The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-07-02

Judged, because of some debris of stove-ppe
which had become lodged in the sewer and
here the steam was ''let on,' and poor Meyer
almost as suddenly 'let oir.' lie continued
however, to retreat along the extensive bot
tom Of the sewer, to escape the boiling fury
of the yapor floods which rushed along.
ltmust not be supposed that Meyer came
into the sewer unprovlded with light or the
usual method of working these streets mines
to advantage. lie had both and al. His
trowscrs and under clothing were of India
rubber; India rubber shoes on his feet: Il
wire sack at his shoulder; and iron rag
picker in his hand, and small scoop in his
side pocket with usual mining lamp, con-
trved to protect the user from impurity
of the tmo.pherc-these composed his
outfit. His design was to make II straight
wake for Fifth Avenue. There he reasoned,
would be the cream Of hunting grounds fer
his trade; and probably his reasons were
good, for he argued that in no point in the
city do as many silver spoons, forks and
triukets disappear, through the carelcssncss
Of servants and the impurities of soap and
waste water, as in this, the palatial part OF
our city.
But several difficulties bcset tho sewer
! uuVtuluEcE DciuIe He CuuIu Saiu tue PioAi-
sod land. He knew the direction of the
streets, but not the course of the sewers
He advanced westward to Broadway, only
to find that its main sewers turned Off to the
east. lie went along its easter!y branch
and there found q crook to the north. lie
advanced northward and there its walls
went south. In short, he became bewi!der-
ed and for the first time in his life doubted
his capacity to navigate under ground where
ever he chose to penetrate. This was the
! fifth day of bis entrance to the sewers. His
| little stock Of provisions was giving out.
The street corner air holes of this part OF
city were not as frequent as he had before
met, and the sewers were less purified be-
cause more distant from rivers. In the
clelts of masonry ud joining the street cul-
verts, he had previously y passed number OF
nights with indifferent sleep, which had
! awakened him somewhat, ami now Meyer
| felt rather ike backing out from his dlsa-
greeabie task. However, push ahead he
must. He was yet in Broadway, that he
knew, and opposite the metropolitan Hotel,
whc.e the savory steams from the Messrs.
Lelani's kitchens poured forth, to him de-
/ Nghttu oIc}s.
! lie pushed down Broadway, had violent
! dispute with II poor NANCY dog, winch had
got bcuightc4 down below and would not
let him pass, which dispute he ended rather
suuInnrilv wiki his iron rag-pcHer, and
then showed along. At the junction with
Canal street, he encountered quite II mon
stcr tcrrHpin craving upward 'loi.g Broad
way. 1t had escaped from some restaurant
before dinner. got into street gutter, from
/ thence intO the cuyert of the sewer, and
most likely poor turtle never Intended to 20
back for its own dinner ut all. This WAS
quite God-send for poor Meyer. In the
| streets of Paris he had never fancied that in
those of New York eatabc turtles could be
found walking around in the sewers Their
sewer openings are better protected there.
/ However he out with his knife and speedily
| found IN inlet into this hard she! New
York politician. Some matches in his
rocket, copies Of the Police Gazette and
Il raid. furnished o fire, and poor Meyer
| soon had some undcrdoue turtle steaks to
appease his hunger.
] lie now altered his course somewhat be-
lcyinE hat among the restaurant openings
Of the Fulton street eating houses he might
obtain further rr0vender, and then return
| refreshed to his own uptown explorations.
I SO he travelled along Broadway; knew Tay-
! lor's by its rich odor, stopped to smell the
candy whitFs of Thompson's saloon: re-
/ ceivcd ten minutes imaginary nourishment
from Go.ling' restaurant and finally reached
Fulton street. Here he ran afoul of the
Sun office with its tremendous presses run
ming with great speed, under the street and
making so tremendous a noise, that he took
il for thunder. And he was not mistak
about the Fulton street eating house. He
got through a crevice Of the masonry, quite
liberal amount Of provisions, and then
wended his way up town. He finally, by
branching westward from Broadway. found
his way to the Fifth Avenue. and there he
fairly picked up a sma!! fortune, in about a
months time. Breastpins, bracelets, rings.
watches. souvenirs, knives and forks, chill
lren's coras, whistles and calls, beads &c,
&C., lay grouped togthcr in the sluggish
streams Of the level streets. The poor
mans eyes fair danced with excitement
such wealth had now dawned upon his
!mag
Ills wire sack was filled, his pockets were
filled, his hat was filled. lie took off his
boots and strung them across his back, and
these were filled. lie had bagged countless
treasure, and yet countless lay unbngged.
/ However he must now get out Of the sewers
with his treasures, unsuspected and then he
was all right.
IL. speedily retraccd his steps to Houston
street, and passed along Grand to the'East
river. Here the high tides set the wa Q
back to such an extent, that on three differ
ent occasions he narrowly escaped sutiOca-
ton. And this was the up hill part Of his ca
rccr-how to get ont. lie waited one week
t-two-three and four. Provisions were
scarce !; the ventilation poor; no more tur-
ties around, only u few scabby fish ventured
in aul 50 Meyer liked to have got starved
with all his wealth After awhile, howev-
er, a low tide came, egress to the East river
was opened and he got out.
After emerging Meyer soon found that he
had no good legal title 70 his street treas
ures; that they were the property of the
owners, and subject to Re grasped by the
police. A kind friend to whom he had rem
,lereI many favors and thereby converted
him to Just the man for the purpose, gave
the requisite hint TO the Mrtropolitan-tE at
of dividing the p!under Meyer found
it would be better to leave the city. The next
afternoon after coming out from his sub
terrancan life, Leopold took the North river
steamboat for Albany, bound westward,
and among all the secdy German coats which
had stood II hard sea voyage through all the
incidents of u trip from the fatherland, and
a sccdy countcnance as well, that of Meyer
was the most nspicuous. And yet the
glow Of SlU, 900, or thereabouts, made in n
few months time, gave him inward sutis-
faction which made his poor suit and poor
appearance more welcome to him than the
dress of many a brighter day previous.-N
Y. San ofthe 2,h.
Cp MARRIED, Mr.. Andrew Horn, to Mis-:
Julia Parker, President Of The Young Ladies'
Temperance Society.
Fair Julia liveda temperate maid,
Preached Temperance duties night and morn;
But still her wicked mel Ighbors said
She broke her pledge and to,k A Horn.