Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-12
THE CAIRO THAT WAS.
Dips into Old CAIRO Life.
THE PLACE, THE PEOPLE, OC-
CURRENCES AND DPASTIMES.
BY NOSE HARRELL.
NUMBER XIX.

| NUMBER KIN.
| Without churches, without female society,
without regular amusement or entertainment OF
any kind, the young men of old Cairo were,
most decidedly, "thrown upon their own re.
sources" What they did for pleasure and
pastime will form the matter for this number,
and perhaps another. At the outset it will
| be remembered, did not propose to deal, ex-
clusivey with sober affairs in sombre earnest
ness, hence no ''liberties'' with the reader are
to be apologized for on the score of this or any
other number of like or kindred character.
Such citizens of Cairo as were, fifteen or
| sixteen years ago, fresh from puritsnical To-
was high offense against society, and where,
to kill a cat on Monday for having killed rat on
Sunday, was regarded a .elgious duty-such
| citizens looked in blank and unutterable aston
ishment at the original and characteristic resorts
for fun and amusement among our young folks,
but this astonishment proved evanescent Upon
! the principle that stranger in Greece must
do as the ''greasers'' do, these well-raised
people soon assimilated themselves, and found
pleasure and pastime by adopting Cairo man
ners and methods.
A wretched looking, ragged red-faced in
dividual, drunk to an intolerable dsagreeable-
ness, reeled into a well-kept boarding house,
and demanded ';ail kinds of refresh
and
tions.'' The landlord after hustling
his impertinent customer out Of his house,
off his porch, and entirely away from his
premises, was assaulted by a shower of old
coats, hats, vests &C., which for the time nearly
blinded him. The last tattered missile having
been flung, 8 leading citizen, an old friend and
benefactor stood before him, as much delighted
over the success of his disguise as Boniface
was astonished. The red face was chargeable
to brick dust, and the intoxication wholly to
imitation.
tall, gangling young lady, who one Christ
mas morning, attracted the attention of almost
everybody by her oenc1ant for sitting astride
big logs on the Levee, or turning handsprings
in public places, turned out to be ''captal
young gentleman. who persistently denied
that his s. Sabbath School training was at all
outraged by such unlady-like proceedings"
Lfe without, fun he urged in Justification, sis
like growing vegetation without genial sun
snine.''
1t is no exaggeration to say that upon one
occasion there were many as seventy-five
shivering strangers crowded around a stove on
the lower decks of one of our wharf-boats.
Such crowd was great nuisance and seri-
ously impeded the regular routine Of wharf
boat business. AS it availed nothing to pro-
claim this fact Banrister Unsell took it upon
himself to clear the decks for action Ia
king brick he securely wrapped it in paper
placing in the corner Of the package about half
ounce of gunpowder. Thus provided,
party in the scheme passed around among the
crowd ofstrangers advising them to keep watch
upon Bannister, for he was as crazy as a loon
and might attempt mischief. In few moments
the crazy man made his appearance with the
package in hand, and muttering something
about g the mystery that rested upon the face
of the waters" edged his way up to the stove,
the door of which he at cnce flung open OBJ
serving that all eyes were intently fixed upon
him he punctured the powder corner of lis
package, and dribbhng few grains into his
hand he tossed them among the GOALS At once
there was commotion. Take it away from
him-he'n throw it all in,' cried half a dozen
voices but no one ventured an interference.
Everything is mysterious, - muttered the mad
man-Death's mystery-aha 1t is, it is and
am going to solve itr' Before hand could
be raised to prevent it the fearful package was
thrown among the glowing embers What
| followed can readily be imagined Several
| persons were hurt in their frantic efforts to be
the first to jump into the river a few were
transfxed with horror and did not try to get
J away, and quite a number never stopped run
ming, after gaining the shore, until they lost
| sight Of the wharf boat.
| Why the wharf boat was not blown to atoms,
was matter Of wonder for the strangers, but
very few of them were curious enough or
courageous enough to return for information
Two or three of the crowd unable to solve
the mystery otherwise, declared their belief
that the madman was in direct correspondence
! with the devil
| From that time forward that crowd of stran-
gers ''thawed' themselves around glowing log
heaps on the levee. The stove on the wharf
| boat was restored to the monopoly of those
| who were wont to crack jokes around it and
drink Irish whisky punches.