The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-25
SOME OBSERVATIONS.
A Fine Example Of Cheek Mixed
With Genius.

The colored boy who goes around the
streets with banjo and companion
with guitar as accompanist, is really a
genius. He can play the mouth harp as
we'll as he can the banjo; he plays it up
side down, sideways, crossways, length
ways and with his nose. He puts Il light
ed cigar stump in his mouth fire end fore
most and plays the harmonica until there
Is nothing left of the stump but small
piece of ashes and a mouth full of smoke.
With the banjo he can do any thing. And
as for cheek, 1t would be hard to find q
comparison, though he is polite and al
ways respectful. He has way of drop.
ping in with his banjo under his arm, his
hat in hie hand and the inevitable "Goo(l.
mornin,' Cap'n.' Did you send for me?"
Then he will sit down and begin to tune
up. II you run him out it is all right; he
goes away with the" Good,mornin, 'Cap'n,'
land the same look on his face as if 1
had let him play his play and had paid
him for it. The other evening-he WAS
called into the Ponce de Leon by phono-
graph man and requested to play unto
the instrument. He started off with "All
de coons look like to me-" and wound
up with "Hot Time in Old Town TO
night" The reproduction was perfect,
but 1t was treat to see the negro's face.
He stood for about three minutes with
mouth open and not muscle moving,
gathering up his belongings he departed
with Good evenin.' Cap'n; lemme do
dat over three times an she'll run
Smoothe.''
An observer has remarked that there is
enough old wire laying around loose ON
the streets of Roanoke TO build fence
around the city or to make coops for all
the chickens whose wont it is to spend
what spare time they may have in some
body else's yards reaping where they have
not sown and gathering of that which
they put not down. This may probably
be n little exaggerated but it is true that
there is great deal of old wire about the
streets. 1t trips you up and cuts your
feet when you walk and gets wrapped
around the carriage wheels when you
ride. To bicyclists it is as much nuts.
nnce rs broken bottles, tacks and rough
crossings. 1t gets rusty and so much the
color of the roadway that it cannot read.
lily be seen, and what it does for a wheel
and often for the rider may be said, ex
cusing slang, Ito he plenty" There are
all sorts of wire. Little, keen sharp, rusty
dirty wire, large vicious, snake-like
mean wire, barb wire and last of all tel
ephone wire The last mentioned is
mostly the clipping from the new tele-
phone wires, and should be removed. 1t
is dangerous to horses feet ami to bicy-
cles. There have been lots of wire pull.
ing in our city-why mot attach some of
the best pullers to this branch of nuis-
ance abatement and see what they can do
with it.
We do not know whether we should
take unto ourself credit therefor or not,
but notwithstanding Franklin road is be-
ing fixed. We certainly had the honor of
calling attention to its very bad condition
and we wish to disclaim having had any
foreknowledge of these improvements.
This is said in self-defense,as certain evil
minded persons whose spleen and charity
do not balance, might say--that we found