Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-08-22
THE GAZETTE.
The HOOlIunl.
FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST %.

In the population Of Sap Francisco is an en-
gaging class of vivaclous young men, VINO
are known by the name of Hoodlums. 4 few
evenings ago. as young lady of PATRICIA. taml-
" in San Francisco, On her return home from a
friendly visit. was walking along O'Farrcll
street-says the local Chronicle was accost-
ed genially by young man with an immense
cigar for his principal feature, who, 10 choice
hoodlumese, hoped she was as we'll as could De
expected, and soliciting a triilng loan as
mark of esteem. Unaccustomed as she was to
public speaking, the damsel responded with
scream; whereupon there darted from the OPP
posite sidewalk sturdy gentleman, who
promptly Knocked down the presumptuouSS
hoodlum, add as deity escorted the alarmed
lady beyond reach Of further pecuniary lmpor'
tunity. Having rendered this service the
stranger would fam have taken his leave, hu,
the rescued fair one nervously besought his
continued protection to her home, and there
prevailed upon him to enter the house and re-
ceive the thanks of her father.
The surprise Of the fashionable household
may be imagined, when Miss - Introduced
her deliverer, for the strangers attire was de-
cidedly seedy. But when the lady explained to
her father how the brave fellow had saved hel
life and whipped a man twice his size, the
heart of the old gentleman warmed toward him.
He called him noble young fellow, and press
ed $50 piece in bis hand, which, after some
reluctance, was accepted and the plucky de-
fender of unprotected woman left the house
with an invitation from the father to call at his
place of business the next day, and he would
try if he could do something for him. Accord,
ingly the noble young fellow presented himself
at the store ION Front street, next morning.
There did not happen to be vacancy n the
position Of head book keeper just then, and be-
sides the noble young fellow could not write,
and his chivalric young soul had never stopped
to learn the mysteries Of figures. So ne was
Installed as porter, position for which nature
seemed to have specially designed him.
In the conduct of this hero from humble life
there was nothing to discredit his character for
chivalrous manliness aud bluff simplicity of
nature, until one evening soon after the above
events, when the merchant and his daughter,
while enjoying twilight promenade, encoun-
tered the heroic porter In the company OF an
individual at sight of whom the young lady
turned faint Curious to relate, this individual
was no other than the one who had been
knocked down for accostng out heroine so
sordidy, and when the old gentleman was in
formed of the fact be lost ali faith in human
nature. Indeed, on the following morning he
charged bis porter with having practced an
imposition upon him, and was shocked at the
trankness with which the justice of the im-
parchment was confessed Not blush sutfus.
ed the cheerful countenance of the detected
hoodlum as be ingeniously avowed that the
little drama Of the encounter in the street had
been ingeniously arraigned by an intimate
friend and himself, as a sociable speculation
upon the gratitude of a wealthy parent; and he
concluded his statement by the remark that
while he was ready to resign his porter situa,
tion-seeing that partnership 10 the firm and
the young ladys band were the least he could
be induced to accept for remaining in mercan-
tile life-he trusted his venerable friend would
not refuse to signify his continued esteem by
partakiDg of a spirituous beverage at his ex,
pense. The merchant refusing this .profered
courtesy with extreme hauteur, and making
some irascible demonstration with one Of his
boots, the still unrqffled hoodlum retired from
the palatial warehouse with commendable alac
rity, apparently unconscious that he and his
intimate friend had done anything that he had
not it's perfect warrant iu the universally con-
ceded privileges of superior astuteness and
knowledpe of human nature