Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-01
A LOOK AROUND.

A BUS filled with men rumbled down
Smithfield street yesterday afternoon.
| The men were in gray uniforms and people
stopped to stare at them. There was shout
up the street and the clatter of flying horse
hoofs-it must be patrol wagon or the
Chief Of the Fire Department! No. 1t Is
| merely cab coming at speed and the
driver IS seeking to attract the attention OF
the bus driver. The crowd aids him and
the bus stops. The cab draws near, the
spectators hold their breath, a portly form
leaps from the cab and enters the bus car
rying leather bat case. The bus drives
off, the crowd sighs with relief. 1t must
have been pitcher at least. The cabman
looks at his honorium and smiles. Yes, 1t
must have been a pitcher.
The arrangement by which the clubs
of other cities are brought here to play Is
a good thing. 1t frequently enables Pitts
burgers to see how baseball can be played.
w. G. QUINCY, formerly of the Lake Erie
and now of the PitUsburg Connecting Rail-
road, was busy man during the war. He was
Roadmaster of the Baltimore ana Ohio Rail-
road, the most important connecting link
between Washington and the front. Mr..
Quincy tells many stories of interest about
those troublous times. Among other things
he says the road was constantly exposed to
attacks from guerrillas and trains would be
stopped, some of the passengers made prison
ers and the mail and baggage cars ransacked.
1t was next to impossible to guard against
these attacks, as they would frequently be
made at out-of-the-way points. At last
plan was hit upon which was successfully
worked until the end OF the war. On the
mountain divisions boxes were erected big
enough to hold a man and stove. These
boxes were in sight of each other and were
supposed to be occupied by track walkers
and track hands.
WHEN party of guerrillas made de-
scent at night upon the road, the trackmen
had orders &c not interfere in any way, but
to treat the intruders good naturedly. AS
soon as possible the trackman was to make
some excuse about looking at the rails, or
some similar pretext and was to walk out
into the middle of the road-bed and place his
lantern at his feet. This was warning to
the next trackmen on either side, and they
in turn passed on the flashing signal-quite
like the flaming cross of the Highlanders-
until the news reached the first telegraph
Office where the operator was at liberty, and
from whence word could be sent to stop
trains or summon assistance, as the case
might be. In daytime much the same sys-
tenn, barring the lanterns, was used. Tile
men employed for this dangerous service
we're all selected with a view to their idel-
ity and tact, and their practices were un-
known to the Confederates up to the last.
A STORY is afoat again that there is to
be a new Democratic daily pa per in the city
and that it is to be edited by Mayor Gourley.
The friends of His Honor deny the state
ment emphatically.
CITY HALL yesterday looked as though
there were a lot of conventions being held
in it. but the crowds were there to pay taxes
and water rents
THE Boston ball club has followed the
example of the President and has released
Clarkson.
How the East End asphalt streets swarm
with bicycists at dusk! Center and Fifth
avenues, Howe and cross streets like Neg
ley, Aiken and Morewood, suggest a wood
land pond in summer with long legged bugs
known Familiarity as devils darning
needless skimming along the surface. On
some of these streets early in the evening
as many as so to Is riders OF either sex can
be seen at once. The bicycle business must
be bonanza.
JOHN JARRETT seems to be busy man
these days. He always hurries along the
streets as though he wanted to catch a
train. He will no doubt be still buster this
fall when the campaign opens and tariff
talks will be in order.
PENNSYLVANIA Republicans having
agreed upon taking the Republican vote as
the basis of representation at State Conven-
tions should favor the resolution now be-
fore the National Committee making the
same terms apply to National Conventions.
IHEAR that Mrs Schenley and her fami-
ly will not be in London this summer. but
will spend part of the time at their country
place and part on the Continent.
A BOSTON man tells me he has bronze
figure OF John L. Sullivan on his front door,
1t is used as knocker very appropriately.
WALTER.