The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-02
TALL BUILDINGS.
Alex. E. Sweet. in Texas Siftings. l

If heaven is above us, New York i. growing in the right direction. saw 6 house yesterday that was fourteen storie. high, not including the cellar. The Astor House in former days was thought to be a good-sized building, but sur rounded as it is now by buildings almost twice as high, it looks like hole in the ground. The New York zimes building which is five stories high, was regarded as large edifce, and so it is, but the Potter building, which adjoins it, and is in process of erection, is more than twice as high, and it has not reached the root yet.
 You can always pick out stranger in New York by noticing those who look up at the tall buildings. When you see people walking along Broadway with their heads thrown back, looking up very much as an anxious hen does at dis tant hawk, you may be sure they have just arrived. When the Mexicaps from the Rio Grande. who have never seen anything taller than one-story shanty, come to San Antonio, they almost twist their necks eff looking at the three. story houses.
 A few days ago l was walking in City Hall park with two gentlemen from Texas, and pointing out to them the various buildings in that vicinity, such as the post-office, the tall 7yi6nne build ing, Temple Court building, the Potter building, and other imposing edi6ces. One of the Texans, Judge Burgle, of San Antonio, was very much astonished at the height of the tall tower on the Tribune and narrowly escaped being run over while looking at it with one eye closed. He was in the lead. Colonel Doodley, the other Texas gentleman, walking be- hind him, and bringing up the rear. The streets were quite sloppy, there being large puddles of a nice mixture of mud, snow and dirty water in about equal parts, called slush.
 Judge Burgle was walking along with bis eyes cast upwards. He was counting the stories audibly "one, two, Great Caesar three, whew four, Jerusalem l! how maay more? i've" he calculated, whistling incredulously, "six, blazes r etc
 The last ejaculation was caused by his stumping his toe on what San Antoaio reporter used to call "an abruption." The next l saw of him he was lying flat on his stomach in a puddle. Colonel Doodley was walking right behind Judge Burgle, but as his mind was wrapped up in the upper stories of the Potter build ing, he did not percieve the accident. He, too, was counting the stories, "one, two, three, good gracious four, I've never seen any that high in Texas five. we'll, it does beat anything ! six. GeewiIkins, don't l wish Governor Ireland was here. Wouldn't he open his eyes seven, snakes alivel eight, whew, don't that take the cake p
 Judge Burgle was on all fours trying to regain an upright position, as becomes a judge. Doodley came up from the side and stumbled over his companion. Dood- ley's head and the upper part of his body hung down on one side of Burgle, while his legs were on the other side. A sack of meal hanging over the fence will assist the imagination.
 Judge Burgle, who was still on all fours, thought an omnibus was running over him, and endeavored to straighten him. self up, gradually assuming the position of boy at leap-frog. As he did SO, Dcsdley's legs went up on one side and his head went down on the other, some thing like a see-saw. Higher and higher went Doodley's feet into the air, and for a few moments he actually stood on his head, when the judge strengthened him. self up until his body assumed vertical position. Then Doodley's head went into the slush, his legs vibrated irantically in the air, and then over he went back wards with loud "kerslosh" and a CIV of dismay into the slush.
 Iud0> PurulA Evn~A S~1 =. h:- l,.I.. strengthened himself, and, with loud | snort and look of wild dismay, glared around pretty much as Mexican pony | does when it hears a brass band for the | first time. Then, with hooked finger and | nervous haste, he yanked pound or so | of slush of his forehead and used strong | language. Colonel Doodley, after kick ing about on his back like mud-turtle in | a similar position, paving around on all | fours, at last assumed an erect position. l Both sightseers were SO covered with | mud that they failed to recognize each other. They had to walk all the way to | their hotels, followed by an excited | crowd, and shedding mud and slush at | every step, as no cab driver would allow | them to enter his vehicle.
 have noticed that the New York peo- pie do not laugh at a man when he falls. l They see so much of it, owing to the slippery sidewaks, that the sight of man l assuming fifteen different positions and l forty-three different expressions in two seconds and half, loses it's attractive ness. On this occasion had to smile a | little at the mishap of my Texas friends, but New York gentleman kindly told the 1 sufferers not to brush of the wet mud, | but to wait until it got dry and then | brush it of, which is very good advice.
 If that house at which the two Texans | looked had been few stories higher, l l verily believe the pilgrims from the Lone | Star state would have turned two sum- mersaults.