Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-11-15
NIGHT In A GREAT CITY.
MEN AT WORK WHILE OTHERS SLEEP
HUMAN HAWKS EARNING THEIR
NIGHTLY BREAD--PECUL-
IARITIEs OF LABoRERs
OF DARKNESS.


ulation which pursues its regular rout
inc of business by the light Of the sun
and passes the night in honest slumber
has little conception of what the streets
reveal during the "wee sma hours ayont
the twal After midnight, and from
that time till the peep of day, the wake
full wanderer finds the opportunities for
character study quite as favorable as at
midday, and is afforded a view Of the
city life in one of its most interesting
phases. To the student of human
nature, or the searcher after curiosities
in men and manners, the contemplation
Of street scene after midnight is more
edifying than at any other hour during
the twenty-four
At o'clock the streets, though still
preserving the appearance of life, arc
relieved of the crowds of belated people
who, an hour ago, were hurrying
in all MISUNDERSTANDING home
from theaters, clubs and parties-to
snatch few hours sleep before the
opening of another day with its attend
ant cares and worries. The stragglers
who tarIied to discuss the merits Of the
play or opera over snowy mounds of
ice-cream glasses of sparkling lemonade
or refreshments Of more stimulating
quality, have all disappeared, and the
night-toilers are left in possession Of
the field.
The great tall building, recently full
of busy life and swarming- with wide
wake humanity, now stand like gigantic
sepulchcrs in their gloomy silence.
From some high window "A single mys-
FERROUS light shines dimly through la
ticed blinds. The expert guesser will
tell you that if you could get your ear
to the keyhole Of that room you would
hear the click of ivory checks The
policeman PAGES his lonely beat; the
private Waterman moves along close to
the buildings, flashing his bull s-eyea in
to the dark corners and stairways, and
noisily shaking the shop-doors to make
sure that their fastenings are secure.
A grope Of boisterous bloods come
singing and shouting along the street,
hugging the delusing that they are have
ing a high old time, and swearing that
they won't 90 home till morning.
In the printing Offices, where the
morning papers are published, there is
no cessation of toll Hundreds of busy
bodies are on duty, comprising the
might gang" Of editors, reporters and
compOsitors. They are hard at work on
the paper that must be ready to be
placed in the hands thousands of people
the moment they awake from the sleep
which they are now enjoying.
Here and there, on the principal streets
in the business portion of the city, are
the "all-mght " restaurants, lmch-coun-
tiers, and saloons, under a full head of
gas-light establishments that never
close their doors, but display an open
front at all hours for the accommodation
Of all elias es. These are the GASES in
the desert of the night-workers life no
matter at what hour the wave Of hun
ger or thirst may strike him, he can
find what the inner man Graves. Here
the printer, the hackman, the policeman,
the gambler, and the miscellaneous in
habitants of the night accompany the
mastication of their repast with familiar
conversation and yam-spinning Socia-
bility is distinguishing mark of those
whose duties require them to be up all
night Caste is unknown; dignity and
formaity are dispensed with; there are
no different graees of society; they are
all night-hawks together.
At the hotels there is little evidence
of animation Entering the dimly
lighted rotunda the fall of your boot
heels on the stone floor reverbcrates
through the empty lobby The clerk
Tolls about in indolent attitudes, very
unlike the naughty and dignifed being
who poses behind the register during
the day The porters doze in the
shadows Back on the dark streets you
occasionally see solitary figure skulk-
ing through the gloom or emerging from
some unfrequented alleyway the figure
perhaps, of burglar or footpad, or
some other human bird of prey who
pursues his lawless calling under cover
of the night He moves with a stealthy,
cat-tike tread which long practice has
made habtual with him In this local
ity the policeman is seen only at long
intervals, and it is 10 trick to eyade his
yigilant eye Now and then, as you
walk along, you will see dark object
resembling bundle of old clothes lying
on stoop or in doorway On closer
inspection it proves to be the sleeping
form Of some benighted vagrant or
homeless newsboy.
Along towards three o'clock the
streets assume a more deserted aspect,
and for brief space of time utter quiet
seems to brood over the scene The
boisterious element has disappeared.
The jovial song and the rollicking laugh
are no longer heard The dash and
CHATTER of hacks and the rumble of
scavenger wagons have ceased to break
the stiffness. The whisky-maddened
wretches in the police stations. who have
done all they could to make the night
hideous with their wells and curses, have
at last quieted down, and even the hoarse
voices of the irrepressible tug on the
river is temporarily hushcd. There is
an oppressive calm, broken at long in
teryals by "A passing street-car.
The mght-workers are going home, a
few at a time, and groups of men col
lect on the corners to wait for their re-
spective cars BY $3.50 the exodus is
well under way This does not mean
total desertion of the streets, for as the
people of the night pass off the stage
the day workers begin to appear The
thunder and crash of the printing presses
jar ON the ear, showing that set of
workmen has relieved the reporters and
tvpe-setters in the newspaper Offices.
The butcher and milk-man are out with
their wagons, and go rafting through
the streets! Quick footsteps ring out
now and then on the pavement, giving
an indication of the rapid, rushing gait
at which the daylight crowd will so
through with the business of the day.
The Acknowledged Monaghan is seen
to emerge from his underground abode
and direct his footsteps toward the
nearest omen restaurant. there to enjoy a