The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-09
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

bles overheard? Why is 1T thai modest,
well-behaved people laugh when
lady's garment is tossed aloft by the
fierce winds? Why is itftist feveryS
hedy roArs when freedman 81 hat takef
a fit of revolutionizng over the muddy
pavement And finally, why do men
poke fun at those fortunate ones who
come out unharmed after conflict with
the garroters? This Is a veryftlfolp ele-
ment in human nature--and extends to
the Indian andsometimes to the hors2--
this propensity to laugh at misfOrtunes.
No one respects the feelings of the vic
tim, 80 long as he Is uninjured. If the
person beset is hurt-as in the case of
James Robertson there is sympathy
enough. There is not gentleman or
lady In Norfolk who does not feel for
that aged colored man, whose long resi-
dence among US and correct habits, have
won him the respect of all good citizens.
But In the case of another man.-who
may have been assailed by the very
highwaymen who knocked the venera-
BILE barber down, and.tram ped on his
breast and kicked his ribs,-there is II
chorus Of chow are u gar-ro-tid ?" and
eversomuch grinning. Do the public
know what they do, when they thus
become hilarious? No. The public do
not not know what they do. Think of
it, moment. An honest man is plUd-
ding along-may be he is reporter, big
with items-he is surprised by two bur-
ley Williams, who seize him, throw him.
down on mound of oy ster shells, hich
are left in the public str ct to generate
cholera one rogue holds the unhappy
subject, while the other ''goes through
him." The victim roars for help With
such force as to alarm the highwaymen,
and they go off unrequited. The party
assailed gets up, finds that he can breath
freely. He looks around in fear and
doubt but he cannot see far, for not a
lamp ID lighted. He thinks as he goes
Of what has happened, and he wonders
whether he will be assaulted again at the
next lane, or from behind that pile of
wood. He wishes waichman would
appear; but upon reflection stops hoping
against hope, because the night Is
80 very cold, and the tired guardians
are thinly clad he pushes on his
mournful way to be startled again
by what he supposts to be alegion of
garroters. but which proved to be a
harmless cow, brousing upon the grass.
which the enterprise of the town has
suffered to grow up in green tufts be-
tween the round pavement. The shadow
Of tree, reflected by a friendly light
away off, affects his imagination, and SO
he feels until he gets to his home. AS
he enters 1t, he looks cautiously behind
the door, lest some ONE be concealed to
givehim finishing touch. There is no
one In the hall, and as it is late, the
hall lamp is extinguished, and he gropes
his way to his bed chamber. He takes
match from his pocket, draws it across
the first bit Of furniture he stumbles
upon, and the report Ia rs loud as the
report of pistol. The match fails to
burn, and in the darkness which sur
rounds him, he is not sure but 1t was the
snap of a cap and not the match that
made the sharp noise. Finally, he sue
ceeds in lighting the candle. ] he room is
closely scrutinIzed, and the unhappy
man goes to bed-to sleep, perchance to
dream. The night Is passed in dreams
full Of terrible encounters and sup
pressed cries for help. Dark streets,
and dingy dens Of infamy, are again
gone over, and there are twenty tustles
with the garroters. The experiences of
the night are worse than death. At
dawn, the poor dreamer wakes, his
mind is bewildered and he wonders II
he is much hurt. He feels his body,
presses his head and 10 amazed ITO find
Il there" He gets up, looks in the
glass, to examine the imaginary finger
prints OH his throat, which Is really
sore. All this over, he joins his family
mt breakfast, tells what happened the
night before, and all laugh heartily. So
do the people he meets In the street.
Well, laugh away, gentlemen-you
may laugh at our encounters with
the garroters and our dream. A
few thoughtful readers will take a
graver view of these things, and
they will agree with us that the assault
on old James Robertson was an outrage,
and as much an outrage as If one OF the
most revered of the reverend clergy had
been assailed. And it will come, too, to
be common remark, that the street.
lamps ought to DO lighted; and that tive
dens of crime ought to be lessened. 1t
will be insisted upon, by gentlemen who
will stop to reflect, that in town of the
size of Norfolk, the police ought to
know every man in it, and they should
be able to "spot" garroters and house
breakers, as fast AZ they arrive. The
Sunday riots and marble playing, and
the brawls in the alley ways, will be
noticed and condemned. There is a
"good time coming boys, wait little
longer" The sun will yet shine in
Norfolk. There will be no cows eating
grass in the streets; Wide Water street
will not look as it looks now; the high
ways will be swept or the paid scaven
gers will tell the reason why the street
lamps will be multiplied and lighted on
dark nights as well as when the silver
moon guides the traveller his way
Main street will cease to be a stable on
the last day of each week; stores will go
up: business will increase; and cheerful
themes-and not the story of garroters-
will engross the attention Of all. Let no
one be over alarmed at the present state
Of the town. All will be right vet. The
midnight robber and the highway
robber will go out with the filth In the
streets.
A MISTAKE. The report that the Bos.
ton steamers withdrew from Norfolk,
because of the high rates charged for
wharfhir is untrue. Since the open
ing of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
business has increased to such degree,
that the vessels were obliged to abandon
the Norfolk trade. The company refus-
ed to pay q wharf rent OF ever Sl500-a
sum barely sufficient to keep the dock In
repair: and since Mr.. Kimberly, the
lessee Of the wharf, Is stockholder IN
the Boston steamship corporation, IL
follows that he would do no act likely to
L. 1t 49, xsc infaF0etQ