Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-07-28
LEDGER LINES.

ment, drunkenness and other sins.
Yesterday Recorder Winters presented
q smiling appearance; he even smiled
benignly at the prisoners brought before
him for trial. The cause Of this was the
appearance in his household of a fifteen
FOUNDER Of the male gender.
In the Waddy Thompson case Judge
Archibald Wright commenced address
ing the jury this morning and will be
followed by Attorney General Wright,
who will close the case. 1t is possible
that the case will be transferred to the
jury late this afternoon.
The summer fights opened up the day
before yesterday. Two cotton men
sampled each others heads for a few
minutes, and later in the day two mer-
chants took a few rounds in a store.
The cause Of these fights was the rising
barometer and thermometer and the de-
cline of the Mississippi river,
At 6 o'clock this morning, at the Sig
nal Service Office, the barometer indi.
Gated 30.07 inches, and the thermome.
ter indicated 800. At the same hour
there was fair weather at Chicago, Gin
c%'nnati, Galveston, Indianapolis, Nash
vile, New Orleans, etc.
An alarm of FIRE brought out the en-.
gines yesterday to the corner of Main
and Jefferson streets, where a dense
smoke was discovered in rear of the
clothing house of Sproule & McCown.
The smoke was caused by burning some
old stuff in a back yard.
The steamboat excursion tomorrow
evening on board the James D. Parker
promises to be a delightful affair. None
but invited guests will be permitted on
board. The committee of arrangements
is composed Of Captain R. W. Wise,
John r. Stanley, E. W. Gibson and
Charles A. Burr.
A fire engine has a wonderful attrac.
ton for young America. Whenever an
engine goes out or returns the boys
crowd around the engine house to ad-
mire the horses, the fremen and the
putting steamer. Every boy wishes to
be a fireman, so hat he can 60 into
burning buildings, hold the nozzle or 20
up the ladders.
The failure Of Duncan, Sherman &
Co., yesterday, did not affect many peo.
pie in this city. One man declared ia
u reporter that he could stand that
failure, but if the R~othschilds and a hall
dozen other European houses should
break, then he would think seriously Of
withdrawing his deposits and doing his
own banking business"
Yesterday afternoon a number Of in
vited guests sat down to a banquet given
by Fathers Kelly and Edelin, at the par
s)nage in honor of the twenty.ffth ami
versary of the ordination of the above
named gentlemen. In the morning a
high mass was chanted at St. Peter s
church, the imposing ceremonies being
witnessed by a very large congregation
Major Mike Blessing undertook to in
dulge in a siesta the other afternoon on
a table, but the African of the period
was around, and as Major Blessing lay
dreaming Of cool lakes and balmy
breezes the negro nipped" his gold
watch and chain which hung carelessly
from his pocket. Detective McCune re.
covered the watch last night, it having
been showed up for a few dollars, but
the chain is yet missing, as is also the
negro.
At the station-house, prisoners, both
men and women, are often almost desti-
tute Of necessary clothing, the result Of
poverty, fights and other natural causes.
The officers have often to run around
and gather up old clothes wherever such
can be found, in order to prevent the
station.house yard from presenting the
appearance of a South Sea island, where
the people have nothing to wear Citi-
zens who have old cast.off clothing would
confer a favor upon the officers and a
greater favor upon the prisoners if they
sent such to the station-house officials,
who will distribute all such judiciously.
In the Waddy Thompson case yester-
day Judge Brown informed the jury that
the newspaper pencil-slinger had al
ways a story to tell" This reminds us
of an anecdote told on a well.known dis
ciple of Blackstone who went from this
city to try a few causes in Arkansas. A
brother attorney made q motion in a
saw-mill case and our facetious Mem.
phian informed the beach and bar that
his learned brother had no legal right
to introduce a saw-mill into court"
Probably not" answered old Arkansas,
but when my Memphis friend always
brings a windmill into court he has ne
right to object to a saw-mill." Even in