River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-12-23
Letter from PittSbarg.
PIrrsBURG, Dec. 10,

EDrroRs JoURNAL:-If ever there was
an appropriate sobriquet, it is Smoky
City," for Pittsburg. A cloud of
smoke hangs over the place continu.
ally. Hundreds of FORCES and found
ries, scattered along the banks of the
Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers,
send up a continuous volume of smoke,
which envelopes the city, hides the
sun, and gives the place dark, dreary
appearance. Every thing is black and
dirty. The omnipresent SCOT, always
falling in gentle showers, leaves its
impress everywhere. AS look from
my window see coating of it on
the window-sill, although it was care
fully washed yesterday. The table on
which write is sprinkled over with
soO5. This paper, you notice, is black,
anu so are my hands. although | have
washed them four times, and it is not
yet noon,-likewise is my face,
so in fact is every thing. Dirt, dirt,
dtrt "How do the people live here"
| have said to myself hundred times
in the last few days. Well, they pass
their lives in an unending and ineffect-
ual struggle with the omnipresent
black. Everything is arranged with
reference to the SCOT. Anything that
will show the dirt is avoided. The
houses are all painted in dark colors.
Light carpets, or snowy furniture are
carefully avoided by all sensible house
keepers. There never can be any
dandies here,-the state of the atmos-
phere forbids it. He would be con-
sidered bold man that would ven
ture out in the street with pair of
white kids on,-they would only be
white about five minutes. The Pitts
burgers themselves acknowledge this
state of things--i. e., that they live in
the dirt. For example, picked up
an evening paper yesterday, and the
leading editorial article commenced
in this fashion: IF there is black
er city in the world than Pittsburg,
we would like to know its latitude, -
but it cannot be found" To all of
which your correspondent mentally
responded, "Amen." Why, this SCOT
will even settle on the dinner plates.
have been amused at the efforts of a
tidy housekeeper to Danish it from
the table. We all know the precise
quantity of dirt that each of us has to
eat in a lifetime. 1t is exactly one
peck. Well, I'll tell you in confidence
that have eaten my allowance this
week. / mean no disparagement to
my boarding house. / am afraid if
my landlady were to read this, she
would give me my ''walking papers, 7"
for am boarding at very cheap rates.
PrTsBURG DAY.
Another consequence of the smoke
is that the sun never gets chance to
show himself, and as a result it is
dark nearly all day. A stranger would
think storm cloud hung over the
city, but the ''native" will tell him
that it is only ''the smoke" If one
looks down a street it seems to end in
a cloud. The sun never shines out
bright and clear. In many of the
Offices and stores the gas is kept burn.
ing nearly all day. Let me give ycu
an actual experience without any eX.
aggeration: Last Saturday, Dec. 4th,
| awoke at an early hour, as suppos.
ed. 1t was dark as midnight.
heroically resolved to get up before
daylight, and so arose and dressed
myself. | thought, "what will my
friends think of this, --getting up be
fore daylight I'll have the fires
going before any of the family are
-astir." Noiselessly gliding down
stairs, | was surprised to find the
whole household awake. The gas was
turned on at full head. I glanced al
the clock.--H 0as fDe minutes 10 nine
Until ten o'clock that day, the gas
was kept burning, from that till three
o'clock, it was daylight, after a fash
ion; then the gas was lighted again
at four o'clock the street lamps were
lighted and night commenced.
ooh beautiful city Of light"
This assure you, incredible as II
may seem, is no exaggeration. IL Il
only sample of many such days they
have here. Pittsburg is proud OF
them too.
ALLEGHANY CITY.
The Allegheny River divides Pitts
burg and Allegheny City. Crossing
over one OF the elegant suspension
bridges that spans the river, we fin,
} a tasteful and somewhat beautiful
city, with less smoke and noise thar
Pittsburg proper. Many of the wealth