The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-22
A Chip or Two
Here and There.
GATHERED BY THE "TRAMr. f"

Our friend Mr.. Tom kins, or whatever
his name is, IS still in search of his wife
and his jag goes with him to keep him
from being lonesome. The city relieved
him of $3.50 yesterday morning, but did
not dampen the ardor of his pursuit for
his missing wife. He was on his old beat
yesterday afternoon and it is likely that
the city will get another So 80 from him
this morning. A closer inspection of Mr..
Tompkins' personal appearance removes
all wonder at the action of his spouse. if
indeed he ever had one. He says now
that his name is not Tompkins but Early
General Jubal A. EARLY. His jag is
getting in Its work.
Bicycling around the city is just now
rendered unpleasant by the dust and
wind, which are things that will come
and must be borne-but although that
black dog on Salem avenue, near the cor
ner of Henry street, is one of the things
that also seems bound to come, there ap-
pears to be no reason why wheelmen
should grin and bear it. This dog is Is
regular nuisance to bicyclists He rushes
out and snaps at their heels aud tears
their clothes and gets cut of reach again
before they can get at him. Many good
ways of getting rid of him have been sug
gested the easiest of which is shooting;
but as man some time ago was fined for
neutrality-suspicious. mans dog, which was Il
nuisance, no one is ready to do the deed.
However. the day will come.when some
one will put an end to this particular ca
nine, deeming it just as cheap to pay the
fine as to buy new trousers and seek new
religion.
There are street crossings in the bust
ness part OF the city that are continually
blocked by standing vehicles and people
especially. Ladies', are otter forced to go
aound them in crossing. The crossing on
Commerce street between Campbell and
Salem avenues is the principal one. There
is no reason for this. Ladies do not find
1T particularly pleasant to..walk out in the
street, especially after the sprinkiing cart
has just been along and everything is
muddy. Much Inconvenience would he
saved if the officer on this beat would
happen along occasionally and request the
drivers to move their carriages. 1t might
also be we'll to say that these drivers are
sometimes rude and refuse to move when
asked to do so by people wishing to cross.
A gentleman owning house on Frank
lin road 3. W., which has been vacant for
two OF three days, went out yesterday to
look after his property and found that the
house had been broken open and defaced
by small boys. All the fixtures that could
be removed from the bath room were
spattered with eggs found by the Toys in
an old hen nest on the premises. OF
course the city cannot undertake To pro-
tect all such vacant property, or property
that is not vacant for that matter; but il
policeman were to wolk through the
outlying parts of the city occasionally he
might at least get an idea as to whether
people were suffering by tue depreciation
of these vandal small boys. There are
portions Of the city where All officer is
never seen and many people are asking
why it is. 1t is a miracle that there are
not more ouJrages committed in these
sections than there are. Is it the city's
good record in this direction that makes
police protection appear unnecessary, or
is it the hard times?
Not every one is gifted with mechan:
ical term of mind, nor is every pnsserby
good at guessing; hence the numerous
specnlauions why the plate over the open
ing in the sewer. Of all places in the
world, where directly over which people
have to walk, should he perforated. The
disagreeable odor mt the corner of JelTer-
son street and Seventh avenue 8. VS. Fem
anates from one of these sewer man
holes, in the cover of which there are
about dozen holes. What are these
holes for? Certainly not for drainage, rs