A COURT ROOM AT PHILADELPHIA.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 237, 25 January 1877, Page 2

A COURT ROOM AT PHILADELPHIA.

An American correspondent writes : '* Upon entering the rotunda of the new City Hall one's attention is immediately challenged by an array of spittoons placed with geometrical precision so as to mike the corners of an octagon. They are painted green without and white within. They are made of iron, and consequently, although not a thing of beauty, are nevertheless calculated to be ' a joy for ever to the tobaccophagist. At regular intervals along the passages leading from the rotunda to the various up<jutf| the landing of the of all the doors, in fact in every conspicuous position all over the building, are others of these cuspadors. It requires an exercise of the greatest care on the part of those walking through 1 the purprises and precincts' of this 1 place of justice' to avoid falling over these municipal spittoons. Even in the Court rooms there is no lack of these useful but ornamental articles. Ample provision is made for the comfoJt of expectorating counsel, jurymen, clerks, criers, stenographers, witnesses, and visitors. Nor is it for one moment to be supposed that £ his Honor' is without his own particular judicial cuspador. The wants of the prisoner at the bar are not entirely overlooked. True, his convenience is not consulted so carefully as is that of the other parties above mentioned. He is within point-blank range, however, of the spittoon of the prosecuting attorney and that of his own counsel, and that if he be tolerably accurate at long-range firing he may blaze away with a fair chance of soaring an occasional outer or bull's-eye. One would suppose that were there are so many spittoons the floors might be kept clear of the evidences of tobaccophagism. Such, however, is not the case. Towards the close of a busy day the pavements, stairs, and lobbies are spotted with unpleasant reminders of the day's expectoration. So scrupulous seems to be the care taken to avoid soiling the cuspadors, that the idea is suggested to the mind that "were the number of these articles de luxe increased, those for whose convenience it is supposed the cuspadors were originally intended would be obliged to leave the building to find unencumbered space to spit upon.. Occasionally a mild-looking person way be seen to approach one of the cuspadors, and with hand upon his breast, and bowed head, make use of the utensil in a modest, . unexplosive, and perpendicular manner—> iinosttentatiously, a3 if he were dropping a button into a collection box. This kind of person is regarded by the officials and hangers-on, who are generally to be found loafing about the building, as being * too dirty particular,' and it is easy to be seen that they are not accustomed to being in the neighborhood of Courts of Justice."