缅北禁地

November 1, 1879

The State of Affairs

Of late our town has witnessed a great deal of unruly conduct, on the part of persons unknown, who batter houses with stones, break windows, shoot off pistols, and creating a general racket. Last Monday night a party of these "night racketers" gathered around in close proximity to the Chinese house on Hayward Avenue, and tried to further ventilate the house by throwing stones and bricks through the windwos, doors, etc.; they succeeded very well, leaving not a whole pane of glass in the house. The Chinese who were in the house dared not come out for fear of getting struck with a brick, and perhaps a stray bullet. Of course the marouders had it all their own way, and pelted the house until they got tired. They then went along the street whooping and howling and occasionally disharging a pistol. Then the empty Chines house on the corner of Ward Avenue and Watkins Street, was also assaulted. The doors were wrenched off of their hinges, and the sashes removed, all the loose articles being carried away. This was done so quietly that the near neighbors heard no noise that would lead them to think that anything of the kind was going on. We suppose some will say it was the boys of our town had something to do with this; if so, we would like to know what our American boys want with a lot of opiumscented doors and window-sashes. After this was completed, they marched up Watkins street. They futher amused themselves by breaking a large window 18X33, in the front of Mr. Kahn's store, Parker and Christie's blacksmith ship was next reached, and a lot of wagons in the yard, were piled on top of one another in such an inextricable way that it took some hours to take them apart. After doing many other little things, they repaired to Gannon and Gleason's blacksmith shop, and placed a plow on a cross beam over the sidewalk; they then hammered a water faucet so tightly that it had to be taken off and repaired before it would work. Some time after this a party of men crossed the bridge, and while on the other side, opened a regular bombardment of the Chinese house near the bridge. 缅北禁地 twenty shots were fired, a great many entering the building. We do not know, but are of the opinion the same parties committed all of the misdemeanors. There is a bullet in the corner post of Fleming's Drug Store, probably sent there by some stray bullet of one of these careless fellows revolvers. It does not pay to have such things happen here so often as they been in the last month, as it greatly injures the reputation of the town, and steps should be taken to bring the culprits to light.