Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-02-10
For the Journal.
WESIERN CORRESPONDENCE.
MEMPIsIs- YOUNG GIAHT OF THE
--s#s w E s II - f A..
BY POPINACK.

w.
dental hemisphere, which, however far
from approximating the splendor OF the
old Egyptian city, is making colossal
strides towards front rank in population
and Importance. AS the recipient of the
rich treasures that float down the mighty
* Father of Waters" and as the centre of
a network of railroads. its sources of
wealth and consequent advancement are
assured It already boasts its eighty-fy
Inhabitants, and through its
I" Appeal" its Avalanche its "Sun,"
and that fiery Illumination, the "Tennes-
see Baptist" edited by the renowned J. L.
Graves. exerts no mean influence ia the
world of letters. A dainty magazine was
edited here for a year or two by DR.. S. Il.
Ford and his talented authoress-wife.
We were struck by the number OF foreign
faces we cav on the street, especially the
preponderating German element. There
are many Jews and Yankees and money
making seems TO be prevailing mania,
with which every body is so absorbed as to
find time for little else. Matrimony we
are told, is altogether a speculation, in
which the changes rung Oh dollars is the
only sound that takes the ear. AZ to the
old Flavor SYSTEM" the Borrow and
Lend style. it is utterly out of vogue here.
If your neighbor lends you his oxen lle OK
poets you to pay him ten dollars day Tor
them and if a lady friend invites you to
dinner you must show yourself apprecia-
tive by sending her a supplementary ticket
to the opera or theatre. Social life is very
different here from that in Ca1 DINA, but
we barely touch on the subject now, con-
sidering it worthy of separate letter.
The site OF Memphis is for the most
part level its streets are very wide, and
handsomely built up. On Main, Second
and Princess streets the buildings are on
a grand scale, many of the business houses
being five, six and seven stories high.
The shops in several instances are.nOticed
beautifully frescoed. with ornamental sky
lights, handsome pictures, and rare plants
in huge earthenware vases. We saw Mem
phis under very disadvantageous circum-
stances, the weather being the foulest con-
ceivable, the sky overcast with those yell
lowish, dull-colored clouds that invariably
forbode rain, snow or sleet. Ga this oc-
casion they were exuding a sleety drizzle,
washed with mud, and the streets were
great mass of "slush," oyer which even
horses slipped, painting and steaming, and
looking, with their tails tied up to keep
them clean, like bellies in curl-papers the
night before the party. Muddy" is the
adjective for all land bordering the Missis
sippi at this season of the year. Mem
phis, somebody sarcRstically tells us, is g.
redeemed mud-puddle-a bit of terra tirma
81 H. -
shovelling. Seen under blue June sky,
with summer sunlight glistening goldenly
through green boughs, and children sport
ing, butterhy-like, in its parks, it doubt
less looks very different. When we were
there not child was to be seen, and only
one or two forlorn damoseIs on the streets.
No wonder, either, for it was dreadful
walking, the exercise being attended with
| imminent peril to- neck and limb, to say
nothing about immaculate boots and dain-
ty CATERS, which did not begin to stand q
showing We presume the short walking
dress has always been in fashion in Mem
phis at this season. Such things as trail
ing skirts OH those pGvements would have
seemed only groteeque. We passed through
| Court Square, beautiful wire rallied en-
closure, set out in Magnolia trees,
in whose branches that bitter day
poor little snow birds were twittering chill
lingIy. The broad leaves were bending
under sleety incrustations, and we were
surprised to see q growth we had fanciod,
of almost tropic delicacy of constitution,
living exposed to such seventies of eli
mate.
| Slipping ourselves, we get laughed ut
by our fellow pedestrians III their involun-
tary mimicry of skating; and in moro than
one instance measuring their lengths upon
the frozen pavement. Another source o.
amusement was the fantastic resemblance
we traced in strangers to friends we had
left in Carolina.
There was our bosom crony, minus the
pale mustaches we remembered on his up
per lip while our aristocratic, fastidious
and hypochondriaca uncle we were intens-
lily tiokled to recognize in Main street
furniture merchant, liver still disOrdered,
but the soornful, Indifferent air EXCHANGED
for the suavest urbanity of manner, and
the stiffness of rich mans patronizing
style effervesced in smiles, bows and an
utter devotion to our wants. Funniest OF
all, our editorial friend, that serene ego
list, who in fancy could annihilate the Tn
bune, and make Mark Pomeroy shake in
his shoes. we found slightly metamor-
phosed from a long conflict with chill and
fever, and reduced to the capacity of q
second street safe man This, after the
mysteriously august dignity of the edito-
rial chair. This, after the brain puzzles,
regarding the calculation of European pol
itics All, what fall was this my conn
! trymen Besides these familiar person
ages. we came face to face with that mos
worldly wise. penetrating, sarcastic pieoe
of caninlty, I'VE are obliged to coin q
word, the little dog heroine of Onida',
PUCK" A most amusing book by the
way. Mr.. Editor. And there in the win
dow of book store was charming pic
J ture of Santa Claus, driving his "Dears, >
right charming girls in Lapland vesture
harnessed to his car-full of toys while
on the street beside it, bandy-Iegged
Dutchman with face as large and rount
, as a pewter platter, small twinkling eyes
, red cheeks, and the stump of pipe in hi
skewed-up mouth, looked as if he haC
stepped down from the engraving to per
senate the jolly patron of the Christina
Eve stocking, as large as life.
, Memphis is great game market, veni-
son, wild turkeys, ducks, geese and bear
meat are abundant and cheap. Thest