Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1853-1853, 1853-06-06
City risc--1nsempsEanes'
DIT iNvnIALr oRprr, RSq.

A Local Editor or Reporter Of a city daily
new paper, IL lhrswn into oil shAdeN Of society,
all classes Of the community, Fashion and pOV.
erty, intelligence and degradation, honesty and
corruption, virtue and VilOny, are the subjects
Of continual investigation with him--mAde 50
by the duties Of his vocation. From tho del.
eription Of brilliant festival, (which he has
had the honor to attend" he descsnds into-the
meanest howell to gather the particulars OF
"horrid occurrences" or "revolling spectacle"
There are no plOoeS in this city where re.
porlers are more frequently thrOwn, In pursuit
Of "hens," than eoiee.houseS, those tempting
places Of rerreshment (p) where men do con.
eregate, to while away an idle hour In social
conversation, and to sip stimulating fluids until
elated with an unnatural flow Of spirits, In
those most irequented, he Is sure to hear some
news, or to be put upon the track OF On item.
And, hsw often is Il The ouse, that In these gid.
cd palaces Of pleasure, he commences q story
which ends in u far different place, How often,
amid
"Ths sounds Of rSvery BY night"
does he witness the poor inebriaie, whose
only hope Of life is burning liquor, and whose
"mdden death" he will be under the painful ne.
cesSiy 20 record tho next dayp How often does
ho see men there, full Of lie, glee and humOr,
whose wives and children are starving over
their restless needlesp How often does he
hear the cruel boast Of the seduoer, that HE vic.
tim is degraded beyond redemption, and yet DO
compelled to witness the rOvinga Of that victim,
confined in a cell OF the wNtch.houSeP have
traced many saG story from the CsiFee.housO to
the grave, but none more SorrOwful than the
following;
The patrons of the W. Restaurant, on
Fifth Street, all know John Smith, Il give him
that nancy the pert little shoemaker, who was
always to be found there after dark, unless
otherwise particularly engaged, lie had the
reputation of being ohe oil the clevereN men in
the world, and in truth he never hesitated 10
"trcat the party" when he had the funds TO do
Iit,--wus always full oil fun, ready 10 tell or play
Joke. He was commonly known Us "Snoh
John" and was a great fuvorte with the Sro.
qucntcr' Of W. Restaurant. He was u HARD.
working ipNn,--thal is he worked full ten hours
every day, until he made enough ahead for
spree, and then his shop missed his presence
for many days after his funds run out. say
many days. Tor he was such clever fellow, ~
full of lun, that ms srrecS were prolonged by
the purses OF kindred spirits, who could never
De without him in n frolio,
always supposed "Snob John" to be a Jolly
old bachelor, who could sing with truth,
l "lcUs Tor nobody,
= Nobody cares for me-"
aid was determined TO sail down the stream Of
life as merry as possible, without infringing up.
I on tho happiness Of others, was therefore,
moi n little surprised when FREUD Of hiS in.
formed the, that John Was husband and II fs-
, thor, but, a. the "Old woman waN sorlsr cross,
' he didn't often 60 home" From that time
could not entertain so good an opinion Of him a.
heIorc,--his mirth appeared deViliah, and hiS.
, wit stale, flat and Improbable,
Last Christmas eve tho W restaurant,
Was crowded With frolekers, celebrating that
sacred anniversary with dSbaucherS and bias.
n phemy. In one Of the upper rooms, a party oil
Z ten or twelve persons were having Jelly limo
i over the "iuSrrieS of the season" and the beat
q OF the bar Among them was "SnOb John" in
fact, he was the prince OF the party, for his
n humor made them lively, his Jokes kept them
It merry, They were all in the hNppieSt mood.
y when little rugged boy about nine years Of age.
h opened tho door Of tho room, and with Shivsrine
n limbs, unobserved, approached "SnOb John" ~
# Timidly laying his hands upon his arm, he WhS-
i. pered;
Y "Fathcr, mother wants YOU"
i The father, unlike the rest of the party, was
ID not in tho least surprised by the appearances and
d conduct Of the child, But without change in
his eountenance, he rose up, seized tho little fol.
low by the ear, led him to the door, gave him =
kick, and bid him 90 home,
"ls that your bOypN asked ono Of the party Of
ID Snob, a. he returned to the table.
le my boy" replied the shoemaker with a
- forced smile, che knows whs his mother 10, but
N the ID couldn't father him"