Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1875-12-11
Saturday, December IL, 1915
Notes From Dixie.


We are confident cf having Shamernlly ne
elected the Free pREss-if indeed discon-
,iuuancc of our NoTR, can be called by The
aame-bnt during the past month ye oldel
effort to make both ends meet has occupie
nnr close attention. with regard to the CON
modify So rarely found with bnsling Amcrl
caus-rhat precinus article called tine. W.
appeal to tie veteran editors of the OLD FAN
u.Y JOURNAL If those within the charmed cii
Gle Of newspaperlom have any leisure no
;nents to spare. Pending their reply, for
which we pause-as did that ancient hunhu.
or Roman the past shall be wiped ont with
a bouutiful supply Of copy on this occasion
ur last, we think, was partially devoted to
encomiums passed upon tie street rail@ats
down here for the -,pii speed at whi.h their
cars were run. We showed how Broad
Street broker could board one Of these public
chsriots at two o'clock 2. NJ, aud reach his
home, six blocks away, in the remarkable
time Of three quarters Of an hour or therea-
bouts. We trust TO p'ove that the motive
power Of these enthusiastically mules
were highly intelligent and fast stock and got
over ground with the greatest ease tit their
own paccl
There is one more subject which deserves
more than passing notice at our hands-the
streets Of Charleston. They are paved with
one # two article: either cobble or dirt
B.tween these-cach possessing countless ad-
vantases-it is hard To- Choose The cobhle.
so smooth and even to the tread and aiforting
such % i-4lc,> i-bway ct loaded cotton
drays going at full speed is thrown entirely
in tie ,ba by the merits Of dirt carriage
road which laughed TWO feet deep by the
passage Of heavy wheels and thus arrrding a
drv lake in which to sink the ankles presents
advantages simply irresistible. Aud the pave
meuts, are they any better? To use an home
~ phrase: " Not much" The buckS-not
one of them relaid since our British cousins
paid their respects to the place-Seem each t"
be at regular cross purpsrS with It's nelghb"r,
and alternate in the happy faculty Of buisins
IN above the surface, which healthy action on
the part Of the bricks, is entirely subversivr
ofthat symmetry and relative evennesS of sur
face which Us rs general thing should pos
sess. Besides these irregularities Of the red
clay are apt to stump the toes What then
Well nothing. only the air is pregnant imme-
diately after, with Il series Of bad. bad words
which the sanity Bcecher and Others Of his ilk
would sooner die than use.
And now, having set down the two great
inconveniences under which a resident of the
City BY The Sea must labor, we are glad t.
take up the pencil in the enumeration OF
some pecuarities, pleasing in their nature
which characterize her customs, architecture
and people Charleston would be nothing
were !, not ior her street cries She would
fail to recognize herself and shrink back in
alarm at the loss Of one Of her humble, yet
strong s,auG-hys. The street-hucksier of tie
North differs entirely from his Southern broth
er land sislerl In the former section this
ch uacter is generally white, and always COM
posed Of the male sex Down here, The search
for Caucasian vegetable hawker would prove
about as successful as that proverbial guest
after womans best friend in a hay-stack and
the seller OF fish and 8 eenery is Of both sexes.
In the North these hucksters convey their
wares in well covered wagons down here,
not so much as wbeel-barrow shows itself
The negro. be it a male or female, has large
but shallow basket piled with vegetables or iu
ether instances, fish, this is poised upon the
head. and no matter how full it may be. is
firmly balanced. The negro goes on bis t1r
her way proclaiming the particular wares of-
fere for sale, and never seems to regard the
burden being carried any more than if it were
no, there. Aud now for tie street cries. =
Taese are peculiar ADD to a stranger in the
town as iutelhgibls as is Greek to Ho;tentot.
And vet, as the white huckster up Nor 4
mer,ly frames his trading words into a sort Of
nedley while on bis round, the negro-hawker,
here and farther South merely adopts for this
,urpose bis peculiar language to tune. He
and this regards both sexesj never says "buy."
but "buyah . Shrimp it c.l.sd @SEimp =