Harper's Young People, December 13, 1881 / An Illustrated Weekly

BEST GIRL IN AMERICA.
The fight, begun a little after three o'clock in the afternoon that 24th of December, was still raging furiously when the hands of the big clock on the market tower pointed to half past four, and the pale sun was preparing to bid the world good-by until Christmas morning.
Snow-balls, some of them as hard as stones, were flying in every direction.
The Tins, yelling like wild Indians, were rushing up on and scrambling over the snow-covered piles of wood, brick, and mortar that lay in front of the half-dug-out cellar of the new building that was to be in Short Street.
The Woods, yelling like some more wild Indians, were sallying out from the cellar—named Fort Hurrah for the occasion—and driving the enemy back, every now and then capturing two or three of them, and dragging them triumphantly into the fort.
There had been war between the Wood Street boys and the Tin Street boys for more than a year. It originated in Tim Ashburner's taking Jack Lubs's parrot—which Jack had lent to him for a week only—into the country with him, and keeping it there all vacation.
Jack Lubs's father, who was a sea-captain, had brought this parrot from some far-distant land, together with a monkey, which Mrs. Lubs said, the moment she saw it, she would not have in the house. Parrots were bad enough, but monkeys—no indeed!
So Jack was obliged to sell Boomerang, and he sold it so many times—the little creature being always returned on account of its mischievousness and destructiveness—that he became the richest boy in marbles, balls, knives, and nickels for blocks around. And when no other acquaintance could be found anxious to secure Boom for a household companion, Jack gave him to a showman, who had pitched his tent in an adjoining square, for an order admitting bearer and friends to the show. But when bearer presented that order shortly after, accompanied by friends to the number of two-and-twenty, the showman opened his eyes very wide indeed, and exclaimed, Great elephants! I'll never be caught that way again.