Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-11-19
OUR ROCHESTER LETTER.


lives better and brighter, while others have
drank Of the cup Of sorrow and pain.
Unmindful ~ all these private happen.
ings In The by-paths Of life, the same busy
throng press and surge up and down the
streets, 10 all appearances one day Is ex-
actly like another. To be sure, the stores
are putting on their annual holiday attire
In anticipation Of Christmas time. 20 near
at hand, when the hearts Of little ones all
over the land will be made glad and Joy.
Gus. But, after all, the man or woman
who is comfortably located In a small and
thriving town, or on farm, is far better
off and happier away from the glamor and
shadows Of the city.
Considerable excitement has existed
here during the past few days owing to
several cases Of sufiocation by coal gases
An old gentleman and his wife we're found
in an Unconscious condition, Wednesday
morning, from the effects Of coal gas
which escaped from a stove. The same
morning, in another part of the city,a gen.
tleman was discovered just in time to save
his life. The old couple died. Coal stoves
are,accordingly, receiving an oyerhaullng.
Rochester is TO have grand union de-
pot, TO be built by the N. Y. Il. X. Co.
just where II will be located has not been
decided upon. The citizens favor the
location now occupied by the company.
Dut the latter are inclined to removed il
fnrfbar oh III
question Of elevated tracks is still being
discussed by VIM. H. Vanderbilt and the
people of ROcherler In case elevated
tracks are adopted the depot will be built
on stilts so to speak.
The various campaign clubs are 10th to
disband, even now that the campaign is
over with. Two of the more prominent
organizations have determined TO contin.
ue and perfect their organizations, for the
purpose Of gaining a better insight into
politics, by weekly discussions on polite
al economy, and other political subjects
OF vital interest to young men.
A lew evenings since, the staff on the
local and editorial departments of the
Democrat commenced the discussion and
study OF NHeredity," and started a subject
which proved to develOpe the most fascin-
ating interest. The religious belief of
the staff are more varied than ever knew
of where dozen men are associated to-
gether daily, viz: Heather, Liberal Metho.
dist Sun WOrshiper, Agnoatic, Spiritual.
ist, Episcopalian, Baptist, Presbyterian.
Unitarian, Pagan and Inadel. Almost
nightly some point Of interest in their
various views, is brought Out and dis.
cussed.
Newspaper reporters, in busy city, see
life in all its phases. One hour iotting
down in his note book the proceedings at
some place Of pleasure, where mirth and
jollity reign supreme, the next finds him
at some railroad crossing where a rude,
careless, curious tLrOng gaze upon the
mangled remains Of some poor, unfortun.
ate, who had been dashed to death by the
ponderous locomotive; or at the hospital
watching the surgeons amputate the limbs
OF some mechanic crushed by rapidly
moving machinery. Returning to tho Of
tice from one of these sad scenes you may
be assigned To report a speech or sermon.
Many people wonder how newspapers
manage 10 find so many items of news.
but II is not strange when one knows the
inside workings Of 'local staff" The
most important assignment is that of
police and trains" Perhaps a brief ac-
count of its duties will be of interest to
your readers. This assignment has fallen
to my lot almost every Sunday since
have been on the paper and ! have learn,
ed Its in, and outs very thoroughly.
HetWeen the hours of 3 o'clock and 5
o'clock each afternoon number of i'm
portant trains from the east and west. A
large number OF passengers arrive and de-
part by them, and more or less excitement
attend their coming and going, and al
most daily good items of news are picked
up. At O'Clock the police station is Wis.
tied and those who may have been arrest
ed during the day are interviewed, their
names taken, and tho nature of the crime
Tor which they were arrested. At Z 80
o'OlnCk in the evening the reporter again
visited the station and remains until
about $50 o'clock The night police
coming from all parts of tue city, iot
down any happenings Of interest and give
them TO US when they come in. The night
men 90 on duty at o'clock and the day
men are then relieved. If anything oc.
ours they also report to US; so in that way
very thorough canvass of the city is
made. A sharp lookout is kept OF the
evening tram, the last one arriving from
the west about midnight, The hotels are
then visited, and the prominent arrivals
tahCn lIOLl tlC I6Blbl6ISi dlJCI WHICH
visit is again made to police headquarters,
where an hour is spent in pleasant con-
versation with Chief Mclean, Mikado,
the turnkey, and other officers waiting for
arrests. The news thus far CLEANED is then
written up. after which one or two visits
are made TO the station, the last one Just
before 4 o'clock a. m. "Police and trains
is a fruitful source of opportunities to he
come acquainted with the heart pangs of
a great city, and no class Of men feel its
pulse-beats any ottener than the reporter
| have often turned away from these
things with a sad and sorrowful heart,
glad of glimpse at the brighter side of
life,
The week of prayer is being generally
observed In the various churches. paTticu-
larly by the Y NJ. G. A. A general re-
ligiOus revival is anticipated in this city
during the winter.
Since election business has picked up
wonderfully. Merchants are wonderfully
cheerful and agreeable, while the thou.
sands of people who daily throng the
stores and shops, enter into the same good
feeling. VIM.