The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-10-19
THE Leland Or 7 STREET.
From the Boston Journal.

The word legend embOdleS untold wealth
of romance and poetry. As it meets the
eye on the printed page, or falls in music
upon the ear, the7mind wings its way far
back through the centuries to the time
when frisking fawns peopled the glades o.
ancient Greece, and when nymphs and dry
ads were familiar to Italian groves ant
fountains; or,if less adventurous in it's flight
it at least reaches the medieval period wher
Ignorance became the nurse of fancy anC
struck q thousand brilliant sparks from
hard, bare lines. which in truth never knew
sun-glint. But, sometimes, the imagina
ton travels toe far and too long eand is sud
denly arrested upon its way and recalled to
more modern date and far humber 10
calty. 1t happens thus in the present case
for street has it legend as well as ioJ
breathing Arcadia Y street has a story
as well as Ayernus and its mysterious hills
Y street has undergone transformation al
curious and as wonderful as any of which
the Roman poet sings.
# L teel really shy and nervous about intro.
ducing street .personally---so7 to speak
for at the time my tale commences it was
80 utterly forlcrn, so radically corrupt, SO
absolutely and thoroughly offensive to every
sense, that only by powerful effort can one
connect it with a pure and tender sentiment.
Originally, it was iptended for a quiet, sub
stantial place, but q soap and bone factory
having been established at either end, all
hopes OF responsibility vanished in their
smoke. khe inhabitants fought against
them mapFastY until they were worn out
with exI J Vexation, when finding
thensskA. ..arther advanced than at
FIRST, tlf> ned, leaving their houses to those
unfortunate people who, as they are con
demned to dwell perpetually among nause
Gus odors. 1t IS to be hoped are not. gifted
with an, undue deieaey of scent. Eower
j and lower sank the unlucky locality &yIhe
buildings went speedily to ruin. A dozen
families crowded into each tenement, which
blossomed thereupon into lows of wet and
tattered garments. A few miserable Shops
exhibited secondhand clothing, stale meal
and decaying vegetables. Unwashed anC
half clad children swarned on the broken
and dirty sidewalks, qualreling and swear
ing in frightful precocious imitation of their
elders or bruised or manned themselves in
the cellars and on the tottering piles and ar
ches over which fires had swept. The lit
tie stream which crossed it, the once clea,
and sparkling Rielle, was choked with ev.
cry species of garbage, and sent up its pes
tiferous breath to poison still further tn,
unwholesome atmosphere. In addition tC
this outward discomfort there was also ;
demoralizing influence which subtly infused
itself into the souls of those that dwell
there. Whether it was that they reached
this dismal abode by descent SO prolonged
and wearlsome as to eliminate from 'thei
characters all that contributes to achieve
ment either on larger or on a smalle
scale, because there existed in the tainte,
air certain quality which incapacitatet
those who breathed it for the productive &C
Invites OF life, certain it is that almost al
that went thither yielded to the Of tn,
place. No matter how courageous, how
diligent or how clearly they might hav,
been before, they speedily sank to the leve
of their degenerate neighbors. They
planned nothing beyond bear existence.
They had no longer heart nor hope, and :
sluggish dependency never brig htenet
into expectation and often sinking into alb
solute despair, took possession of them
So the rain dripped at will through the di
lapidated roofs, old hats replaced the gIas
IN broken windows, loose clapboardsswun,
Z in the wind, great gaps appeared betweel
the crazy doorsteps, fiery dring wrough
apace, and disease and death rioted amids
the reeking filth which all the gums of Al
ably would have failed to sweeten. !.
There was but one chance for street t
rise from its degradation and array itself i
; the beautiful garments of order and cleanli
ness, and even that was rendered nearI
impossible by reason of the difficult CT "a
tions through which alone it or ,Id ,
reached. Nobody knew when or n,, ~ .
the prophecy was uttered, but t'oa bsst =,
thorities were agreed that if q MIRO n,;nd,
dweiIer therein should at twelve o'clo,
precisely upon Christie as Eve. laugh a 10
GUS laugh out OF she',r delight in the antit
pated pleasure OF i street people possessir
no claim OF KINDRED or kindness, he or 81
at tne lnomeAt being ignorant of the prop
ecy' tue Street would suddenly put on q
aspect 81 brightness and beauty At Ii
magical sound the straying shingles wou
return to their places, the loose clapboar,
would welcome their accustomed nails. Il
gaping doorsteps would close up like 81
diers at the word of command, the vaca
lots would bloom into parks and garden
the Rlelle would run clear and sweet to
continent stream, the factories would cea
to send forth sickenipg odors, the chiIdr
would be washed and clothed. aud a pret
church would spring up on the very SD
where summer and winter, day and nigi
painted and bejeweled girls, bold.fac a.
free IN manner, dealt ont tiery liquors
imbruted customers But, alas wb,
would this be! On ChristIr as Eve. as u
on all other evenings, there was laughter
I street; butt was the laughter of M