Delaware State journal, advertiser and star. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1832-1833, 1833-08-02
For The Dela,care State Journal.
CONFESSIONS OF A BRICTx-BAT.
Messrs. Editors,

Messrs Editors, If
Crossing Market Street the
other night, struck my foot very forcibly a.
ra,nst a brick bat. In an instant picked up
the innocent criminal to nflict some punish
ment ON it "a very foolish design which l
can only excuse myself for, by thinking OF
the horrid pangs of my great toe at the mo-
mept. However, l retained the offender IN
nv hand, and walked home moralizing on
the adventure. Having seated myself, with
the brick bat OH the table before me, it SEEM
ed to me that it began to talk, much after the
following fashion. You may place confidence
! in my story if you choose-for am a member
of the Temperance Society, and was wide a
wake at the time. As near as l can recol-
lcct, the tale OF the brick-bat ran thus:
uJ am a poor prosecuted wretch, that has
been mauled and kicked about the streets CT
Wilmington ever since the last century. AT
the building of the Town-hall in the year '9o,
the brick of which am remnant was brok-
en- in two, and enc half is now near the top OF
one of the chimneys, if it has not fallen down
lately. / was thrown aside, and by speclai
decree of fate, was left in the street after the
rubbish was removed. Since then. my ad-
, ventures have been innumerabe. You Sec
instead of being half a brick, as originally
was. I am worn down to quarter. l have
done much service in my time, and travelled
, much. / have tripped down two or three
horses, and once l was the occasion OF car
riape breaking down in Market street. have
been used as missile hundreds OF times, and
have in this way broken several windows,
battered divers dogs, and cracked the head OF
t a negro boy. have been very severe on Dig
I toes, having been kicked by one nan OF .hs
nipht-walking population of the place, and
!. curse d by nearly as many. You may be sure
y | have used every exertion in my power to get
+ into retirement In heavy rain was once
!. washed in the gutter almost to the lower END
. of the town, where / lay for years, trying tc
u ret into the dirt carts whenever the streets
# we're cleaned. But ! was always carefully
e picked out of the dirt and thrown into the
:. street again. Several times managed to ou
= nv myself beneath some nth, where rePos
= ed in quiet almost year. But alas the rags
IS FIR cleaning the streets at last exposed me
- Finally. however, did succeed in getting IN
to dirt cart, not being detected by the scav
II enpers But the fates were again against M
s. and was shaken out by violent conclusion
is received by the cart on entering the Brandy
r.. wine bridge Here remain I'd till picked VI
by a traveller as defence against dogs ant
'" thrown again into the middle OF the CITY
G. When the Cholera came last summer ma
pe great hopes that the stl Get cleaners wou'
-, Garry me off to end my days in quiet. !wic
y I succeeded in evading their vigilance, by &C
er ver;np myself with filth as well as coult
ed and thus getting into the dung carts, But
nd was shaken out again, before travelled owe
hs y Quarter of mile of Market street pave
80 ment. You may think me silly thus to lameI
ne NV sad fate when have always had SO mar
of companions But assure you they have dor
I'VE me no good for l really think could hay
,ad succeeded in getting into the dirt carts ofte
~ er, had it not been that so many. other Uric
70 hats in company led to my detection. or la
rye have been very much encouraged to hol
iff- that the present Street Commissioner w
&c nrov(e me with that retirement and rest
oh, As far as have learned, it is the pr
ct, va VS. sentiment among all the brick bats
en-. Nans street, that he will clear them all OF
ON RM a' beg of you Kid sir, not to throw S
ths Nv. ,u' arain, but to give me few inches
wy ,,round in your cellar"
tom Here the brick bat ended, and rolled oV'
the T recorded the Confession at once; but shot
let have been unwilling TO risk my character,
,hot Glazing these facts, had not seen in i
we" numhep of your paper some poetry compo'
iHu' NV the Elm Trees in the City hall yara.
y-l"! Yours, &C.
,nch NOCLIBUS