Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-01-14
Alefau0rla 0azette
MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY


Labor's Aristocrats.
''Kctch me driving cart hauling ice for
seventy-five c,nts day No, stree Not
much, if know myself!' said man with
dilapidated suit of clothes and soleless boots.
"Dat's So. No more would I. It'd hardly
be nuff for whiskey money" chimed in a col
ored individual, dressed 10 worn out military
suit and a fur cap. from which the hair bal
long since departed.
IF wouldn't cut ic, for dollar day you
bst [ won't drive for seventy.6Ve cents; Id
rather starve first. said the most poverty
stricken individual 10 the crowd which was
gathered the other day around fire on lot al
| the extreme cad ef North Thirteenth street,
above Dauphin, where it has been built over
hollow by the dumping of ashes and other re-
| fuse. The spot is one of the most extensive
dumps of the city, and the men whose oon'
Ycrsation is related above formed part OF twenty
or more people of both sexes and colors, who
with picks and rakes eked out miserable live
| lihood by rescuing from the ashes small pieces
of iron and other metals, rags, paper etc. There
bad been lull 10 the arrival Of carts and the
motley group vas gathered around the fire
! waiting Tor the next cart "a the other side
of the street was pond and large force Ct
workmen we're busy cutting and loading up lc9
which was hauled away ln carts to the neigh
boring breWeries-Very nunerous-Where 1t Is
used for refrigerating purposes
Erected on the face OF the hill end partly
dug into the earth were two huts, one on eth
er side Of the street, partly huts and partly
caves-built of odds and ends of every descrlp
ton, the roofs covered with clay and the front
plated with old tin roofing. These were used
by their owners TO store whatever Valuables they
were fortunate enough TO discover in the ashes.
The proprietor OF one of these cavern huts,
colored individual made almost white by the
dust aud ashes collected On his tace, was arrapg
ing an entrance to his place with large piece
Of tiu roofing Of which he had been the lucky
finder. His hut was fitted with stove. the
pipe rising out of the hillside as the only object
that would Indicate the whereabouts OF the
babitation, for habitation it was, as its owner
sometimes lives there Tor Weeks.
On the ground were spread piles OF rags laid
out TO dry, old boots and shoes and other CLEAN.
ings of the ashes on which the owners kept
close watch.
The cclored man completed his arrangement
of the old tin roof and joined the group arouta
the fire and the talk went %, chieh7 reatiugto
the low rate Of wages and the scarcity of work
and the difficulty of "a man getting deceot
iob" In the group were men and women Of al
ages. There was decrepit old Irish couple, a
stout, hearty psir Of Italians, and odds and end;
of other nstionalities. Some few urchlns wero
present, but their endeavors were chiefly. d.
rected to the finding of prizes in the toy ald cat:
ing line the refuse and sweepinas O. all kinds CT
warehouses being constantly dumped on tho
spot. .
The arrival of cart Il ded with barrels Of
celeeneous debris caused scattering OF tho
crowd around the fire. the delyers into the ashes
tow nd Z Hard K,
work went the picks, a1d in short tlne tho
latest arrival was deapcie ed of its valusbles. The
man who had so earnestly protested against
working for dollar day found stopperless
decanLer in the refuse, and strslshtWay made
over the lots to not distant groggery, returning
in short time, wping his mouth with the sleeve
of his coat, while his less fortunate companions
looked on in envy, and initiated his motion to an
imaginary drink.
To the fire the whole crowd, once more re.
turned, and again the theme Of ofconverSation was
the scarcity Of work, ths lownoss of wages aud
the moanre;s of employers, while across the
street, within fifty feet of them, there was en-.
ployment st least for q time in cutting and
slowing sway the ice Phil. Record
"Owen Meredith" otherwise Robert BuIwer,
Lord Lytton viceroy of India is hard worker.
He sits up often till 2 o'clock 10 the morning
talking matters Of State policy with members
of bis government. The conferenoe ends with
a request on the viceroy's part for a dispatch
that same day, and this meaus that the official
has 10 sit up perhaps couple of hours moro 10
order 10 write tho document Lord Lytton
has excellent powers Of conversation, and tells
q story beautifully, aud no one ever heard him
tell the same story twice. lie has been dip
lomat 10 many capitals-was, 10 fact, ver
table Ulysses by the time be was forty. One
gift be lacks, that of making himself agreeable
to every one. At a reception he will deVot"
the whole evening 10 one or two persons. and
allow tho rest to 60 unnotioad. Indy Lytton
goes far to atone for his deficiencies 10 this re
spcct The niece of the late Earl of Clarendon,
and wife Of the Iodian viceroy, is q charmingly
agreeable womao.
AN APPROPRIATE HYMN.-At tho reo.nt
dedication of a Baptist church Ia G,neses
county, N. Y, the ceremony of immersion was
performed for the first time 10 that church by
o well.kucwn Baptist mioistcr. When he had
entered the water, aud while waiting Tor th3
candidate, the minister suggested that some
body should sing ar appropriate hymn. Ooe OF
the descous, who stood near by, heard the sug
gestiou, and, without thiuklng, struck up the
familiar hymn, Poll for the Shore" The
hymn proved to be so suggestive that neither
the minister uer congregation could refrain
from an audible smile for somo time, and the
ceremony had TO be postponed until the
preacher could recover his gravity.
POSTAL CARDS The total number Of postal
cards issued during The six months coded s''
December 1877, was 9S. .422, 800. an ,ver r1Iso .S
of II, CTS, 500, or nearly % per ceI The nso v"o
issues for the corresponding peril. NJ ptu,
vious year. This fact is an o.So Il issuea 'nr or
revival Of business as the feassr the Issues uss1 G
postal cards the last sea- gear 81 me me-, pfevI
ous ou var was oO1y litte less tb' . per cent
Lieut.. Fipper, ibe co!orej jop ~ ara otoi grad
.a,e and Ba;j. +. ButIeren The RI Ri p9.a G.n' a.
tachcd to a colored reg s NV 1elo Urande.