Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-08
THEY WANTED TO KNOW.
How a New Haven Man. won,,a Small Bet.

New Haven Register.l
A gentleman passing by an unat-
tractiye show window the other day
stopped and began looking at an old
fashioned square clock exhibited for
sale (price Sl.75). 1t so closely re-
sembled the time piece that he had so
many times gazed upon with affection
in his old home, that he began to ex-
anime it, musing meanwhile on the
many scenes of his boyhood days that
would come back to his memory. He
seemed so absorbed in what was be-
fore him that another gentleman pass
ing thought he would take a look, and
likewise came to a standstill in front
OF the window; an old woman, going
by with a basket, had her feminine
curiosity aroused, and partly to rest,
sat down her burden, and, adjusting
her shawl, turned her eyes in the d.
rection of the big square clock a
couple of small boys, rolling hoop,
next stopped to see what was going
on and all the time the nucleus Of
the gathering was undoubtedly rumi-
mating on the happy past, uncon-
scious of his surroundings. In about
five minutes a crowd Of twenty
five people from the different
walks in life had halted be-
fore that same window, all eager
ly stretching their necks to get a
peep at what was the central object of
view. The crowd grew larger each
succeeding minute, and the man in
side rushed down to the back of the
store to black his boots and smooth
down his hair, in anticipation of a big
rush Of trade and the original cause
Of the commotion was still revolving
in his mind the joys of his boyhood,
utterly obliyious of the rapidly gather
ing multitude, who by this time had
begun to push and crowd each other,
in order to see what was the matter.
In a moment more the clerks in the
stores near by had started on a dead
run for the spot, and the fever spread
ing, five hundred or more, men, wo-
men and children, all broke into a
canter, bound to reach the scene of
disaster in time to get a good seat.
Every team that came down that street
refined up, and in less time than it
takes to tell it, the street and side
walks were one mass Of surging hui
manity, horses and wagons, yelling,
swearing and fighting, and the first
man that stopped was still indulgingi in
"reminiscences of the days of his pasto-
raj simplicity. just then policeman
strolled in sight, and, noticing some
thing a little unusual, became a little
nervous and somewhat mixed, pulled
the fire alarm hastily, and another
guardian of the peace down the other
corner of the block let drive in the
same way, pulling in an alarm from
another box. Whang, whang, whang,
went the fire bell, box ALA, and
every other conceivable number. The
fire department started out in three
different directions, with the entire
town at its heels, yelling, " Where
the fire p and the black smoke from
the steamers, and the rumbling of the
heavy wheels, with the gongs and bells
Of the hose carriages and hook and
and ladder trucks, made up a bedlam-
attic compound of rackets that would
have awakened the dead, if it were
possible but the man that was the
prime cause of all the hubbub had his
eyes fixed unmovedly on the object
that first attracted his attention, APP
pqrently dreaming of the golden days
Of the past. After a time the confu-
sion came to an end, and he walked
off, having won a bet of five dollars
that he could stand still and draw a
bigger crowd than any walking match
in the country,