The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1888-08-18
PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 18th, 1883.

The day of the baggage smasher is
here, but the current has set in for the
return of the trunk to its home. This
season has been bad one for the seaside
hotel. There has been no such unsat-
isfactory one for years, and it is ques-
ton if some Of the establishments will
not close with bad deficit.
With such rain storms as we have had
the pasl two weeks this city has been
kept comparatively clean. Yet the pre-
sence Of typhoid fever in our midst is Il
source of much comment, for the au-
thorities fail to discover the cause, al
though it is told us by those who have
Analysed both the Sehuylkill and Della
ware water that there is germs of sick
ness in both. The fame old question
arises which have written you before,
and that is where will we get pure water
from. This has been the subject of many
scientific essays, but the vast amount
which would have to be expended in
bringing the upper waters of the Della
ware to this city lessons the hope of an
early supply from that source. Since
nigh license went into effect, there has
been more water drank, and some say
that this is the cause. But if there is an
increase of typhoid among the saloon
people it probably arises from worrment
over the high license knockout some of
them received by the court. In fact
noticed many saloons with Grape out
about the time Of the license court exam
ination.
These are dog days. But this | think
Is a misnomer, for us far as dogs go we
have them here all the year named. In
fact the dog catchers are doing duty all
the time, and dogs are caught the same
IN January, running wild, AS they are in
July. Hydrophopia is as prevalent in
winter as in summer, and dogs bite 10
matter how hot or cold it is. But be-
lieve the law is, that dogs without muz-
zles are liable 10 be taken TO the pound
and there sent to the happy land of "ca-
nine"
The dog catcher is a funny fellow any
way. lie is an early riser, and has his
work done before many people are up,
and the net proceeds of his days labor is
measured by the pound, that is the dog
pound. The net these dog catchers use
is ON long pole and is carried aloft, when
not in the fray, by men who are mostly
descendants of Ham. They march ahead
OF the wagon like grim messenger of
death, when all at once they dart after
poor fororn dog who is unconsciously
smelling lamp post or slop barrel The
cage wagon wherein are deposited the
dogs, stealthily moves along the thor
oughfare like the carts that brought the
prisoners from the guillotne during the
French Revolution. Many bark has
been wrecked by the cyclonic swoop of
these net tossers, many poor dogs wine
has been turned into vinegar and gaul,
and his life curtailed if not blotted out.
The Pound in this city is ON the old
Lamb Tavern road, but the city is en-
croaching so fast in this section that will
soon have to remove. 1t is very un-
pretentious structure, as squatty as our
Custom House looks since the new Drex- |
ell building has been erected at Fifth and |
Chestnut. But this Pound is frequented |
by all classes since since the dogs that |
are captured embrace all classes of socie-
ty. The owners go there to redeem their |
pets and Il fine of several dollars is en-
tailed before you can carry off your dog.
The way they take the dog out of this
world is by smothering by charcoal
fumes, which is considered the most hu-
name. The dog that is redeemed is call
ed an ex-pounder and the dog that is
asphyxiated goes to make glycerine and
comforts for the farm. So you gee even
dogs can be of some use in their day of
adversely.
Our Park looks beautiful, and the sum
mer has seen thousands of families en-
joying the delights of this truly rural
suburb. Some years ago it would have
been hard to find to find family tax
ing Sunday for an outing in the Park,
but things have changed 20 that it is now
so fashionable that you can hardly find
a place to locate without you go very
early in the morning, or the night pre-
vious. This is something that speaks
well for the forethought of our city in
providing vent to the dcnizens of such
a large village MS Philadelphia is, and
which will ultimately show itself in tho
good health and manners other citizens
Peaches are coming in from your state,
but prices have been high. The next
two weeks will no doubt be the overflow
and then we may be able to lay in Il few
The carly reports Of Il large crop have
made US feel that We might cat rs many
as our appetite craved, and so we are
holding ourselves in readiness. There
are some things in little Delaware that is
spoken of as not being entirely free, but
as free things, her frcestone peaches can
not be improved on.
Politics in this vicinity is dull The
newspapers are doing all the talking, and
the people all the thinking. The hot
spell we had made the citizens feel like
going to the poles to get cool but as the
poles were not open they will have to
wait-till next November. when one or
the other Presidential candidates will be
froze out. SprYSy.
OOwantOwn Letter.