Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-10-30
NIGHT on THE BIG BRIDGE.
What May BE seen and Heard There
Experience of the Night Police
-Shrieks for Help from the


River.
The sights and sounds on the New
York and Brooklyn bridge at night dif.
Ter from those of the day. saws Tn,
NeW IOrE Tribune, as much as the
great are of electric lights on that aerial
highway differ from the glare of high
noon. Countrymen by the hundreds
drift idly across the structure between
sunrise and sunset every day. People
visiting New York for the first time
lingcr long on the bridge They look
at the hurrying crowds who rush along
the prominade going westward to New
York IN the morning and eastward to
bed and board in Brooklyn at night
fall. They hang over the parapets, let
their glances range over the two great
cities throbbing with busy life, mark
the rapid tide of the East river flowin0
under their feet with the fleets and
flags OF the world lying at the wharves,
ply the wearied policemen with count
less queries about the bridge, and then
when they return to their homes they
talk to their friends and acquaintance
for hours concerning the stupendous
structure. But they have seen only one
side of life on the bridge. 1t is after
the electric lights havesupplanted the
day, when the apparently endless
string OF vehicles and funeral process
sions that have been rumblng across
the roadway for twelve hours has
Al wi M Lodi to
riage that the second side of life Oh
the bridge sets in. The steady roar of
the cities ceases to jar on the ear; the
last traveller homeward to BrooHlyn
with weary look on his face and
thoughts of supper in his head has
passed hurriedly on. The mighty arch
is now given over to family groups and
to lovers.
The last to leave the bridge are the
lovers. The young fellow and his
''beSt girl will let blissful companion
ship trench on sleepincss every time.
They form a pleasant feature of evening
life on the bridge, these lovers. Solitary
among moving crowds, his muscular
arm encircles her waist and she trust
fully submits to the caress. Nobody
notices them. They are too common.
and i'll that belief is their great solace
and assurance. But, though thew love
to linger, by IL o'clock they are follow
ing in the wake of the vanishing domes-
tic circles. The benches under the
towers become vacant. Perhaps some
lone youth fingers upon them to read
again in the white glare of the electric
ity missive, well-thumbed, dirty and
mis-spelled. The policeman looks at
him pityingly and passes on to his little
cabin where his can of coffee SINNERS
gently on the oil stove. Poor idgit,"
says the policeman softly to himself,
hes eatin' his white bread now" The
policeman gets 81 Il day and has to sup.
port 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 fervOr.
Midnight sees the last lover gone
from the bridge. At that hour the DO
licemen are changed. The members Of
the night squad that then comes on
wear different expressions from those
of the day men. The stony stare and
curt reply of the day policeman, who
delights TO freeze the marrow in the
bones OF countrymen seeking informa-
ton. find no imitators among the night
patrol. The night man walks with any
passing foot traveller so long as the lat
ter will be beguiled. When the foot
travellers cease to amuse, there is usua.-
ly an animated dialogue going on be-
tween the policeman on the promenade
and his neighbor down on the drive
way. These intellectual exchanges of |
views have a wide scope, and embrace
religion, politics, philosophy, and the
price and quality of the various brands |
of chewing tobacco. There are no |
jumping cranks to worry the soul and |
tax the vision of night policeman.
But there is no lack of incidents to in |
terest the night Waterman. A reporter
crossing the bridge ut o'clock one /
noticed policeman leaning
over the parapet in listening attitude. |
The reporter stopped and listened. |
Family on the night air he could hear
cries that seemed to come from far up
The East river. about opposite Have
meyers sugar refinery. A woman was
Murder! Murderr Present
y the cries ceased.
What is itP" asked the reporter.
"Some devilishness going on down
On the river" muttered the policeman.
I'VE often hear cries of people in dis
.ress out on the river. We are helpless
20 do anything up here. BY and by the
cries stop. and that is the last of it.
we see man go down to the
lock. We can see him plainly by the
light jump into the river. If he ever
ont him