Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-16
SCENES.
What q Reporter Sees at Midnight
The LodEers and the Arrested.

What q Reporter Sees at Midnight
The LodEors and the Arrested.
Occasionally, if not o~ftener, our be-
lated sensation seeker drops in at the
Adams street station.house at midnight.
There can always be found that sedate
and quiet gentleman, the station-house
keeper, Captain Forrest, and that old
California " forty-niner," uncle Jim Tor
rey. Uncle JIM" as he is Familiarity
called by everybody, and especially by
his friends, is n Of the best and most
entertaining story.tellers on the bluff.
de %recounts old California mining tales,
trips on the Pacific coast, his experience
with the Inflated grey.eyed man of des-
tiny, General Walker, with whom he
served in Nicaragua; tales Of the West
Indies and Gulf of Mexico, etc. Uncle
Jim commences a tale in a most EN-
phatic manner, such as "Thirty-four
years ago" etc., he having a wonderful
memory for dates and incidents. Every
half hour Uncle Jim walks back and
parades through the wards Of the prison
in order to see how his " folks are get
ting on. Often yon hear a yell or the
demoniacal scream of some drunken
woman issuing from the upper wards, but
Uncle Jim walks to the door, and in a
voice Of thunder, says, That's enough;
stop It'll" A muttered curse comes
floating back in answer, and silence
reigns once again. Now comes Captain
Weatherford or Sergeant Arrata back
from a grand round through the po-
lice districts of the city, whittier they
have been whistling up patrolmen and
issuing secret orders concerning the
capture of some thief or desperate.
fl LoDGERs.
These come in by twos and threes,
ragged and dirty specimens Of humanity
Of almost all %nationalities, races and
colors--a ragged regiment like FalstaA's
recruits, with whom he was ashamed to
march through Coventry, because they
had not a shirt and a half between them.
but who would find linen enough on
every hedge, il they had a chance.
These dodgers are called up. and give
their name, age, occupation and nation.
ality. One Of the strange facts in an
swering to nationality is the fact thai
every Irish'American, though he may bt
born in this land, says be is Irish. The
Germans, Swiss, Frenchmen, Danes
etc, born here say they are Americans
and they answer correctly. Not many
nights since a young Arcadian from tn,
wilds of Arkansas applied for lodging
and when asked il he was an American
i~ngeniously answered, mo, sir; | wa
born in Arkansas" He was logically
correct, as until within a few days pas
the natives Of our sister State did no
know whether they were Americans o
jewellers upon a government reservation
and regarded as nomRdic tribes by tn,
Radical President, Mr.. Grant. Tn,
dodgers are ushered into the Recorder
Court, where they lay them down I,
pleasant dreams. One nightly visito
is known as the steam engine
on account Of his snoring powers, h,
making a frightful noise, like unit,
the steam escape of a cotton com
press or a Mississippi river steamer
Such a discordant noise would drive {
musician distracted, and the scene woul(
remind you of hat famous picture b.
Hogarth, the "Enraged Musician
Sometimes a man from the levee comes
in aud applies for fifty men to roll cot
ton on a boat for pay The dodgers arr
ordered up, and on a call being mad
for men willing to work, out OF the fifty
present probably half a dozen express
their willingness to work, the rest being
professional beggars, drunken snoozer,
and lazy v~agabonds, who drifted int
the city from points up and down thu
river. When they come in too often foi
I lodging a startling order is announced
to those who have been lodging -four
nights-that if they return again they
will be locked up and placed on the
chain.gang. This order has the eHfec
of reducing the number Of applicant,
next night.
THE ARRESTED.
Here she oomes-a half naked anC
drunken negress, who has been 6ghtin,
and making night hideous On the streets
or alleys in the purlieus near Bayou
Gayoso. She weeps and swears that sh,
has never before been arrested, and i'm
ploringly asks Uncle Jim" to searcl
her for q razor-it coming uppermost il
the mind of the demonstrating ant
drunken woman that she has been "col
Jared on this charge. She is searched
for rAzors, valuables, etc, and is hurried
back to the cells. Another prisoner
comes in, sleepy drunk, assisted by two
| nalrolman who have 10 carry him n,