Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-11-06
MIGHT cd THF aIo BRIDGE.


encc OF the Night Police.
The fights and sounds on the New
York and Brooklyn bridge at night diff
fer from those of the day as much as
the great arc OF electric lights on that
aerial highway differ from the glare II
high noon. Conntrymen by the hum
dreds drift idly across the structure be-
tween sunrise and sunset every day.
People visiting New York for the first
time linger long on the bridge,
The last to leave the bridge are the
lovers. The -young fellow" and His
"best girl" will let blissful companion
ship trench on sleepiness every time.
They form pleasant feature of even
ing life on the bridge these lovers. Sol
itary among moving crowds, his mus
cular arm encircles her waist and she
trustfnlly submits to the caress. No
body notices them. They are too COM
mon, and in that belief il their great So
lace and assurance. But, though they
love to linger, by II o'clock they are
following in the wake of the vanishing
domestic circles. The benches under
the towers become vacant. Perhaps
some lone youth fingers upon them to
read again in the white glare of the cleo
tricity q missive, well-thumbed, dirty
and misspelled. The policeman looks
at him pityingly and passes ON to his
little cabin where his can of coffee sim
mers gently on the oil stove. 4Poor
idgit," says the policeman softly to him
self, 4he's eatin' his white bread now"
The policeman gets So day and has
to support wife, mother-in-law and
eight children out Of that. He pities
the young fellow out ON the bench. But
the young fellow doesn't care for the
policeman. He cons the letter with the
faulty photography, and his ardent af-
lection for the writer grows with in
creased ferver. gsas5ff,a M
Midnight sees the last lover gone from
the bridge. At that hour the policemen
are changed. The members Of the night
squad that then comes on wear differ
ent expressions from those of the day
men. The stony stare and curt reply Of
the day policemen. who delight to freeze
the marrow In the bones of countrymen
seeking information, find no imitators
among the night patrol. The night
man talks with any passing foot trav-
eler so long as the latter will be be-
guiled. When the foot travellers cease
TO amuse, there is usually an animated
dialogue going on between the police
man on the promenade and. his neigh
Dor down on the driveway. These in
tellectual exchanges of views have a
wide scope, and embrace religion, poll
tics, philosophy, and the price and quail
ity of the various brands of chewing to-
bacco. There are no jumping cranks
to worry the soul and tax the vision of q
night policeman. But there are no lack
OF incidents to interest the night watch
man. A reporter crossing the bridge al
3 o'clock one morning noticed police
man leaning over the parapet in q lis
tening attitude. The reporter stopped
walking and listened. Family on ths
night air he could hear cries that seemed
to come from far up the East river
about opposite Havemeyers sugar re
finery. A woman was screaming
Murder! Murder!" Presently the erie,
ceased.
What is it?" asked the reporter.
"Some devilishness going on down OF
the river, muttered the policeman. "W'
often hear cries of people in distress Out
on the river. We are helpless to do any
thing up here. By and by the cries stop
and that is the last of it. Sometime
we see man go down to the dock. W.
can see him plainly by the light jum]
into the river. If he ever comes out w
never see him. New York Tribune.