Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-21
THECAIRO THAT WAS.
Dips into Old cairo Life.
THE PLACE, THE PEOPLE, OC-
CURRENCES AND PASTIMES.
BY NOSE HARRELL.
BY NOSE HARRELL.

| A Cairo Business Directory, compiled say
! for 1s4s, would run about thus:
DRY GOODS.
Bailey S. lIarren Oliver S. Sayre,
! George Kenrick.
FORWARDING MERCHANTS.
Rodney Wright, T. J. Smith Co.,
! Henry Simmons.
! HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES
$; II. candee, Cairo Hotel, P corcoran,
Mrs. Mckinney.
| Hotel accommodations also furnished by the
wharf boats, which, then were three in number.
| PHYSICIANS.
Mcguire Phillips B. Shannessy,
| c. T. Lind.
! -,-s BAKERS -.-,...---s 40
Geo. Baumgard, -- Timmons.
| WOOD DEALERS.
Henry whitcamp, Matthew Joiner,
| G. W. Kenrick -sa O.S. Sayre . ...
| BUTCHERS
Gorden, Baird l. Baumgard.
| GROCERIES.
| Geo. L. Rattlemiiler, James Berry.
! SALOONS
Daniel Morgan B. shannessy,
| T. J. Wood, Rattlemiller,
Rodney & Co., II. Simmons
Patrick Smith.
NJ. W. Parker.
CARPENTERS.
David McGlvery
Old Craig
rEN-PIN ALLEY.
William Wilson,
John Heinz.
FRRRYMAN.
| Henry Douglass.
| The list is brlef but comprises, ! believed
all persons then in business in Cairo, except
such as per formed miscellaneous labor
| The establishments in which the persons
above enumerated pursued their callings, were
all strewn along the levee at wide Intervals,
or floated upon the Ohio in close proximity to
the wharf boats, Nearly, or quite, half the
| population lived in boats. .-.
1t is d study of interest to contrast this ''Di-
rectory' with that Of last year. Nothing can
better illustrate the potency of American In
dustry, capital and enterprise; and nothing can
more forcibly show, than the contrast thus
formed, that our boasted natural advantages,
! commercial, agricultural and clnatical, are
real and not pretended.
No better showing, in the history of city
building, is furnished elsewhere in the Union,
outside of California; but, without getting in
advance Of my subject, l cannot enlarge upon
this head | have presented the data, and
those who relish glorious results, worked out
! by energy and well directed industry can pro-
ftabzy employ them.
Bryan Shannessy was justice of the peace tor
the city, twenty years ago, and William Dckey
| for the ''country'' portion Of the precinct
The legal business was inconsiderable, the
greater portion of that of a criminal nature he
ing occasioncd by transient persons. With ac-
cess to the squires old docket, may, i'll some
future number, prepare for you a ''budget'' of
disputes aid differences, pugilistic pastmes
and such other notable matters eliminated
in law suits before that venerable functionary.
For the present one case must suffice us
Squire BIS Office was small room, entered
| through d bar room, with one window looking
TO the rear, some twenty-five feet above terra
tirma Into this room 1; young man, a stran-
GER was taken one night, under arrest for
| stealing. He took his seat in the window the
| lower sash of which was hoisted. As he was
| of that class called ''brazen cusses.'' ''hard
cases. Sc, it was determined that he should
be justly punished if found guilty. Accord.
inSly the door was narrowly watched, that the
accused might not escape, and the trial pro-
| ceeded Sufficient evidence had been drawn
out to fasten the guilt upon the young man and
| the squire was about to declare the fact in
judicia way, when, with bewildering quick
ness, the criminal sprang through the window,
over twenty feet to the ground and adroitly
| closed the sash after him, that one might at
| tempt pursuit on the line of his escape. or
course the spectators Immediately made chase.
| but thought it was only necessary to repair to
the spot under the window to pick up the young
man dead, or, at best, horribly wounded But
strange enough he was not there; he could be
seen or heard nowhere. The escape was COM
plete but very miraculous, chiefly, however, for
this reason. Instantly, upon alighting, the young
man threw away his coat, drtied his face and
so transmogrifed himself generally that he
was not recognized by his pursuers, although
he at once Joined them and became as clam
orous as the worst to arrest the -- thief, to
make example of him. He afterwards
drank with the crowd, discanted freely on the
"slip'' that had been given them, and Of the
prit on the morrow. On the morrow the coat
) was found, and through it the tremendous
''sell - exposed, but the expert bird had
| flown beyond all chance of capture.
When Cairo was the " hardest looking town
on the river" smart young travelling ladies
and gentlemen took infinite pleasure in making
game of our = unsophistcatcd " population
They would ironically inquire for the theatre,
the park, the race course etc, and i'll thou.
sand ways try to appear very smart themselves
, and to make the citizen feel discomitted OF
sheepish. One pretty little slining-eyed Miss,
) accompanied by several friends, male and fc-
| male, once had occasion to feel IL decided re.
bounding Of her smartness. Entering dry
goods store with her companions she assailed
the clerk with, ''Oh mister mister | say
, mister, come right here to HE: sir want te
: know if you have got any buttcrmilk ~
, 'Haw, haw, he! he!" from her compan
ions.
The clerk slowly and in Il sel-possessct
manner replied very fifty