The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-10
THE STREET BRIGADE.

Every great event develops its heroes.
To illustrate this, or to list the heroes
would require volume. The French
revolution brought forth its Robes
pierre, its Danton and the dauntless
Charlotte Corday. The late rebellion
in this country brought from the
lagoOns and jungles. of the south a mar
velous horde of champions for liberty.
Their idea of liberty involved the right
to secede and, in SO doing, break up
this government Conditions were diff
ferent in these two great events, but
they furnish the illustration that the
event supplies the hero and the heroine.
The condition today is one Of turmoil.
Unrest prevails among a certain class,
who exercise the largest liberty in air
ing imaginary grievances. The escape
valve is found in the street discussion,
and the discuSSerS swarm like lizards
on the sunny side of flatboat- The
sidewalks are encountered from early
morning till the dusk of evening. The
ears OF the passer-by are RECALLED with
choice anathemas and epithets such as
"the American people will never sub
nit" 1.-THE creditor class must be put
down." etc, etc. "Goldbug," gold
barons," "plutocrats," "Wall street
sharks and shylocks'' fly from the
heads of tn crowd like sparks from a
blacksmith's anvil The congregated
jawsmiths are no less diligent than the
industrious village blacksmith of long
ago
Each morning sees some task begun,
Each evening sees II close;
Something attempted, something done,
He has earned a nights repose."
There is, however, this distinction:
The artist in iron goes to his meals
three times daily. The jawsmith of
our thoroughfares wastes no time on
such inner comforts. Whether his
table is supplied, or whether the time
is so precious in his eyes that he can
not leave his post Of duty, is not
known. There may be varying condi-
lions here, but 1t is observed that he
talks early and he talks late. Even
the sweltering heat from n mondays
stroke is common among all classes of
overworked people. The malady, it Is
known, attacks the brain, which may
account for his feeling Of security from
sunstroke. The patrolman saunters
by with a tell-tale look Of apology in his
face, saying by his manner that he
would be elsewhere IL his beat was in
another ward. Ladies draw tmidly |
near, halt q moment, look for an open |
ing in the crowd and make desperate |
rush toward the first vacancy, only to |
be jostled by the ever-restlesS crowd, |
lucky indeed If they escape without |
soiled apparel or ruffied tempers. The
cyclist spins gaily down the street
needless Of men, women, family car
riages or loaded wagons, but calls a
halt at the street brigade. He figures
The problem that even an irresistible
force must stop before an immovable
body, and wisely leads his wheeled
biped around the unconscious gather
ing. This may be one Of the uses OF
The street brigade, and, as such, II Is a
Wind nor weather, time nor seasons,
acts nor fancies, nor even the immut-
able virtues OF truth and justice are
Obstacles TO this new style Of outdoor
'ratory. What cannot be subdued
must be endured. but the hope that it
Viii cease with the November election
Inspires the suffering public TO poet
bone suicidal tendencies for two
months longer.