The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-10
DRIFT WOOD or A HUMAN TIDE.
what . Reporter Saw at the Crossing OF
Two nusY Streets.

Two Busy streets.
An observant philosopher once said that
a busy street is a reflex OF the life OF q city.
Such mirror Of ever-changing scenes and In
cdents is the junction OF Broadway and Fulton
street. Standing there ono day. the reporter
kept his eyes. ears. and notebook opon. and
this Is the record OF the passing hour:
Street torn up at the crossing. and rough
ratings erected to prevent pedestrians from
tumblng into the excavations. Eight out Of
every ten men grumble or swear at the Board
OF Aldermen and the steam heating companies.
Bootblack stands at the corner whore there is
puddle Of soft and very tenacious mud, and
shouts. Shine. shine 'em up" Pedestrians
with despatched clothes and mud-encrusted
boots brush by sngiily. or glare Mt the urchn.
District Telegraph boy. with long rubber leg
gings drawn over his trousers and rubber
boots on his feet, splashes into the middle like
u duck and makes more pedestrians angry.
He takes out n flve-dolar gold piece and flips
it up in tho air. catching it us it falls. Seems
Next comes u very black negro boy. with a
very white felt hat on his head and his hands
H. ms ne sS3ps s Unps ofH a
excavation. hurts his hand. swears. and goes
off with another tune.
lifts n small derrick on to his shoulder, turns
around to 60 down Broadway. and knocks the
Gnu Oh tle utTTlCk 'ut DeTDy nat Oh u
small man in hurry, Man stops, takes Of his
hat examines 1t critically. rubs his head rue
fully is appSsased by the la6o te clumsy
Juvenile Hebrew takes a stand by the curb
stone. and dangling imitation bandanna hand
should 70 mitoud u nice han'kerchie':. Only
don cents erpiece-dree vor cowwater."
hs @nhSs r
ing his arm to u young lady in blue silk. stops
the, passing vehicle. lift. her oyer the gaping
boozy man staggers along; collides with al,
awning post. and his hat falls into the mud
hind by the moving throng accidentally takes
an unexnccted bath. and gets up uns!eadiy
Policeman looks on st9lidy and d, m1iionlesSsi
lose several hours in Police Court by making
Young lady In. brown. with a red retcue on
her arm. bears down gracefully toward the cor
ner from the ferry. Asks tho reporter sweetly:
ONCE ." inforlna! Ion cheerfuiIy given. and
What over there on. dear how ever shall
too foarfully muddy for anything" Reporter
about to offer his services as guide when stall
down with terribe frigidity. exclaiius, as he
substitutes his own elbow for the reporters
viii yer permit me ter c2nd;.ct Yer ,ereross,
pears in the entrs,ice Of the granite pile.
eve Seconds elapse and then man W.T. VIII ia a
s Sar lss nave s
little article in tho world. You Just take The
thread like this. pass it down over, the catch
ed No family should be- without this article,
gentlemen. Bachelors who wear buttons will
have another Only few more left to-day"
Spruce young man comes out OF hat store
with a new SIX tile Brushes II carefully I'd
mires the sheen of its satin finish fits it on his
| head precisely. and then walk proudly up Park
| row. Reporter recognizes him rs u young Re-
publican who won bet on Clevelands election.
Tie new hat Is "A strong evidence that the cleo
ton bet has been paid.
strong boy rushing along to tho corner bangs
big heavy pile oi evening newspapers upon
tho news stand and disappears.
Stranger comes along and asks tho news
you tel mo tho wav to Hoboken Ferry o. Goes
toward Barclay street on receiving Il response
Small boy in,hes out of IL store in Fulton
street with bundle. Slips and goes sprawling
on the sidewalk; picks up the bundle, and is
spe, osvhen he is overtaken by bareheaded
man. with pen behind his ear. who runs, out
way again with bundle and n bill the latter
important detail having been forgotten before.
orntrn once deteSti , Is tho next Gnre IN
and Keeps an eye on young man with specta-
clos and white tech, CHECKER u the crowd about the
like u div nifty student. and seems much inter-
ested in the Egyptian war news headings De.
appearing to nay the slightest attention to him.
Eidrr,y gentleman appears around ne cor,
| n'r, IL banS'u against tne news stani ny mo
| crowd drops his gold trimmed spectacles picks
them up and finds the right crystal cracked in
two places and hopelessly ruined. Owner look ;
very much rs il he would like to swear but he
doesn't NJ simply folds the glasses up and
nnbottonins his cont shoves them carefully
into his waiscont poe ket. ana waits f,T chance
to cross the street and enter the Aston House.
Next comes along another young man with
another peddlers tray. beaked nose. and pro-
nounced nasal accent. He cries: Collar bud
dngs: dree vor fife; susbentars field soies /;
yust der dlng yer winter. Dwenty-iife Zcnt."
cnng Of bells the ring OF horses hoofs the
rumble of heavy Wheels the shout of many
voices. and u iiro engine d..shes past. All is
confusion and uproar Many persons follow
the engine. Some moments later the throng
turns III the direction of another changing bell
and watches the wagons and stage, n nd trucks
turn out Of the street for an ambulance.
C!erlcRi- looking young man with Spcctacles
new, in the excitement aud is promptly coll
Jared by the Central Once detective for having
his land in the coat pocket Of AN absent
minded man. who. is greatly amazed when
shown valuable cigar case that the clerical
look ing fellow had. The latter is profuSe in
explanations, but the detective, deaf to all APP
pcals Tugs him of.
Darkness is growing and the street lamps
have been lighted, and umbrellas are up. for it
has begun TO rain. The umbrellas conceal in
dividual faces. and blot out tho most interest
Ing feature Of the panorama Besides it is
dlsagreeablc to stand in the rain even under
an awning. and the notebook is pocketod.