The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-12
BEALE STREET SCENES.
HOW THE rHoRoUoHFARE LOOKS
ON SATURDAY NIGHTS.
Animated Streams Of Humanity Flowing
in Opposite Directions, Bent on Treat,
Trade and Traffic-A Human Kaleido-
scope-The Market. House.

scope-The Market House,
Esteemed reader, did you ever visit
Beale street on Saturday nightp No?
Well, YOU are to be congratulated, for
rare and picturesque treat is in store for
YOU. You can't begin to take 1t all in
during the course OF one evening, but 1t
will pay YOU TO 90 twice and oitener. 1t is
study in life, n chiaroscuro study II you
will but all the same study, full OF in
tercstng features and kaleidoscope in
variety. The street itself, the peculiar
mixed style of It's architecture, its crooked
Topography and the curious tumble 1t
presents OF prctcntious buildings looking
down in lofty contempt upon the mean
shantics that surround them, these
things alone are worth visit hut the life
OF the street itself, the cosmopolitan char
acter OF its inhabitants, the dense mass OF
humanity that bars the progress OF pedcs-
TRANS on its sidewalks, the multiplex
character OF the shops that line the popu-
lous thoroughfare, the understandable va
ricty of goods that ill the shelves OF the
shops; all these present points of interest
which the obseryant student OF nature rs
well rs the curiosity seekers will 10 well
% examine.
Begin ut the Main street corner about
8oclock on any Saturday night when the
weather is pleasant and walk astward.
Take the north side, that will give you
a better view Of tho miserable row OF
shantics on the other side, and their
curious contents Ready made clothing
piled on counters and stored away in
shelves in promiscuous confusion will
cause you 10 wonder how the shop.
keeper ever succeeds in finding III for a
customer ON such rare occasions when a
NJ may be insisted on. Strings Of shoes
Of assorted sizes hung midway across the
interior partially obscnrcs the piles OF
calico and domestic heapcd up with reck
less contempt Of order are visible IN the
background and give evidence OF the thrift
and prosperity Of the owner But you have
no time TO linger here; other more inyit.
ing sights await You further on. Pass by
the cheap barrel house., where a small pla-
card labeled Drinks 8 cents" describes
the character OF the commodities sold with
in, pass 10y the candy store, where water.
melons nv the dozen are stacked up In n
huge pyramid on the sidewalk, and push
your way through the surging stream Of
humanity until YOU get to the market.
As YOU elbow your way along YOU will
notice that the character OF the buildings
improve ~ Won 20, and that three or
four. In architectural beauty and in finish
OF interior appointments aud orderly ar
rangcmont Of goods, would do credit 10
Main street. All this time 10 per cent Of
the pedestrians you have met have been
Of the colored race, the men mostly ar
rayed In their shirt sleeves, the women
carefully auayed In their showiest gar.
menis. Some Of the men loiter around
the numerous saloons in good humorcd
groups, exchanging merry tests, and cvi.
IDENTITY ~ happy ~ the celebrated sun.
flower Ut which the minstrel sings
Others, sometimes alone, but moro often |
accompanied 10y a female adviser. are trad. |
ing at the innumcrabe shops on the |
street, hut the great majority are Just |
gaddlng along. sightseeing, aud iostling, |
aud continuing their purchases, when they
do purchase, TO a slice oi water mhgun'
or a snack Of catfish.
Al the entrance 90 the market swarthy.
hucd Italian, with job lot Of bananas. Is
crying his wars cr-a.blnana, u
cents a doz." Next 10 him crowd is
gathered around the man with the lung
testing machine, which is operated through
q rubber tube at ! cents q blow. tilt
letters on the outside OF the machine In.
dictate that a lady with sound lungs
can blow 80 cubic feet ON the machine
while a man ough, Ia swell mp To 80 cubic
inches. There appears Ia be a coniriyancc
10 limit the expansive power OF some Of
the lungs that tackle the instrument,
otherwise some Of Thorn would blow II ont
d sight
You are now nj the door Of the market,
and the fragrant smell OF green corn and
other lrcsh garden products invite YOU to
enter. You will probably have sufficient
seli.conirol To rsis, the invitation Of the
man who IL selling soda water from a
fountain that came over IN Nuah's ark.
lie also keeps candy oi morc modern
date.
Once In the market YOU meet a higher
average Of people Every class Of society
IL approximation tho wealthy natron
who can afford 10 have n servant Ia carry
her purchases in n basket 10 the prudent
and economical wife ct the wage Garner.
who either carries her marketing herself
or compcls her licge lord 10 do H. There
you also see young ladies. accompanied by
servants, selecting daintics aud suhsian.
tials for a lucious Sunday dinner The
stock 10 ~clcct from last night was more
than ordinarily tempting. consisting OF
hHAhNah'f XVII ANANH Nif'h AIiIilNnt ffltfN.
oyster plants, snap beans, butter beans,
musk'mclons, grapes, sweet potatoes. to-
malocs, hccts, garlic. grvcn aud r,d pep.
pr onions, chickens aud cggs
A, the east end II the market YOU can
buy handkcrhicis. soap, buttons, pocket.
books, lead pencils. chfomos, tin and
ctockery ware, hair pins, matches and
shoe brushes A step uttwo further south
and you run ioul Of lunch stand. where
hot iiied catfish IA served fresh from line
pan 10 eager patrons There are ~ many
OF these lunch counters that /, takes two
thirds Of the north side OF the market 4,
accommodate them. and last night the,
were all busy serving ont their rrdolcn,
wares. Ih--c rude lunch.houscs do /,
thriving business. aud In colorcd cirr.s \
n quite the thing inr bcaux 90 take then
swccthcaris out and treat them o. ir,sl
catfish with dessert Of ice cream. alwayi
kcp, on hand by the cnicrprsing prupric
Tor Of the smack tables.
II h now time o. turn back, and yor
will probably find the meat market whicl
runs the entire length OF the building. al
most completely deserted the demands o
the trade being usually supplied by IA,
various butchers Who deliver ui,st ,p =,