The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1906-06-20
CoLuMBUs. OHro
june 10. 1906


street scene: 1 saw all kinds Of
humanity. Street oars, horses.
wagons. carriages. automobiles.
pass in one grand panorama before
me. 1 saw the millionaire, and
beggar. brush elbows. The Gen.
tiles j ,stle the jew. The chris
tian minister walk beside the inf.
del The black. the white. the
brown. the yellow races all in one
hectoraneous mass
saw the diamonds fash on
lads,s hand as her carrisge went
sweeping by. Across the street I
saw a woman. from sunny Italy,
slovenly dressed, With packs en-
her back that would break horse
down.
/ saw yonng man with the
stamp of health in form aud face.
go stepping j.untily by. l saw
man infrm and 1 Ii and bent with
sorrow and sickness. and alasl 1
could plainly see that the silent
messenger was not far behind.
saw young boy and girl go by
with pleasure written on their
f4oeR. 1 saw hope beckoning on
for many to foil wv while dark de-
spair, was on the bJow of some,
disappointment was in the crowd
aad walked dtooping behind suc-
csss. The miser was there with
greed for gold while beside him
walked the philanthropist with
love for all humanity / heard a
church bell toll, and knew SORROW
was in the hearts of come. A
young lady rustled by in silk while
gems shone from ''round her
throat" begger woman asked for
aims. but all she gct t. was look of
oold disdain. as she pulled her
skirts aside aud straightwAy 1
lmed her pride Down a nearby
alley heard swearing aud the
sound of blows and / knew hate
was not oonquered yet. A funeral
procession wended IFS way thro'
the crowd. and they told me it was
drunkards child and 1 knew re-
m orse was there l saw a youth
from just down on the farm" just
arrived with his motber's kiss. still
on his lips. with his fathers bles-
sing sill lingering around Ikea
benediotiou. watched him and
presen / he entered saloon. he
drank md oame out and made as it
Ito go on. S ms iIrshistable power
seemed to draw him and back be
went into the wide open gate of
pleasure that lesds to ruin. | came
down and walk d little wsys out
of this busy and fashionable street
away from palaces of men of wealth,
away from the sky-scrapers. and
fine hotels. and great department
stores. irt1 the slums of the city.
Here on every hand. l was met
with the brtze1 stlrS of fallen
beauties, with insolent words from
drunken mtn and women. It
seemed as if their existence was a
misery to them l met men, wO-
men and children, with buckets of
beer; one half was going TO the
grog shop while the other half was
going away. What place to bring
up C rildren n. poor thing; begin
a life of shame and crime before
they are ten years old 1t max, 8
one sick at heart TO see all this
misery and shame and degradation.
In little tqualid house besides a
gilded den of infamY,I saw few
color.d people conducting prayer
meeting and l thought. perhaps,
these faithful few prevents this
section of the city fr m being a
Sodom AMI Gomorrsh Gladly l
turned bsck 10 the better part of
the oity. l met the youth from
the farm making his way TO this
maeIstrom of vice. He staggered
as he walked; a few hours later
aud hs will bs robbed of all be has
and then thrown on the street.
| When 1 returned the crowd was
passing to and fro. as it did an
hour ago. All at once the noise
and hustle and burrying seemed
to cease and out on the morning
.ir burst forth in qlivering tones,
Rock o ages cleft for me,
Let me hide myself In thee"
It was played an sung by 3
blind man aud his wife. and no one
in that vast crowd bat stopped to