Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-06-14
TROUBLE ON FORT STREET.
a Communication from MIR. AdOlQh ms
Perkins-A serious Affair Disturb
ing the Quiet OF Mrs. Siummins's
Boarding House.

the matter before you and your readers
and ask your opinion about it. l am
boarder with Mrs. Slummins, who
keeps well-regulated boarding house
on Fort street. Having for many
years experienced all the miseries of q
bachelor existence, and consequently
endured a continued bufleting about
from one place of abode to another,
finding each one more uncomfortable
than the previous one, | was more
than rejoiced, as you may believe, at
my good fortune in at last finding
shelter under Mrs. Slummins's roof
Mrs. Slummins keeps no cats of preda-
tory tendencies; the household affairs
are conducted in an orderly and salts
factory manner, and the worthy land
lady herself does not seek to crafty
her curiosity regarding her boarders'
affairs beyond what can be gathered
from the reading of open letters left
incautiously about. Hitherto / have
been happy; but Friday night week
ago Mrs. Slummins had three new
boarders arrive very respectable look
ing young gentlemen and they were
stationed in the room next to the ope
which 1 occupy, Mrs. Slummins ar
ranging for their coming by providing
a double bed for two and letting the
other sleep upon an ingenious contriv-
ance of sofa and chairs, upon which
she placed mattress. The young
gentlemen were pleased with their &C
commOdations, l think; for L have
heard them frequently discussing the
subject as they lay awake through the
night. But | wish more particularly
to speak of the Occurrence the other
night, which, as l said, did not seem
to me altogether right. The three re-
spectacle looking young gentlemen
are quite fond of music, it seems, and
this is much to their credit, as it shows
a cultivated taste. They have been in
every night with their playing from
about half-past until IL or IL o'clock,
which was very kind Of them of
course, as the rest of the house.
hold had no other amusement
except sleeping, to occupy their time.
Being man of very temperate habits
myself, l usually retire about nine
o'clock, sometimes half an hour later;
and since the coming of our new board
ers l have been greatly entertained,
lying wakefully in bed, for two or
three hours,by the young gentleman's
nightly performance, admiring all the
while their very cultivated taste. Mrs.
Slummins also enjoyed the music, /
think, for | heard her praising it at
the breakfast table one morning, and
she told the young gentlemen that she
thought they ought to travel, with
a minstrel troupe, or something. The
young gentlemen said no, they pre-
ferred to live q quiet and retired life.
All of the other boarders agreed with
them, greatly adlniring their refined
and cultivated taste.
After this, the young gentlemen
were somewhat encouraged, and that
very night they entertained us an
hour or SO longer than usual, until we
all encored them heartily by throwing
our boots and various other loose arti-
cles against the door of their room.
But wished more particularly to re-
mark about the occurrence to which
referred at the commencement of this
article, which, as | said, was very
wrong. At the time referred to the
three young gentlemen boarders were
playing, as usual, for our general
amusement. One had big horn like
one OF those which the men in the
brass band carry over their shoulders.
l cannot say whether it was an E sharp
or B fiat; but it makes no difference
about the kind; it was big horn.
Another had violin, and used bow
with rather too much or too little resin
on it, which made an occasional
squeak, somewhat startling but not
altogether unpleasant; and the third
played upon an instrument which l
am not altogether certain about. 1t
might have been q French harp, or it
might have been drum; l think it
was drum. The young men played
"Home, Sweet Home" and as they
were practicing on that piece for a par
ticular purpose they played it eight or
nine tines. Then theylplayed Crock
Me to Sleep, Mother,n "'Twas Calm,
Still Night" "Put Me in My Little
Bed,n and several others which l have
forgotten, and just as they were exc
cutting with fine pathOs "We Won't
go Home till Morning." the occur
renee took place which have previ-
ously alluded to.
Mrs. Flumm who lives in the
next house to ours, is a woman of no
refinement whatever; she has no mu-
sic in her soul, and she can't allow
other people about her to enjoy what
they may chance to have of unObtru-
sive culture in them. In fact, if it
were not disrespectful, l would call
Mrs. Flumm dog in the manger.
AS was saying, the three young
gentlemen were playing, 1--WE won't
60 Home till Morning." with great
feeling and pathos, when Mrs.
the other side of the fence from the
young gentlemen's window and set
up the most heathenish din which l
think l have ever heard. She
drummed on two tin pans, and scraped
them together till they made soul
piercing screech, and then she
drummed again keeping exact time
to the music of the three young gem
tlemen. She evidently did this to an
noy the musicians; in fact she said as
much when they had finished "Going
Home till Morning. She said: "You
mean, lazy, good for-nothing loafers !
IfyOu haven't got any better sense
than to keep people awake here night
after night with your Internal din, pd
like to know. Here Tve been trying
to get my children to sleep for these
three mortal hours and they won't
close their eyes for the racket which
you are making. You ought to be
ashamed of yourselves, you mean
lazy, good-for-nothing But
here the rude woman broke down and
actually cried. Who would have