The Portland daily press., 1882-01-13
IN. Y. SUM-
Odd Folks About Town.
Observation-Disclosures that have USE
less Purposes and Walks.

UnfortunateaIndividua that have USE
less Purposes and Walks.
81 want to know what that man was dis
charged for" q tall, military-looking man said,
striding into Director Conklin's office at the
| Geological garden in Central Park, and bring
ing down his fist with bang He seemed to
be satisfied with the reply, and with the re-
mark that it must not happen again, he strobe
| out.
fThat's one of about fifty cranks we have
about here, regular visitors, too" the director
said. "He has been a constant visitor here for
| about six years. Every day he comes here,
goes all around the arsenal, looks into every
case, and then goes over to the lunch room
drinks glass of beer, comes back, and blows
the men up for any neglect he has noticed.
Every one knows him around here. He prob
ably knows more about the Metropolitan
museum than any man living, as he spent ALI
his tine there from the time the first spade was
put in until the building was completely finish
ed. He generally got there before the men in
the morning, and when lunch time came he
hurried down to the animals, carefully inspect
ed them, and went back in time to see the
hands resume work. He thinks that he
owns the park; and some time ago. when
man was removed, he made very decided OBJ
| lection, but the next day he came in and said
| that he was glad to see that the man had been
| reinstated, although an entirely different man
| had taken his place. There's another person
| that comes around every day and makes reg
| ular inspection, but he has never spoken word
| to anyone. Sometimes he wears ulster, but
| If the day is little warm he comes out in
| drab duster. One woman comes here In the
| fall every year, when the peacocks shed their
| feathers. There is a method in her madness,
| because she follows the birds around, and when
| they drop feather she picks it up. Peacock
Kate the men call her"
"There comes one of the semi-monthly
cranks now" an attendant said, pointing to
| large man coming down the Sixty ty-fourth street
incline. "He's little off on bugs"
sIs the superintendent about?' the man
asked as he stopped with lurch that was in
tended for a bow.
eyes" the attendant replied, "here he isl
pointing to the reporter, who returned the Wig
| orous hand shaking.
"Times have changed since Tweed died."
the man said solemnly. "Then superintend-
ent went in to stay but now you have new
one every other day. However, want to get
| pass to go on the grass and among the trees
to collect CALLS" taking the reporter by the top
button of his coat and leading him around be-
hind the skeleton of walrus. 81 have mado
a discovery that will startle the world. These
CALLS" taking a handful of irregularly shaped
pieces of wood from a side pocket, "have long
been considered by Huxley, Darwin, Spencer,
and others as the work Of an insect. You see,
the old theory is that certain hymenopterous
insects puncture leaves of twigs of the oak and
many other trees and plants, and in this wound
that bleeds sap-just the way some OF the mem
bers of the Farmers club would il they were
anced. What do they knew about the law OF
generation? l offered to read my paper, to
give my theory to the world, at one Of their
meetings, but they wouldn't hear it.
"But how about the wound the insect
makes?"
ssYes," he reioined, diving into another
pocket and bringing up another handful Of
gals; Fin this wound Darwin and all these
nsen, who are good enough in their way, think
the insect deposits an egg, and at the some
time poisons the plant, causing an abnormal
growth, vegetable tumor, so that great
bunch or one of the gals is the result. Tbs
egg is supposed to hatch here, and in the spring
to come out perfect insect,or gall fly. This is
the belief of the farmers club. But do you
know that there is nothing SO Ignorant as an
ignorant farmer?"
"But how about the gals?"
"Ah, yes, he continued, diving for more
gals; there's one that have cut open that
shows the whole thing. am having drawings
made, and expect to publish a book on the
subject at some near day. In fact, was ap-
preached by man, but he was member OF
the Farmers club, and"
Fortunately the reporter was called away, as
it was afterward learned that he never got any
nearer the theory, although he had attempt
ed to expound 1t to every one he met In the
past.
On Staten Island ferryboat recently, the
writer met an army officer who was stationed
at Fort Wadsworth, just as large, moon
faced woman, a fsr-away look in her blue
eyes, stepped up, and, holding out 30 note,
said: "Will you oblige me by taking this, Col
onel?''
'I'm cursed if it isn't my s5 woman the
Colonel said in disgnsted aside. THANK
heaven I'm ordered to California! It's the
only way shall ever get rid of her"
After informing the would-be donor that he
had told her fifty times that he did not want
the money, she walked away, evidently very
much disappointed.
s"That woman has haunted me for about two
years" he said. 'She's sort of walking bank,
always ready to pay dividend OF 80. When
ever come down to the ferry, see her wait
ing to pay me $5. I've had that Internal 30
offered to me so many times that II had taken
them all, could retire and live on the inter.
est. OF course she Is crazy, and imagnes that
she owes me $5. Sometimes she stops the car
when am in it, and insists on my taking the
money"
As the boat ran into the slip on the New York
side the woman went into the waiting room TO
remain until the Coloneps return.
One of thesmost remarkable appearing women
in the city is very regular visitor ON peculiar
errands in Tiffany & Co.'s store. She is about
so years Of age, nearly six feet IN height with
striking countenance, but sad, far-aWay
look in her eyes. A poke bonnet trimmed
with bright feathers and strings covers her
head, and on each side Of the face hang Two
large white curls. Her dress is always OF some
rich, butts neati material. With a. roll OF
manuscript in one hand in one hand, she hnds
her way to the department of repairs, and
waits, sometimes three-quarters OF an hour,
| until the chief clerk is at liberty, and then
| with quiet dignity that commands respect,
asks for the loan of a steel pen, or perhaps one
| tack, which is generally given her, but IN q
| few weeks she IS there again on the same err
rand sometimes calling cab to ride away, or
| taking a car. -
awe meet some queer characters about here"
| battery boatman said, one day. ABOUT once
| week, winter and summer, gentleman
| comes down here sometimes in carriage and
| sometimes on foot, and says to me: Have the
| dispatches come down. touch my hat and
| saw Yes, SIR and then he'll say Well, III go
| on aboard and with that he gets into tine Doat
| and pull out into the stream. He generally
| has navy cap on and blue suit. He steers
| the boat himself, but every time he pulls the
| tiller rope he'll say, 'Starboard, cox n, OF
| spoft' as the case may be. Sometimes ne
| steers up the Buttermilk, and again down py
| Bedloe's Island, and then he'll look all around
| as if he was huntin' for some vessel, and, not
| finding her. will saw: L guess she's dropped
down the bay and with that he'll put the boat
| about and back we co. When alongside, ne
| sings out, 'In bow-way enough as II he nao
| full crew of man-o'-war's men, and, nanaing
| me bill, we salute each other, ana on ne
| goes / followed him one day, and ne
| went aboard the Staten Island boat. Poor
man! reckon he went down the bay to md
| bis ship
The Truth About the "Staked
Plains" of Texas.