Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1881-01-22
4 Tcne s,oru Of the Streets.


The other morning. saws the San Francis
CO Post. two gentlemen were looking ont of
the window of house on Market street,
when they observed a cabbage roll of a
market wagon that was passing. Instantly
over a dozen well dressed and apparently
sane pers1 1ns began yelling after the wagon
as though the vegetable had been a gold
watch or thousand dollar bill The driver
stopped about falf . sluar oiI, looked back
at the cabbage yawned, and drove on.
What an absurd ius people IN the street
make over trivial occurrences" said one OF
the gentlemen. '' Now, I'll bet silk hat |
could get a crowd of five hundred persons
around that cabbage inside of tlirty min
utes. and vet not leave this room.
q take the bet. sqid his friend, pulling
out his watch Arc YOU ready
Yes; give the word
1T is now ll.30. Cor
The proposcr of the wager lei his friend
to the window. threwup the sash and taking
a cane, pointed earnestly at the mud-coyer-
ed cabbage with terrified expression.
Presently hack driver noticed the action
and began 10 stare at the vegetable from the
curbstone, and then a bootblack stopped
then a bill poster, messenger boy and
merchant
"What's the mlttcr?" inquired German
approaching the innocent base OF his nation
al dish.
Don't touch it! Look out there Stand
back w shouted the gentiemln at the win
dow.
At his horror-sr ricken tones the crowd fell
back. preciptatcly, and formed adensc cir
clearound theinnocent cabbage. Hundreds
came running up, and the excitement in
creased rapidly
Look out there" lrantically screamed
the better, waving his cane. Take tha'
dog away quick
Several stones were thrown at cur that
was shifting around the cabbage.
"Take care" said a car driver 10 police
man. who was shouldcring his way through
the mass. ITS an internal machine, nitro
glvcerine-or something"
Meanwhile the sidewalk was blocked, the
street became mpa,ablc, women screamcd
and rushed into the shops, and a storekecpcr
underneath began to tie bucket on the end
of long pole with which to pour water on
the devilish invention.
The crowd by this time numbering oycra
thousand, the two gentlemen moved away
from the window and sat down. I'm few
moments there was a Hurried tap n tn
door. and there appeared a man who had
been sent as a delegate from the mass meet
ing outside.
II should like to know, gentleman, what
the facts are, said he.
"What lacts?'
"Why, what there is peculiar about that
cabbage out there"
"Nothing in the world, was the soft re-
ply, except that it seem. to be surrounded
by about thousand of the biggest fools IN
town. DO anything else for you?"
The man reflected a moment, said he
guessed not and retired. Before he hand
cd in his report, however, Captain short
watch had dispersed the mob and clubbcd
two hundred and eleven separate persons for
creating disturbance
We are wearing that hat now
PrBLrsHrRs' FEATs.-Apropos Of james
r. Osgood q Co.'S quick work in publishing
Tennyson's new poem in 26 hours Mr..
Thurlow Weed has addressed a note to tie
New York 7j1Junc, in which he says: " IN
1917 a chance copy Of MoOre's Lalla RO0kh
was received in New York by ship from
London. The publishers, Mcssrs Kirk 4
Mcffle0. Ildttl III iil lt4t A'Ai't' va " i'.' '''
A. Mcrcen. a printer in Gold street, with
request that it should be READY for rubica-
ton at the earliest possible hour Mr. Mcr-
Glen filled his Office with pros-mcn, compo-
itor, and binders All worked with awill' (
day and night, and on the fourth day com
plctc copc, were delivered to thcpublisbcrs.
As there were no steamers CT rcga' arrarket
linesin those days, Me'srs Kirk x VI rcien
had the exclusive sale of Lalla Rock the
most popular poem published before or since
until p fortnight aitcrward. when another
shin arrived with Longman's London cdi-
tion. Tcnnyson's Poems is a book Of 100
PAGES. while Lalla Rookh' contained 300
nages. Considering the improvements end
facilitietin printing and binding since 1917,
that achievement may be regarded az cred
liable ~ the one now announced. ] was
then a journymau printcrfor Mr.. Mercicn,
did nv share Of the work and received my