The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-30
TIE ANCIENT WATCHMAN-IN M.
MRREAH


Philadelphia is not an ancient city, but it
has endured long enough to witness the ex-
tinction OF whole species among its inhabit-
ants. We do not pretend to recolect so far
back as friend Of ours. who distinctly re-
members, many years before he was born how
a watchman, passing the house, cried, "Past
twelve O'Clock, and CORVALLIS is tallon"
but we do vividly recall the race of watchmen
to whom this individual belonged, and we
know that they disappeared.
1t does not require Che years of one well
advanced in life to recall the appearance OF
those nocturnal wanderers, who, in mulled
tones, sang out ten o'clock and q starlight
might" or three o'clock and a cloudy morn
ing" On a cold winters night, there was
something exquisitely pleasant in hearing those
drowsy voices borne on the calm air, and then
in turning over and smuggling up in the
coverlids as the sounds grew fainter and
fainter in the distance where they were
informing othor people Of the time Of night
and the state Of the weather. We suppose
that this feeling Of satisfaction may be
accounted for upon the principle which asserts
contrast with some one else's misery. But
we think that the enjoyment of comfort can
be accounted for more charitably and philo-
sophically, by Gscribing it to involuntary con-
trast with some condition of discomfort pre-
viously experienced in our own proper persons.
The watchman's voice in itself was not re-
markable for It's quality, so that the pleasure
4 yaI
owing TO the effect Of musical sound. 1t may
be questioned, indeed, whether one would and
it agreeable to be awakened by the most lie
licious tenor in the world, if he merely mem
toned the time Of night and his opinion OF the
weather, especially as both of the opinions
might be incorrect. Pleasure in the tone Of
the wstchman'5 voice could not be traced to
the satisfaction Of knowing that ones property
was safe with this vigilant sentinel near, for
the oldest inhabitant never remembered to
nave heard that watchman ever came in
time to see thief or il he did that he
caught one.
The owners Of those drowsy voices disap-
peared at cock-crow; no man knew where
/ they dwelt; and IL was as impossible TO find
their tombs, as to discover dead donkey. On
the corners OF the streets stood bloated-look-
ing sentry boxes, which in shape 50 much re-
sembled the watchmsn themselves, that be-
lated children might have been pafdoned for
imagining that tho watchmen had built them
after the model of their own figures. Into
these retreats, called watchmen's boxes, the
guardians Of the peace ensconced themselves
at intervals during the night; for we have a
dreamy recollection Of catching a glimpse of
the interior Of one, and Of seeing a phantas-
magoric medley OF watchman, stove, shovel,
pickaxe and clay pipe, through haze of
frosty air and tobacco smoke.
No man ever saw the face OF q watchman,
and We might go further and say thai no man
. ever saw the figure Of one. or this, however,
we cannot be certain, because it was impossi-
bic to say how much was man and how much
clothes. The general appearance OF the crea-
ture was that Of thick roll of dark cloth.
with pair Of big feet on one end and a tall
hat on the other. There was no particular
difference between the front and back of the
individual, and unless he was in motion, you
were just as likely to ask a question OF his