West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-12-22
Early Morning Sights In City.


Ii is interesting occasionally to arise
early in the morning and see the city
get up and shake itself into'wakefulness
Scarcely sound is heard Us you walk
out, but presently the strcet-lamp man
comes dodging along on rapid walk,
stopping at every post TO turn out the
gas. lie disappears around the corner,
leaving track of scmi-darkncss behind
him, and then comes the paper carrier
wish a great, heavy sack dangling at his
side, which hegradually lightens bypull.
ing out the damp sheets, one by one.
sticking them under doors, tossing over
transoms, ana throwing through upper
windows with an unerring precision of
aim quite remarkable. Hedodgcs about
from one side of the street to the other,
aiming for this house, missing that, and
then darting over again To the opposite
side 10 repeat the same maneuver. After
him comes the grimy laboring man
with tin dinner-buckct, fastening TO
his work on the other side of town,
hurrying by and paying no heed 10 the
inebriated loafcr embracing n lamp
post, and accosting him with
Uh-uh-ick! Myfrenwat - uh -ich's s
your hurryT"
Then comes helated milk-cart
rattling over the cobble-stoncs with n
noise nothing else under heaven can
make, turning the corner on one wheel
and disappearing like an ill-foundcd
hope. The noise dies away in the dis
tance, and then comes an omnibus
ON its way 10 the depot, regardless OF
dreams and visions.
In the all-night saloon two or three
Unlocking men, with breath like pes
thence, are standing Mt the counter with
half empty glasses, condcmning the con
duct of some absent one who had done
something scandalous, and went back
on his pards, who allus treated him
white, an would a died TO do him good
turn" The barkeepcr rubs his sleepy
eyes, looks uncasily Mt the clock quite
frequently, pours himself out something
very red, gulps il down with watery eyes,
takes n walk 10 the door, LOOKS inn
patiently out, slams il with disap-
pointed bang, returnsand says: Brandy
Bill is Mt his old tricks agin." The
others drain their glasses, after many
hand-shakings all round, and when u
man with n shocky head and nose lii q
a gift-book cover staggers in, and swears
he never drinks alone off there's n
stranger of white principles in the
room," and wants To know "what pizcn
suits 'em best" he at once takes the
position of honor, and enhales more
foul breath in the shape of friendly
protestation than mule would put up
with. without kicking the roof of,
At the hotels the scrubbing brigade has
commenced its daily battle with dirt,
and the clerk yawns on his stool
and twirls his mustache with the air of n
task
A little later and the newsboys arc out,
with noses red with cold, shouting their
journals in quavering tones, and impor-
tuning every struggling passer-by with n
persistence encountered in no other call
ing Then come the street-cars with
yawning drivers, and now and then n
passenger, who rubs his eyes, and thinks
regretfully of the recently vacated
couch. The footballs on the sidewalk
become more frequent and less rever-
berating In the market the scene ~
lively and animated. The torches fare
and splutter in the wind, and at slight
distance give 10 the view n weird
fantastic look, but on closer approach
hle abrupt outlines mellow down and
fade away. The potatoes and cabbages
iostle the poetic element out of sight,
and the matNr-of-fact ploddiHg faces of
the venders remind you that life il
sordid and stern.
The gray dawn rolls away, and the
| first struggling sunbeams chase each
other over bousetops. Shop-boys are
busy unbarring and opening up, sweep
ing out and getting things in trim for the
day sbattle with profit and loss Thicker
come the passing feet; men and boys,
girls and women, hurrying forth TO take
up the yoke Of toll for bread. Stir
and hustle soon take the places of quiet
and rest; the streets are noisy with the
roll of vehicles and the sound of bust.
ness. The great city has thrown off heI
slumber and the cares and duties of an.
other day are ushered in.