Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-07-22

A Broadway Nondescript.
We doubt if any part of the world,
civilized or savage. can turn out
creatures Of more strange and unac-
countable looks and action than are
sometimes seen in our great thorough
fare Of fashion and famine, wealth and
folly. called Broadway. The other
day our ocular optics" happened to
fix on little the queerest specimen OF
"a sight" that we have ever bchcld in
the department. of animated nature"
1t was evidently of the ''higher order
of animals indubitably biped, and
homo-probably. But whether it was
every inch man. or developed
baboon. or the entire animal Il or
lie was a something we shall not
attempt to describe.
1 But in order that others, who may
have witnessed similar phenomena in
other places, may compare notes with
US. with the view Of determining tue
creatures natural history. we will
briefly indicate Its chief peculiarity.-
This consisted in huge tuft or bunch
of bsir around the mouth, standing out
bristlo-like. yet leaving the mouth and
nose perfectly visible. The remainder
of the face was hairless naturally, or
had been shaved. The countenance
was expressive of intelligence to some
extent. The appendage IN question
the .trohf;spiece-might have passed
for monstrous mastache, but then
there was, in the center of this lusvs
nature, and projectinga little beyond
the .Jur a something resembling a
dirty, dark-colored stick, the outer end
of which seemed to be on fire and
newly covered over with ashes. AS
the thing novel along, place. exactly
where the mouth should have been,
seemed to open and close like a valve.
.At about every ten steps the yalvular
place would open and emit steam or
cloud, or gust, or Whit, or a
smudgc of dark-blue smoke. We
approached near enough TO discern
that the eruption was sulphurous-
perhaps volcanic; though its odor was
much worse than anything alleged OF
Vcsuvius or Chimborazo. Indeed. it
was exquisitely nasty, aud prc-emi
nently sullocating--one might say,
horrible. We noticed that some gem
tlemen and many ladies turnel away
their faces as the creature passed along.
vet none of them seemed to be fright
enel; nor were the horses in the streets
scared at all. as they usually are on
the first appearance of an animated
stranger or monstrosity.
1t may be that the thing is some
ghost escaped from Tartarus, but
which has not yet blown OF all the
.smokc of It's torment 1t certainly
smclled bad enough to come from n
worse place, if possible. Or il may
be that the fire and smoke were the
result of some artificial contrivance for
medicinal purposes-the itch" the
'catarrh in-the head" the "botts," or
foul humor.'' We have heard OF
fumigating the noses Of horses and
cattle afflicted with the "glanders" or
the "black tongue" and we are aware
that it has been recommended to smoke
rosc-bushes and other plants with
burning tobacco, to kill the lice and
other vermin which infcst them. We
tried this experiment once, aad sue
ccedcd in killing the-bushcs. At any
rate. if the phenomenon is really a
man unler medical treatment, we have
a curiosity to know what ails him.
We suggest, in conclusion, that the
profession are to blame for making
prescription which, however invaluable
it NAV be to the individual, is so Of
fcnsive to others. Such remedies, we
protest, ought not to be used right in
the midst of great crowd Of people.
1t isn't decent, and we tell the doctors
and the patients so to their faces
! Lire Illustrated.