Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-10
TIL CUsTOM.HOUsE.
Excitement on Yesterday Over n
BOring Of n Few Post AugeE-HOles
on the AluH-A Big Sell.

Three white men, assisted by four negroes,
were engaged in taking fore and back
sights with a straight wand or stick and
IN measuring of distances With q tape
line. These operations soon attracted
attention, and the big hole and deep
gully or ditch, which form a dangerous
nuisance, we're ignored for a time. 1t
was soon rumored that a government
engineer, the government supervising
architect and a lot Of. government en-
ployes had commenced work. Breaking
dirt ives first in order after the engineer
and architect had laid off the compli-
Gated lines and oFner
Our commissioner repaired to the
scene ADD took notes The crowds
which assembled on the corners of Mad
ison and Front streets at a very respect.
full distance from the government scien.
tista INDUCED in many comments. You
could hear the following remarks every
few minutes: That fellow must be a
foe eugineer-he uses no instruments in
sighting. He is now laying of the
ground plan mo" replied another,
he is emily laying Of the lines for a
building to accommodate the workmen
and store the tools in" You are mista
ken, answered a third, be is running
off post-hole lines to build a fence
around the grounds"
BREAKING GROUND.
By this Time four stalwart negroes
commenced digging post-holes with au-
ger and shovel, but this only increased
the excitement. Our reporter was ap.
preached by Eve gentlemen who asked
him;
DO you know hat government engi-
neer?"
Aud on being answered by our repre-.
sentative, No, aud l do not care to
know him" the inquisitor replied:
Well, l am out Of a job and want to.
set a position as tine-keeper, watchman,
gate keeper, or something else that will
pay we'll"
This patriotic and national spirit our
representative commended, and stated
that probably the engineer had made all
his arrangements for filing such posi-.
tons. Three of the Ofice.ssekers de-
manded Of our maA if be thought that
Colonel Casey Young would have any in.
auence with the engineer, and on being
answered afirmatively, the searchers
after positions intimated that they we're
going OF to hunt Colonel Billy Carroll,
Marshal Waldraa and Hon. Casey Young
at once, aud get from them recommends
tons for office.
B~ULLDoZING OUR REPoRrER.
When they left another batch of work.
ers attacked our reporter asd desired
him to introduce them to the engineer,
who, By that time, was sitting down on q
chunk of wood out on the bluff. Our
mar politely declined, stating that the
distant engineer had not the honor Of his
acquaintance, and ss there vas no mu-
tual friend present to introduce him he
THE LEDGER mani could not, under the
strict rules Of etiquette, perform the in
tGoduclery feat.
IT'S a good thing to work for the gov.
ernment, isn't it?' inquired q red.facsd
worker after Office.
Undoubtedly, answered our commits.
s%ioner. You get good pay and have
nothing to do when you hold Office under
Uncle Samuel"
Many work-seeking souls became in
dignant because our commissioner would
not introduce them 70 the engineer, who
about that time was leisurely walking
from the bluff toward Madison street, as
it to visit some adjacent gin milland in
vest a nickle in lager. As the engineer
passed up Madison many remarks we're
made. He is a id ugly looking man,
bui looks IS if he knew bis business,
said one. you can bet your money he
i,a scientific chap" said another. Il
wonder who is acquainted with him" re-
sponded a third, while a fourth said, I'm
going to fellow him and ask him for a
job"
Il ~DENoUEMENT.
When these things had come to pass,
aud the oiioe-seekers had departed on
their various national missions, our re-
porter walked out on the bfalf aud, &C
costing a p,st-hole digger, desired to
know what all the work was about. The
intelligent African, who was delving into