The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-09-03

The custom house curbstone look
ed iisgrUntIed.
All day long and on the evening
before it had remained all but de-
serted while its friends of the recent
past had scattered like chaff before
an autumn wind.
In fact, after years of staunch and
untiring support to its regular fire.
quenters, the law had stepped in
with its edict that the overworked
curbing should be accorded the rest
it so royalty deserved But the Gus
tom house curb5tOne come far from
approaching the new order of things.
1t was lonesome for the nightly
crowds who had cOngTegated regular
~ each night out of the 365, to ex-
change apt and valued views upon al
most anything in general and moth
ing in particular. The cuTbstone was
addressing the pavement, also in
state of almost absolute desertion:
What some Officious custodian
wants to interfere with my own per-
sonal affairs" grunted the curbstone,
lis more than l can see. Ever since
Pensacola has grown to the estates or
real live metropolitan centre. | have
played a greater part in things real
~ worth while than you would first
imagine
why" and it glared stonily at its
companion lit was on this very curb
ing that almost all the excitement OF
the last year has seen its first express
sion.
Didn't I know of the street car
strike long before a city full of ur-
people finally sat I'D and
took notice. Wasn't l the first 20
hear the choiceA bits of gossip of
things that finally led up to the real
fracas? / tell you" here the custom
house curbing doomed StOlidly on its
some of the biggest plans
that were sprung this year were laid
right here on this curbing-anj l.
for one, will always feel that | play
ed an important part in the final. up
heavaI by the support I rendered my
friends when they were figuring II
all out"
The pavement murmured approx
ingly, and the curbStone continued:
And there's another thing While
! don't mean to be egotisticaI mind
you, I believe 1 could give dots Oh
the sideligihts of the feminine portion
of the populace of this city that would
surprise even you in your everlasting
staidness.
Now what l don't know about
every woman who so much as essays
to pass the fellows who used to roOst
on this curbing night in and night
out, / don't want you to tell me-
Don't I know how many husbands
Mrs. Brown has had to a -?
Don't l know how many affinities
her present incUmbrance has-and
why Miss Green isn't taken I'D BY
really nice people, and where John
son was last night, and what his
wife said about it?
precisely. the lack of character. of
every poor unfortunate Pensacola wo-
man who has ever been forced TO
pass me by for the evening mail.
MY friends talk it all over. They
know. And say" the speaker looked
you wouldn't believe il,
would you. if I told you that the re-
cent necktie party that tore things
up generally in Pensacola for a while
got its first plans and specifications
from my personal influence in the
Don't you know. cul, that
we got a leader right here in this
very spot who was to make the start
if the deal could be worked? Don't
ask me-
Then there's the Salvation Army.
Honestly. I used to laugh to slit my
sides every night when the band was
playing and singing across the street
to a handful of interested spectators,
and I was fairly smothered with my
regular attendance, who didn't appear
to care for all the Salvation Armies
in the world, as long as they could sit
on me. and talk about the way the
city ought to be run. Salvation