Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-02

constitute a well-informed Pittsburger, and
he gives HI: opinion of his to-be patrons in
q blunt, candid way calculated either to ut
terly repel or 10 attract them. After CIV
ing typographical description of the city,
Allegheny town and the county Mr.. Jones
dwells on the degeneration of the people of
the time He laments that people in the
ordinary walks of life who had acquired a
competence by hard knocks and shrewdness
had their heads turned and almost every
family aspir I'd to produce a lawyer, doctor
or clergyman, so that these professions were
fast being filled by woode5 heads
Fashion had substituted for the simple,
healthful society and pastimes of the viii
lage, the hot-house exo:ics of pretension,
and women had became so designing and
mercenary that there was danger that the
male population would nearly all die batch
elors. The time had come when people were
estimated socially according to the length
OF their purses The chivalrv that had dis
tinguished society in the uncontaminated
time when tone was given it by Generals
O'Hara, Neville and Wilkins, had dis
appeared and in their stead were left a gen.
Grafton of money getters. In the Village
state the social virtues had been household
Grated TO Mammon.
Complains of the Lawyers,
According to Judge Jones the bar had
also degenerated. Judges Addison, Rob-
erts and Wilkins all came up to the authors
standard and Lawyers James Ross, Woods,
Collins. Campbell Mountain and Henry
Baldwin he saws would have shone at auv
bar IN Christendom, but among their sue
cessors he only recognizes among the % or
20 of his day Walter Forward and Richard
BiGdle as of the caliber of their predeces-
sors.
Judge Jones evidently did not write for
ephemeral fame, for he characterizes his
fellow citizens as very litigious for a church
going city, and deplores the expense of
maintaining the Quarter Sessions Court,
while he says the Mayors Court was largely
occupied in settling the disputes of the col
ored people. He criticised the architecture
Of the city, and saws the only edifce in it
worthy of mention was Trinity Church, an
engraving OF which forms the frontispiece
OF the directory. 1: was drawn by Rev. j.
II. Hopkins subsequently bishop of the
Episcopal diocese.
Low Salaries and Bad Government
In 1926 John NJ Snowden was Mayor,
saiary $500 year; Ephraim Pentland, Re-
corder, salary 5000 year; Treasurer, Will
lam Graham, salary $50; Street Commits
sioner, William Crawford, salary 5000;
Wharfmaster, Florence Cotter, salary one
third of receipts. The citv aboundcd in
nuisances, such as filthy streets, foul smells,
unlicensed swine and inefficient police, and
the only street lamps were the few that
twinkled over tavern doors, but the people
reveled In anticipation of the good time
coming, when the waite: works, National
Armory and the grand canals should be
completed. Judge Jones asks:
What have we gained by our growth in
wealth and population, in manufactures,
trade and all other things. compared with
the artless manners and delightful amuse-
Dents which we have lost? Chartered as we
are by an act Of Assembly, as a city corpora
tion, do we have the real questionable con-
Teutment with which our village predeces-
sors were blessed? Where are our pleasant
social tea drinkings; sturdy blind-man's
buff; our evening chit-chat, in which both
sexes participated, without q thought OF
visiting cards. making calls or preconcerted
ssaccidcnIal3:' Where are the strawberry
lunuinCs. the unclassed balls: the charming
proInenades, of which all partook with light
hearts, and careless of fashionable cere-
monies?
No Places of Amusement.
.Jow we have no places of even fashion
able resort or rather, places which polite
ard fashionable people frequent; where
pleasure might be sought and found, or
agreeable. Many of us are, as a direct con-
sequence often sadly at loss how to dis
pose Cf q leisure hour, which, by tie bye,
seldom breaks in upon the engagements of
ANY other class of our population, than that
OF the lawyers, who are SAID to sleep out the
vacations or the physicians, who are some
times during unfortunate seasons of general
health, compelled to lay aside their lancets
for lack OF argument" There would be an
utter deficiency of classical shades and
temples of literature and science were it not
for tie nominal existence of the University
Cf Western Pennsylvania, on the corner
of Thild street and Cherry alley 1t pos
sessesa very respacta bic faculty, thegreatest
proportion OF whom, however, seldom hll
their respective chairs. In addition 10 this
distinguished seat of learning, there are
nuIasTcus private scminaries where read
lug, writing and other ordinary branches OF
education are fsoG-ishing: a few debating
societies and the nucleus of 4 law society.
I've novels OF "Great Unknown" and
Cooper are read by all reading ladies and
gentlemen whenever they can be obta1ned.
But as we have no other circulating library
except that styled the Apprentices" and
the booksellers do not cater very literally
oor the lovers of light reading, the latest
dnu best works that come to lis are few, and
hilrc to accommodate many borrowers
tEat they grow Old long before their ad-
n'lircrs can perUsc them. No public reading
room is open for the reception OF those who
might prefer a literary lounge or rational
enjoyment tc the orgies of the gaming table
and the social, though more sensual, pleas
nres oi the tavern. All attempts to estab-
lish sG~ y an institution have been unayall-
ing, probably because our boeotan atuos-