The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-01-03
Early Morning Sights in City.

It is interesting occasionally to arise
early in the morning and see the city
get up and shake itself into wakefulness.
Scarcely q sound is heard as you walk
out, but presently the street-lamp man
comes lodging along on rapid walk,
stopping at every point to turn out the
gas. He disappears around the corner,
leaving a track of semi-darkness behind
him, and then comes the paper carrier,
with great, heavy sack dangling at his
side, which he gradually lightens by
pulling out the damp sheets, one by one,
sticking them under doors, tossing over
transoms, and throwing through upper
windows with an unerring precision OF
aim quite remarkable. He lodges 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 to repeat the same man9uvre. After
him comes the grimy laboriDg man
with tin dinner-bucket, Fastening to
his work on the other side of town, hur-
rying by and paying no heed to the ine-
briated loafer embracing lamp-post,
and accosting him with:
"Uh-uh-ick Myfrenwat - uh-ich's
your hurry?"
Then comes belated milk-cart, rat
Ting over the cobble-stones with noise
nothing else under heaven can make,
turning the corner on one wheel, and
disappearing like an ill-fGunded hore.
The noise dies away in the distance, and
then comes an omnibus ON it's way to
the depot, regardless of dreams and
| visions.
In the all-night saloon two or three
Unlocking men, with breath like pesti-
lence, are standing at the counter with
half empty glasses, condemnine the
conduct of some absent one who had
done something scandalous, and event
back on his pards, who allus treated
him white, an would a. died to do him
q good turn" The barkeeper rubs his
sleepy eyes, looks uneasily at the clock
quite frequently, pours himself out
something very red, gulps it down with
watery eyes, takes a walk to the door,
looks impatiently out, slams it with q
disappointed bang, returns and says:
Brandy Bill is at his old tricks agin. !"
The others drain their glasses, after
many hand-shakings all round, and
when man with shocky head and
gift-book cover staggers in, and swears
he never drinks alone eff there's a
stranger of white principles in the
ROOM" and wants to know "what pizen
suits 'em best" he at once takes the
position of honor. and inhales more
foul breath in the shape of friendly
protestation than a mule would put up
with, without kicking the roof off.
At the hotels the scrubbing brigade
has commenced it's daily battle with dirt,
and the clerk yawns on his stool and
twirls his mollstache with the air of a
task.
A little later and The neWshoys are
ont. with noses rad a-with colo, Shouting
their Journals in quaYering tones, and
importuning every struggling passer-by
with q persistence encountered in nc
other calling. Then come the street
cars with yawning drivers, and now and
then a passenger, who rubs his eyes,
and thinks regretfully Of the recently
vacated couch. The footballs on the
sidewalk become more frequent and
less reverberating. In the market the
scene is lively and animated. The
torches flare and splutter in the wind
and at slight distance give to the view {
weird, fantastic look, but on closer ap
proach the abrupt outlines mellow down
aud fade away. The potatoes and cab
bages iostle the poetic element out o
sight, and the matter-of-fact ploddinf
!, faces of the venders remind you tina
life is sordid and stern.
The gray dawn rolls away. and tn
first struggling sunbeams chase eacl
other over housetops. Shop-boys ar
busy unbarring and opening up, sweep
ing out and getting things in trim TO
the days battle with profit and loss
Thicker come the passing feet; men an,
boys, girls and women, hurrying fortl
to take up the yoke of toll for bread
Stir and hustle soon take the places O
quiet and rest; the streets are noisy Wit
the roll of vehicles and the sound @
business. The great city has thrown OF
) her slumbers, and the cares and dutie
/ of another day are ushered in.-Cinci'
I natl breakfast Table.