Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-03-07
City Hall Park) and poorhouse. and sc
along the Broadway, chatting like two old
friends as we walked

City Hall Park) and poorhouse, and SC
along the Broadway, chatting like two old
friends as we walked.
Twas a strange coincidence, ] thought,
when I found my companion was attached
to the Sprite, having been on board even at
the time l was telling false tale Of myself
in her cabin, he having been laid up below
through a wound received in duel while
in Philadelphia. A jolly, light-hearted. dis
sipated boy he was, but as rampant a wor.
shipper of royalty as has fallen to my lot to
meet.
He could tell me nothing of Mrs. Badely
and her ward, Gertrude King (the latter to-
ward whom l had an instructive leaning),
save that they had long ago left the schoon-
er and were in sumptuous quarters on Queen
street. Scammell's passion for the young
lady was no secret to him, and he made a
coarse joke at the expense of both, for
which could have wrung his neck.
But all were alike in those days, it seemed
to me, and not once did / hear a woman re-
spectfully spoken of, though the maligners
OF the sex professed readiness TO lie down
and be trodden on when in the presence OF
the least of the ladies of fashion Such q
fulsome aping of fine manners on the streets
and off; such back-bending and courtesy,
ing, froth, and hypocrisy; such affectaton in
speech and attitude; such utter prostra.
tion before the god of mode and folly as was
Lracticed by these puppets of the king in
this small copy of the court, never before or
since has it been the fortune of man to see
Insincerity, heartlessness, and an absurd
sensitiveness regarding so-called points OF
honor ruled the day. And these were the
spirits who were expected to subdue the
hardy yeomanry of America!
But this is neither here nor there.
Well shorn, with decent ribbon for nv
queue, suit but shade or two the worse
for wear, and sword at my thigh for eff.
feet, we set off for our destination. Belden
having washed his dirty face and generally
groomed himself
At this time Clinton's headquarters was
On the Broadway, at No. l, and opposite the
Bowling Green, being the same dwelling
wherein Washington had established him
self while the patriot troops occupied the
city.
Twas strange to me that the British com
mander should have hit upon this house, not
I.only because of its association, but from tho
fact that it was, with some few mansions
to the north, cut off from the rest of the
city by the broad swath of ruin caused by
the great fire of September, l776.
This condagra tion had started (Goc
knows how!) near the Whitehall, and, under
the tanning of strong wind, had burned
northwest, crossing the Broadway be;ow
Trinity church, and from there laying low
| everything clear to the Hudson and north
ward to nigh the city limits. Trinity went
| with the rest, but by some mercy St. Paul.
was spared, as well as Kings college [Co
lumbia college], the fire stopping just shor
| of Robinson street [now Park Placel, OIL
which stood the latter.
No attempt had been made to rebuild o,
even clear the ruins, and now twas dan
gerous neighborhood, as the offscourings O
the camp had taken possession of the who'll
area, and utilizing old walls, beams, anc
sails, had established a colony of violenc,
and filth, which went by the name of Can
| vastown.