Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-10
BETWEEN OURSELVES.

If St. Paul has not got to be so crowded
as to need an elevated railroad, it can
show some elevated sidewalk among its
latest improvements, so elevated indeed
that if you are sitting on the first floor it
seems as if the passers by were walking
somewhere near the second story win
dows. 1t is disagreeable, confusing sug-
gestion of basement and entresos to which
the unaccustomed eye takes reluctantly.
You see we wanted young city engi
neer. We've got him, but indeed he's
got us, and he's determined to make us
all in St. Paul walk the plank as he has
had it staked
There is nothing in the world 80 arbi-
trary as the street grade of this town. 1t
is more variable than woman and more
given to ups and downs than tickle
fortunes.
Your discomfort in this instance is be-
cause well wasn't let alone. The old
walk was good enough. There is vastly
worse about town which knows no hint
of any change, except from bad to the
superlative of it-when an ancient gen.
tleman with superannuated wheelbar-
row containing few samples Of plank
creaks along, and puts down a patch
thereof with precision of clumslness
depressing to see. He is sparing of city
lumber, and he isn't going to waste
whole length of plank when scrap will
stop hole-even if it does make the I'M
wary stub, and stumble, and swear over
wrenched or defaced shoe leather.
There was vague, sentimental feeling
of regret in seeing the old sidewalk torn
up and sold for fuel, and what not.
Up and down this street for four
observing years the multitude
has walked. Some figures are
so identified with the throng before that
if they do not pass at their usual hours,
speculation is started as to their non-ap-
pearance.
Many have made their last appearance
| on any boards, and lie out yonder in the
cemeteries beyond the town. Off the
boards, and between four of them---a
mysterious and grewsome exchange.
Their narrow homes of clay have two
advantages. They know no grade, and
time is the engineer, with inclinations of
| dwelling turn as far as they yare con-
cerned, and, if, for the nonce he should
run any nefarious grade by them, they
are perfectly unconcerned.
| Says Victor Hugo of Paris: "I've left
something of my youth, my heart and
my affections in it's Streets" and Heine
with his wondrous touch condenses Lon
don for US. II have seen the greatest
wonder which the world can show
to the astonished spirit. l have
seen it and am still astonished---
and ever will there remain fixed indellibly
on my memory the stone forest of houses,
amid which flows the rushing stream of
faces of living men with all their varied
passions, and all their terrible impulses of
love, of hunger, and of hatred"
So, if these old planks now ignomini-
ously carted away could speak, what
moods and emotions they'd Voice of the
crowds which have worn them out with
the ceaseless fret of their feet.
! In cold and heat, the grief, detection,
sin, innocence, happiness, want, wealth,
health and feebleness-these old boards
have borne the tread of mortals in all
phases of human experience.
A street will generally take on the as
pect of ones mood or feeling. How well
Dickens understood this when Pip, in
Great Expectations, speaks of the offices
and houses where he had left petit
tions regarding Magwitch, the con-
vict. "In restlessness and pain of mind,
1 would roam the streets. To the present
hour, the weary western streets of Lon
don on cold, dusty spring night with
their ranges of stern shut-up mansions,
and their long rows of lamps, are melan-
choly to me from this association
Each day of the week seems to give
the street look peculiar to itself from
the refreshed housekeeping Monday
morning walk of men and women to
their work, to the jaded, listless jog of
Saturday. Sundays the throng is d.
vided into church goers and pleasure
seekers, and the street has a holiday air.
! Moonlight attracts the loiterers, the
emancipated from domestic thrall, and
the enamored. On they stroll, uncon-
scious of all the drawbacks of this late
/ lamented sidewalk of ours.
Firm seeming, but treacherous boards
send them up or let them down. Invidi-
Gus nails plucked skirts their way, yet
the :'outers'' are mostly careless of ca
tarrh, rheumatism and minor accidents
while on the street. More literal yet, a
goodly representation is, with an enviable
elasticity of spirit wholly unconscious of
the impending big washing of Monday
morning which must commence in the
wee sma' hours, If the calculation is to
have it over by noon.
Sentiment and observation must now
have change of base with this new
walk. For obvious reasons 1t behooves
pedestrians to be well ctGusse, to have
whole and fine fitting stockings, and ire