-ord of punishment for getting drunk was found: 'Ordered by the town that if any Indian shall be found drunk in j this town he shall be forewith apprehended appre-hended by him or them that find him 'and he shall either pay ten shillings j or be whipt, the one half of the fine i is for those who find him and the i other half for the town.' I ''As early as 1680 the water power I problem and the monoply thereof was handled by the Town Meeting in this j brief fashion: 'Granted to Captain ; Fitch, two hundred acres of land for i his Incouragement to set up a saw mill, and to have the benefit of the stream and timber at the place, and no others to set up a sawmill upon the same stream to his damage. "Who would imagine that away back , yonder in the year 1720 a - dozen 'years before Washington that people stole watermelons just as occasionally jas it is done today? From these records rec-ords of a justice of the peace we learn that an irate farmer named Samuel Fox, charged Lettes Minor and Hannah Han-nah Minor with stealing 'about thirty water melons which is contrary to law and is to his damage, as he saith, the sum of 20s. and prays for justice' Evidently the farmer put up a poor case because the justice ruled, 'This court having examined the case, consider con-sider the evidence don't find matter ' of fact proved, do therefore acquit the j defendants, and consider the plaintiffs-i plaintiffs-i pay the charge of presentar.' j "Strolling around late at night in : the good old days, it seems was taboo. I A justice makes this curious not in. his official record in 1720: 'Samuel ' Sabin complaineth against himself ;that the last Sabbath day and night he and John Olmbis went to Wewewas Hill to visit their relations, and were late home, did no harm, and he fears j may be a transgression on the law, and if it be a transgression on the law and don't allow himself in unreasonable unreason-able night walking.' LIFE IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS NOT SO GOOD Quite frequently we hear the ex- |