Iron County register., 1880-09-02
Pittsburgh Peculiarities.


THE stranger unaware of Pittsburgh's
reputation for smoke might, on emerg-
ing from the Union Depot, imagine that
the city had been recently devastated
by great fire or that such fire was in
progress. The Pittsburghians justly
boast of their smoke. 1t pervades all
portions of the place and colors every
| thing one uniform hue. This gives it a
striking resemblance to London or Liv-
erpool. Externally, Pittsburgh is much
more English than Boston. The soft
coal smoke gives it the legitimate En-
glish complexion. Soft, unctuous SCOT
is constantly falling through the air. In
minute, round balls it Sits through and
lies upon the window ledges. Chamber
walls are of a yellowish-brown color; !;
the carpets fade out darkly; and you
are quite surprised at the dinginess of
the sheets, towels and pillow-cases. A
clean white collar in Pittsburgh retains
its purity about three hours. A dirty
face is not at all out of order. The ma
tives say that the great amount of sui
phur disengaged from the iron in the
smelling furnaces induces sleep. After
being shaved, the Pittsburghian barber
| always asks if he shall wash your head
and neck, which need washing once in
five hours. A big sponge is always kept
with ones private cup, razor and brush
at the barber's. As to dress, ladies in
cline to wells and dark colors for street
wear. Cause, as usual, SCOT. Locomo-
| tives and long freight trains penetrate to
the heart of the city. Street cars are
drawn by mules. Buildings as to color
are painted drab, gray, lead-yellow
color, dark bottle-green, and but few
white.
They smoke what they call "Tobies :"
in Pittsburgh, at two for five cents.
"Tobies - are of Virginia manufacture.
There are Y, XN, xxx and even
XXXX ales, but their performances do
not come up to the promise. AS else
where lager rules the roast. There are
chimney pots too, round and conical.
Aldermen hang their signs out thus /:
"John Burke, Alderman" and act as
Justices of the Peace, combining fees
and salary. The poke sun-bonnet is
much worn. Vigorous scrubbing of
door and window-sills goes on continu-
ally. They fight hard for cleanliness.
The Courthouse is built of the carbon
ferrous rock peculiar to the country. 1t
is badly scaled, well smoked without
and within, and filled with young pretty
female clerks inclined to regard
with curiosity and interest the
passer-by. Grindstones seem plen-
tiful. Some street-crossings are
paved with grindstones. The coun-
try below, on the Ohio River, is very
productive in grindstones. Portions of
the Levee are covered with heaps of
scrap iron. Old boilers, portions of en-
gines, shafting, tubing, pitchforks, and
every thing else great and small of iron,
are piled here in enormous stacks.
These collections embrace even wagon
loads of old boots and shoes, which, 1
am told, are by some German process
converted into sugar. Put that in your
tea and sweetenit. The vestibule of the
Pittsburgh Opera-house is long enough
for rope-walk, and wide enough
for first-class dry-goods store.
1t is hereabouts on Saturday and
other matinee afternoons that the
ulster brigade commences its form
|. alton. The ulster brigade Is comsed
of young Pttsburghians with tweed
ulsters on their backs and cigars in their
mouths, who line the sidewalks for sew
eral blocks and review the matinee au-
diences as they pass by. The Pittsburgh
LOWeI Cdu UcNcT De Vi SnOWy WHllcutSS.
In color it ranges from gray, dull gray,
yellowish gray, ashen gray and Whitley
brown gray. Its intrinsic cleanliness is
beyond reproach, but the mark of the
blast furnace chimney is indelible. The
Pittsburgh girl has genuine red cheeks.
These are ascribed to the iron and
sulphur in the air she inhales. There
also the bloom on childhood's cheeks
shines through wonderful incrustations of
dirt. A child's face in Pittsburgh needs
washing every hour. To wipe, how
ever, one of those minute dry balls of
SCOT with dry towel or handkerchief
from the face of a friend is only to leave
smudge of black, so far as the wipe
extends. These atoms hold an aston
ishing amount of coloring matter. The
Pittsburghians say that in summer their
smoke serves as parasol and umbrella,
protecting them from the suns rays
Prentice Mukford's Letter to San Fran
cisco Chronicle.