St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-08

hour that is darkest is the one that
comes just before day !" and suppose
that is the reason why the gas compa-
MES, who contract to light the city
streets from dark to dawn, always turn
out the street lamps just at the COM
mencement of that hour. At all events,
that is what they do, and in conse-
quence more deeds of violence are per-
petrated at that hour than at any other
of the twenty-fOur. 1t was at that time
that the unfortunate dignitary in ques-
ton was walking along an uptown av-
enue when a man sprang upon him from
a doorway, stabbed him several times
with long knife, and made good his
escape in the darkness. The motive
tor the assault is a mystery, for the
victim is not known to have any enc
mics, but is one of the most popular
men on the Board. By what the doc
tors consider almost miracle. the vic
iOus knife-thrusts failed to reach a vital
spot. In view of which l may be par
dOned for regarding the occurrence as
not wholly lamentable for now that
one of the City Fathers has experienced
in his own sacred person the conse-
quences of having the public streets in
such a condition of O6scurity as to in
vite and screen such offenses, we may
look for a reform which the mere butch
ering of two or three of us common folk
would have had little influence in
bringing about.
One of the questions now before our
heavily-taxed City Courts is as to
whether the elevated railroad has any
rights which bill-poster is bound to
respect. The latter member of society
seems to have his bump of reverence
but slightly developed. Nature and
art have no intrinsic beauties to his eye.
The only points in the works of either
which appeal to his professional per-
ceptiOn are prominence and superficial
area. The ash barrel, the fence, the
curbstone, and even the dead wall of
the unOccupied house fall easy victims
to his vandal emissaries. But such
achievements fall far short of satisfying
his vaulting ambition. He yearns to
paper all architecture, and is only re-
strained by the strong arm of the law
from covering the brown stone fronts of
Fifth avenue, and the marble palaces of
trade with the flaming boasts of the
circus proprietor and mutely eloquent
celebrations to "Vote for Pat Finne-
gan"
Carried away by his consuming pas
sion, the character of which l have thus
briefly portrayed, the bill poster hailed
with tiendish delight the erection of the
iron columns, which support the ele-
waited road. He rubbed his hands with
glee as his hungry eye peered down
their apparently endless vista. He
manned his myTmidOns with pals,
brushes and dodgers, and sent them
forth under cover of night. The morn
ing broke. The deed was done. The
railroad officials were at first dumfOund-
ed but soon found voice enough to
swear by the lip of the kangaroo that
they would have redress. So they
rushed into court, in the person of their
attorney, Mr.. David Dudley Field, and
are now pouring forth their tale of in
dignatiOn and of woe. The case will
probably be tried next week.
Edison is sick. The young genius
who seems to have been taken up by
the country, and to be used by common
as the type par excellence of
modern inventive ingenuity, is, if com
mon report is to be believed, so devOt-
ed to scientific research as to be I'M
mindful of sanitary laws. Most of his
late electrical experiments have had to
be conducted at night, thus depriving
him of sleep, and he has furthermore
been indulging in his propensity to
work IN his laboratory, sometimes
the night, cOatless and hat
less, utterly Oblivious of falling Their
and barometer. AS natural |
"the Professor" as the
papers idiotically persist in calling him,
has been lying abed for some days with
4 commonplace face ache and unrO-
swelled head which have COM
PEELED him, for the time being, to take |
more interest in hops and vinegar than
in the electric light, and to employ the |
to grind out at his bedside |
those vigorous expressions which are
necessary to relieve his mind but to
which his temporary excess of "cheek"
prevents him from giving vocal utter
ance. The inventors troubles are,
however, not regarded as serious, and
he is expected soon to return to that
den of his, from whence come
forth his astounding cOntrivances-I
VI WI iut W
that the progress made within few
months past in rendering practical the
use of electricity as the general illumi-
natOr is very great, and that may have
to say about it before long.
Many thousands of readers have been
made happy by the reappeaTence of
the Daily Witness which has for some
little time past has been issued only as
a weekly. The daily will be under the
of Mr.. John Dougall who
has done such wonders with the circu-
latiOn of the Weekly. The Witness is
a clean, pure aud enterprising journal
and deserves its success. RADIX.
The Vermont Soldiers.