New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-15
sOUNDINGs OF THE STREET.

! WOuId Withdraw" The speaker was a
short, thick-set man, who might be either a
country merchant or tax collector of one
of the suburban districts. His face showed
exposure to the sun and air, his dress told
of no fastidious tastes.
"In hoop" repeated one of the party.
He then went on to say what was meant ::
"S'pose the Democrats nominate. Old Nor
ton and the rest of that crowd will force
the withdrawal of Grant, for it won t
amount to row of pins, and will not
please Greeley. S'pose they don't nOnli-
nate; Grant must be dropped for man
stronger than Greeley" He was willing to
bet this way. As for the reporter, he
couldn't get at the bottom of the reasoning.
One by one the hearers lett the thick-set
man, and, nobody asking him to take a
drink, he slowly and sadly went away.
Probably the talk about the withdrawal of
Grant was heard On that day last week dis
cussed everywhere but in the papers, and
this ends one of the soundings.
"When | stab anybody with Goldfish ball
he'll never git over it." This remark, 30
deep in sarcasm, came from one of the
crowd of gamins who pile in on the heels of
brace OF policemen with prisoner in tow,
who crowd around the station door which
is usually shut to with dull clang just as
the prisoner goes in, and who devote the
rest of their time to peeping in at the win
dow or through the prison bars with as
much eagerness as if the poor prisoner never
was coming out again. He was satisfied
with that remark, and several ether and
younger of his persuasion whose sands of
life had scarcely began to run, and whose
chief capital consisted of time whereof they
had more than they knew what to do with
and hence did nothing, looked wOnderingly
up at his audacity. The door was opened,
the "rats" scampered, and the bleeding
prisoner "cut all to pieces" one of the peep
ing gentry uttered in a Mortified voice, was
left to his reflections of what sad thing it
is for man to be the ''bottom dog in the
fight" This is also claimed as one of the
soundings, one of the representative scenes
which happen so often people get tired of
having them told at all.
sit was very strange he couldn't find rae
to indorse that $4,000 check This from a
jolly old gent, with an apple tOddy face,
who quietly told of how he was obliged TO
hand in his check for settlement, and
"Ha! ha! forgot to indorse it." The teller
wouldn't pay. The holder hunted the
drawer up high and low, and the more he
looked for him the greater grew his rage.
His own stOry.) Having gained time, and
made the account good, in walked the jolly
old gent to his Office, and (this being on the
next day)-"IndOrse it, said he, certainly.
What a strange oversight 1 didn't do it
when handed it over." He remarked sOtto
Voce that he was the busiest man on the day
in question ever was seen. This is another
of the soundings.
A babel of cries echo through the dusty
street. Sashes of upper stories are thrown
up, and heads over heads poked out. Front
doors are thrown open, and alley ways dis
gorge thrOngs of women and children, all
crying out, "Shamel shamew A crowd of
boys and half grown men rush frantically
down the street, beating as they go along
the fences and dead walls with the stick
each has in his hand. Far up the street, in
the midst of hOOtings and whoOpings, the
crowd grows denser. Over all rises pite-
GUS bleating. whats the matter2" every
strange voice cries. "The goat catchers are
running off my goats.'
Nefer you mind, my dear" This came
from shoemaker, who had rushed out of
his shop in apron and hammer, shaking the
latter violently. "Just wait till lection
time-den we fix desc fellers." This hap
pens about three times week in every
neighbOrhood where goats milk is "pro-
iuiced," and is very ordinary unless, as one
of the bystanders remarked, "dey takes
'em off in de night-den you links its h."
This is one more of the soundings.
1" I thought you didn't swear" remarked
palefaced and mild young man, who be-
longed to that class Of men who "part
their hair in the middle"
well, 1 know faint right, replied pro-
family. The mild man bowed his head
meekly. But yOa see nothing relieves
man so much. Sometimes it's like pulling
out an aching TOOTH" The mild man turned
up his eyes to the skylight of the car in
manner which seemed to say "Cast not thy
pearls before swine"
"Theres no vinegar and sweet oil in the
castor" This was said by one of the lunch
fiends, who, having swallowed his ration of
soup, hash, roast beef, turned his attention
to the salad. The reply of the host, who
stood grandly at the head of the table, was:
.'Don't keep vinegar and sweet oil here
this is a cOffeehOuse." Then turning to one
of his steady customers, he said, "Unless
you check these fellows, they'll be asking
for a spring mattress and a Victoria bed"
Served him right.
1t is our theory that more wisdom is ut
tered in daily conversation on the streets
in one hour, than is contained in all the
newspapers for a week. How to catch
them "Op the fly" is one of the lost arts.
The views of the people are always news.
but none "of us ever get hold of them un-
less they come through some one of the
prominent men and they lose by it. We
have more soundings on the book which
contain wisdom "chunks of it y and we now
get off into deep water.
Greeley Reform Club, Third District.
The Greeley Reform Club of the Third
District held meeting for organization
4I,o 6oII ~, Cpa;v, Tlo