The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-02-07
GALE on sNEEzEs.
Pepper Piled in Front OF a Warehouse
Produced n Chorus Of "Cachoos.


carroll.
| Everybody was sreezlng in South street
] yesterday. There was 4 prolonged Ca
! chee,' from Market to Houston street.
/ The longshoreuien blew mighty blasts as
/ If the trumpet bearers OF Gideon were on
| parade. and tine truckIuen could not swear
eonsecutively. Beginning with Marke,
street there were tnree sneezes to the
/ first block. and the ratio doubled every
/ block after that until the cause OF the
disturbance was run TO earth In thOusv
/ ands OF pounds OF pepper in bags piled
on the sidewalk around the storage
warehouse OF briggs & Son. at South and
jefferson streets. There had been fire
| there several weeks ago. and the stock OF
pepper is selling like hot cakes. II was
the warmest fire sale which has been
held for months.
The truckmen were trying to get the
bags away. They handled them very
gingerly and used no hooks. They lifted
one end OF a bag and sneezed. They
started TO say something evil ed said
"da-choor' the Interpretation of which
expression is entirely unknown.
There were such quantities Of pepper
that they wept over the greatness OF
their task. Every sack meant at least
twenty sneezes. with rudimentary swear
words sdndwched among them.
There was a blockade in the street yes
terday afternoon and tTuckmen. and
horses were held al the mercy OF the pep
per-laden cir. Great tears chased one
another down the noses OF the horses.
and salt and peppery drops coursed down
unaccust0med channels on the checks OF
the drivers.
And the queerest part OF it all was that
few except those who were handling the
pepper seemed to know why they were
sneezinE. Children went home 10 their
parents loaded with sneezes. which they
emitted with the rapidity Of repeating
guns The drug stores did a fiourlshing
business in troches and hive syrup, and
many n yoUngster was sent to bed
swathed in hannels that he might get RID
Of that horrible cold"
The pungent fumes from the sacks on
the sidewalks surrounded the passersby
as with a mantle, and sent them bowling.
weeping and sneezing on their way. The
sneezes were so persistent that young
sters living in the neighborhood, after
they had sneezed twenty times or more
in rapid succession. were punished for
annoying their parents by saeezing "on
purpose"
The aroma Of the condiment strayed
along South street and, mixed with sun
dry cdOrs Of mixed ale, produced a most
delightful "Mulligan" breath The long
shoremen and roustabOuts who were not
too near the source Of supply caught the
subtle ard agreeable combination and re-
joiced much and cheaply.
This" said the man with the cotton
hook TO the individual in blue jumpers,
"is what / call being on Sneezy street"
The sneeze area extended out into the
river, a'A passengers on the ferry boats
sneezed until the lOnged for Brooklyn
and rest Several hundred chickens
which were being removed from a coast
ing steamer which had just arrived were
almost instantly decapitated by the pene-
trating odor. They had sneezed Of their
heads
The atmosphere, constantly agitated by
the passing trucks and vans, became 80
not that several persons were on the
point Of taking advantage Of such a sea-
sonable opportunity for the purpose OF
fainting A midsummer helt. / was in
formed by one Of the Mulli1an family,
prevailed in the immediate vicinity of the
warehouse.
Several residents Of the neighborhood.
/ learned last evening. will complain TO
the board OF health .or relief from the
nuisance. The custom officials who were
in charge Of the warehouse last night
were walking around the block, filling
the atmosphere with waves Of vibration.
They are a hale and well seasoned race
by this time
The pepper viii be removed in a few
days.