The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-08

favorable The city was enVeiopeu III
smoke. All the buildings are black
with smoke. The rain was falling In
a fine drizzle, making thin layer OF
mud over the s,.reets. 1t has ralneo
every day for two weeks. The DIN OIL
hcrsecars and vehicles over the stone
paved street CTorngate) seemed deal-
ening. Numerous doors, dlsagreeaoie
in various degrees, pervaded the ar
and l fancied that just beyond the
solid stone buildin~s on the street
fronts, the earth was reeking with
filth Many of the people were ill-ciad
and dirty. We made our way with dlf-
ficu-Ey through crowds of humanity,
sarming Ike bees. On Saturday night,
the crowds at certain corners OF Argyle
street extended to the middle or the
road. | am sure that in places the
air was laden with the odor of whisky,
ard there were other indications Oh
widespread drunkenness. As we
passed up Argyle into Gallowsate
street, numerous barefooted women
and children attracted my attention;
and we were soon in quarters in which
dirt, squalor, and wretchedness seemed
supreme. A crowd attracted us 10 one
side street, in which a drunken group
surrounded a boy who was performing
a step-dance to music. Turning
corner some excitement in the middle
of a back street took US Ghither. Here
was a wretched, half-clad, bare
footed woman of perhaps 40 years,
lying unconscious, sGupefied with drink,
while the crowd vainly tried to rouse
her She was carried into a shelter,
Just as another throng came rushing
and shouting down the sidewalk OPP
poSite Crossing over we found nall
drunken youth who had somehow teen
stripped of nearly all his clothing. His
friends were hurrying him out OF signt
and were endeavorlng 10 dress him;
while he was pouring a stream Of pro-
family from his lips, which, for its
disgusting vulgarity, l have never
heard equaled. Words found in no
dictionary and yet too we'll understood
the world over, were listened to with
apparent Indifference, as something en-
tirely commonplace, by men, women
and children. This fellow had evil
IDENTIFY been detected in some very COM
promising situation, and his friends,
male and female, were trying to hurry
him off and to shut his vile mouth; but
each task was weil-nigh hopeless. A
barefooted lad of about six years was
selling matches, when another Of eight
tried to Wressr some of the matches
from him. The lads struggle and cries
in the thoughtless crowd attracted no
attention whatever, and l quickly
stepped over and shook off his perse-
cUhor. A little further on a tiny
''wean" Of not more than four years,
as I judged from her small size, was
likewise selling matches and was like
wise assaulted by a larger boy to rob
her of some of her matches. AS l
made for this spot, the ragamuffin
that was trying TO steal her matches,
ran off laughing. while the little tot
with the matches lodged through the
crowd, singing out in glee He got
name, he got name" (none). This was
on King street, leading into Argyle.
We passed along High street. Here
stood two young girls singing plain
lively, and in very good time and
tune, on the dark street. corner. for
pennies Further on a man SO drunk
that he could just stand up, was play
ing with much skill, a tune on a tin
whistle. Another was playing a
violin in the middle of the street. The
hurrying crowds looked on these sights
with sympathy; never, so far as l
could observe, with disgust or loathing
Passing into Duke street we met one
after another of the barefoot girls and
women, many of them intoxicated;
while several drunken men were vonit-
ing upon the street. One fellow was
stretched out sound asleep on a door
step. Two officers came along and
after a great deal Of shaking ard
warning succeeded in getting him upon
his feet.
They did not arrest him, but sent him
reeling along the street, hunting for
his home. Just here, too, stood young
woman holding to an iron fence, sick
from intoXicatiOn, and singing in a
very good alto strain: Il hear the voice
of Jesus calling They told me that
at II O'Clock all saloons would be closed
and THAI should 1 wait until that time
L would sse some sights that 1 should
not forget, when the proprielors began
to clear their premises of the drunken
hordes within. But had seen enough,
and went to our quiet lodging place at
$50 Barrack street.
The next day, Sunday, all was quie',
Even the street cars did not run till
found. The church bells rang sweet
Chimes, w1ile crowds o. " eI4-aressgtl
and good-looking people passed quietly
towards the various churches. Respec-
liability and good order everywhere.
What had become of the vast crowds of
poor people whom we had seen the
night before? Certain it is that they
were not on the streets. Perhaps the
fine churches are not for them, and are
intended to call no. the sinners, but
the righteous to repentance. AS d
socialistic genius wrote of the Lands
down u. P. church, which was built in
Glasgow at great cost for the late Dr.
Eadie:
''This church is not for the poor
and needy, but for the rich and Dr.
Eadie."
Yet the people of Scotland are, as a
rule, cllurch-goers; and while it may
well be that large numbers of the work
ing CLASSES and of the lower class were
simply sleeping off the effects of the
Saturday night debauch, the better
classes, with prayer book in hand, went
to divine service. Sunday is strictly OBJ
served here. Not even che Restaurants
are open. There is 10 "hoodlumism''
on the streets, and even whistling in
public, it is said, is a violation OF the
Sunday ordinance. Another trait ~ the
Scotch people is their kindly sympathy
for the unfortunate, and their courteous
pOiFtenesS and good will 10 strangers
Their patience with drunken man
is marvellous, while their hearts seem
to go out to the unfortunate CLASSES
that so much abound here. A stranger
feels at home among them. Ask a queS-
ton of any of them, from the highest
to the lowest, and you will get a pa
tient, explicit answer, without any i'm
pertinent uuestionings in return. Ask
the way to certain place, and the per-
son whom you ask is likely TO accom-
pany you thither, if the direction is not
understood. Neither do they expect
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