Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-11-06

"hVie Vlty ana SnDurDs was Tree from the disease
Friday night and Saturday il rained and Sun
day it rained, and Monday il was chilly with
raw north-oaster blowing, and 20 ii has been
ever since. just imagine the situation a city
and its vicinage, a half million strong in popua-
tion, without well horse, and in the midst Of a
cold storm followed by rough, raw weather. The
affair surpassos everything that has happened
since man began to write the history Of cities
TO appreciate the situation one must be in the
midst Of it., and see, bear, and feel for himself
One must put himself, say between the hours Of
live and seven, p. NJ, on one Of the great bust
ness avenues leading from the main city TO lis
borders he must walk up and down during bust
ness hours the main streets, like State and Wash
ington, seeing what is being done and hearing
what is being said he must 90 through horse
car stable where there are half thousand sick
horses and lastly he must "pedestcr," "a word
in common use these days invented by some leg
weary reporter for the occasion,) from store at
the city's centre to his home on its circumference,
with parcel Of half hundred pounds weight
under one arm, and ll-fllcd shopping bag in his
hand, his pockets stuffed with groceries, et cefera
and wife, weary with much shopping, leaning
heavily on the other arm. One having thus made
himself master Of the situation as far as nm APP
probation Of il goes, by being a servant Of the
situation, Is fitted TO comment on its phenomena
These present themselves 10 his thought in three
forms - the tragic, the dramatic, and the comic.
| will close this hurried sketch Of the condition
into which this mysterious visitation Of disease
has plunged our city by giving few examples Of
each form
| Funerals are set the hour comes the mourn
ers assemble the sad service goes on and is end
ed it is mining; the dead remain unburied the
weather lifts on the following day the cemete-
~ IL five miles away one horse IL found to draw
the hoarse ono mourner follows the dead 10 the
grave he rides on the hearse with the under
taker. The streets are filed with drunken roughs
ladies are insulted with IMMUNITY the roughs 20
unarrostcd there is no conveyance to take them
from the police station cells to the court house
The sick and injured poor die in their bare and
comfJrtlcss novels they cannot be carried 10 tho
city hospital This is the very essence Of tragedy,
The dramatic crops out in the things entorpris-
ing firms and individuals do 10 take advantage Of
the situation TO advertise and attract public at
tention to themselves and their business. A
firm wishes 10 have package Of valuable goods
forwarded 10 Western house The senior part
ner has fine, glossy, black heller She is tack.
led to an express wagon, and is led to the depot
Furniture and other wagons, loaded high with
goods, trimmed with bunting, drawn by half
hundred men and headed by hand led by the r-
repressible Gilmore, or some other band leader,
who would like 10 be as famous, parade the
streets Broad-horned oxen, with immense hay
carts attached, are hauling merchandise TO and
fro. Up Washington street goes pony express,
only the pony isn't pony at all, but pair Of
grey Esquimaux dogs. On every hand men are
seen pushing and pulling market wagons, deliver
ing the orders Of their employers customers
while side by side - Cor the disease is as great a
leveller as death - trudgos along the Superntend-
ont Of a railroad, who has four hundred horses in
his stable and dirty gdmin who never rode behind
a horse in his life except as he has stolen ride
on the lower step Of a horse car platform. There
we pass city nabob who hasn't walked quar-
ter Of mile in twenty years, and right behind
him comes poor shop girl who takes her three
mile walk every night and morning unless it rains,
because the FIVE cen, fare means so much less
| lbt4 VI bthA ANNhhA0 lNHA - muNhNA h'i nApYA
and nerve and muscle Everybody alike, the
merchant prince aud the beggar boy, the man Of
ninety aud the boy Of five, the woman Of upper
tendon, and she Of the DAM monde ; the sedate
and the giddy, all, if they would reach place,
have to " pedesterr for it.
| But the comic holds sway over all the rest.
The Mark Tspley vein is being well worked, and
every body Is doing bis level best" to be
Jolly" How are your poor ieet?" is the
popular question among doctors. Says one who
has a practice Of FIVE hundred dollars per week
- yesterday was lame had a blister on one
heel to-day, thank fortune, can walk square
once more both heels are blistered' The most
popular salulation on the street j., -" How do You
like walking as a heycrage?" 81 declare OK
claims an expreSsman, e if this thing keeps up
much longer | shall have to get a gnu team 4"
Last Sunday the lesson Of one Of the Uniform
Lesson series in the Sunday Schools made men
ton Of Daniel in the lions den asks the teach
err Nellie, why did not the lions eat Daniel up?''
Replies the little lisper, " dess the lions mus
have had the boss disease and didn't want nus
South Boston railroad ran a car TO and from tho
city labelled " Puli-man car"
must close, for know this letter is far
too long already for you, dear reader, to waste
your valuable time upon, wholly taken up
as it is Just now in those weighty cares Of
State and hrow-knitting toll limited at once be-
fore but isn't there Just room in the midst
Of the tragic, dramatic and comic, for just one
touch of good, pure sentiment Much has been
| written said and dome If late years by the Soci-