The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-17
Fl MONDAY MAUNDERER

bNh1 < ASdhiHaAlNus IL 10 bAENO ~
was solicited TO take stock, and was about to
subscribe when he remarked that he would sub
scribe cOndIUlOnally that none of the States
money be kept there. AS no promise could be
given MIN he was compelled TO decline.
One express company doing business in this
city always has its local money messenger make
his rounds accompanied by another man. Both
are armed with revolvers, one waiting outside
IN a Gagged wagon while the other attends to de-
liverlng the money package. The other compa-
mes are not so cautious, anu one oil these days
1t may be Il money messenger VIII be found MUIR
dered in Ii stairway or in some out Of the way
| place.
We are thoughtless and wasteful people. In
this city, in side and back yards, are hundreds
of acres of ground that are treeless and shrub
less. Grapes are easily cultivated, and not
only valuable for their shade but handsomely
remuneratlve. A grape-grOwer, in conversation
with the Maunderer the other day, said over
500 tons of grapes could be grown i'll the back
| yards of Indianapolis. He said he had himself
raised over sixteen tons of grapes on three
acres.
There are now at the West-streeJ stables of
tine johnson Street-car Company about fifty
mules waiting TO be sent TO Cleveland, where
they Will be put ON Tom. L. JohnsOn's smooth
and nicely powdered lines. They are looked
upon by the other mules with green-eyed envy.
| No wonder. While the unfortunate animals
here are driven to boh-tailed, couductorless cars,
over badly-wOrn road-beds, and struck with the
whip at every jump, the Cleveland preferred
mules, like the Cleveland preferred passenjalre,
have everything made easy for them.
A gentleman who returnd from the Friends
Yearly Meeting at Plainfeld, yesterday. con-
trasus the Quakers of to-day with those Of
fifteen years or less ago. He finds that they
are not now a peculiar people, their dress and
manners. with the exception of those of old per-
sons, being no longer distinguished by drabs
and browns or cOllarless coats, broad brimmed
nats and plain, featherless bonnets. They are
no longer opposed TO singing or musical instru-
ments, and have glvea up their once violent
autipathy to boards. Twelve years ago it was
unusual 70 see "A Friend with any beard upon his
face, unless il might be in the case of an elderly
man IA slight throat whisker, while slde-whiskers
were looked upon as sinful ana a mustache as
aged men all dress as other men do, and the
maldens ana matrons now delight In bright
eoiored raiment and fashionable bonnets.
The question of having a room in the city
library building put to the purpose of a museum
for literary curiosities is being discussed. Sucn
adjuncts to libraries are common in England,
and also exist in a number of our Eastern cities.
MI. Hooper, the city librarian, thinks that such
a department could be built up here, and that in
time it would become one of the most interesting
and important features Of our library. These
CuFlOSlUleS WOulu U6 I'D Jne FORM OF rare anu Gu
rious manuscripts, autograph letters of cele-
brated persons, old books, etc. The library al
ready has d nucleus for a museum of this charac-
ter in a number of rare old books that have been
donated to it from time TO time 10y Rev. Elijah
7. Fletcher, John S. Newman, Judge c.. c.. Hines
and Others. Among these old books is a German
religious work of the date 1921; the works of
Seneca On French), 1887; 'Le Grande Abridg-
nlente,' by Sir Robert Brook Ia law-book), pub
hsaed by Richard TOttell, London; "HistOry of
the Lite, Reign and Death of Edward H." by
Lord FaulcOnbrldge, written III 1927, published
in 1850; Il number of old French works; Brit
tanIa," a geographical description OF Great
Britain ana Ireland, Two volumes, Translated
from the Latin of Vim. Camden, 1922. This old
work, donated by Judge Hines, comes from the
library of Sir VIM. COddrIngton, who was coma
manderin-chief in the Crimea in 1896. 1t has
a number Of maps IN 1t that are particularly in
terestlng. and some excellent cuts of Roman
coins found in Britain. B.. r. Sulgrove some
time ago presented the library with President
Lincoln's autograph notes of the speech he de-
| llvered here OH Feb. II, 1861, wnile on his way
TO lie inaugurated at Washington. This speech
Is remarkable as being Mr.. Lincoln's first public
expression regarding secession. j. b, Ryan has
added to this collection an autograph letter writ
Ten by Alexander Won Humboldt TO Governor
Joseph A. Wright, then minister to Berlin.
This is the season of county fairs. Thousands
of perlpatetic statesmen follow these rural shows
from county to county. Numerous are their de-
sires for extricating the reluctant nickel from
bucolic fingers. A clever fakir is he who sells
stationery at these places, and a valuable auxil-
larry to the postal service by reason Of the guam
titles of paper and envelopes he sells. Not that
they go upon their uuaided merit, for he en-
courages their sale by the most astounding lib
erahtY, adding an imposing array of jewelry and
so brassy that 1t leaves a metallic taste in the
mouth to speak about it, One of these fakirs
was "a feature OF the Lawrence fair. His sales
were accompanied by a droll Grafton, delivered
with a rich Irish brogue. Snow, look here at
this mammoth Jumbo sack IN give yez. Here
goes o package of envaylopes to fill up the cor
ner, and here's twenty-four skates of paper. and
twenty-four more, and twenty-four more, and
twenty-four more-three times twenty-four is
slvinty-two-and twenty-fOur more, all folue
wlre-wove six-pound commercial note. Here's
a Gin-you-wine Colorado, non-corrosive, indie
structible, t~ire-proof pin, and twenty-tour sheets
more, and twenty-four more. Look at it. I'm
afraid you'l charge me with stealing il. Here's
a lead pencil. All, ha! Pencils no better have
sold for as much as a quarter apiece. Here's
a PAIR of hand-engFaved. roll-plated slave hut
tons, a set of Hot Springs diamond shirt-studs,
paper TO write to another mans wife, and paper
10 write a divorce on, and more to Write your
will oA-a little less than 900 sheets of letter
paper. Here's an Elegant pin-holder and a ring.
Solid; you can't make rs big a one out of a silver
dollar. Now 1 ada a rolled gold collar button
and this large ring wild "a thrue Alaska amethyst
sit in 1T. Amt she a d-a-i-s-y! Here's something
less than 100 skates of p~aper-think of that
now and l add an 80-page account book and "a
ca 1endar, and this beautiful gold guard chain
nearly IA yard long and containing AGO links.
Gracious heavens, has anybody here a wagon TO
ham all this away for a quarter of a dollar2" IL
looked like an amazing lot of staff for the
money. and his sales were rapid.
PERSONAL.