The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-26
LOOKING OVER THE CITY.
A View of Indianapolis and Its Vicinity
from the Courthouse Tower.
A City of Luxuriant Shade, Handsome Resi-
dences and Numerous Churches-Ho the
Tower Watchmen Aid the Police.

ascent OF the Deau-SlAlk, 10 LILO cOuEb-HOuSo
tower, where day and night Waterman stands,
scanning the city with field glass, on the look
out for fres-not the same Waterman however,
by day and by night, for there are three of
them the four d-twenty hours being divided
into eight-hour watches. Constant practice has
given these men eyes like sailors, and without
the glasses they can see things that ordinary
Tnortals can hardly see with them. Seventy feet
of the ascent to the tower is up ladders, and
tiresome and dizzving as this climb is, there are
O good many adventurous young ladies who have
accomplished it, attended by their escorts, as
many as a dozen going up at time. In fact it
has been noticed that where there are four or
fivs young ladies together, they are often Drawer
than their escorts, and furnish them moral sup
port when they would draw back from the I'M
dertaking.
It is fair city to look upon from the tower,
as it sits in the midst of great green circle
which the light blue sky comes down to meet-a
landscape as round as dinner-plate. Directly
to the south is the first ground that raises the
green circle This is called Nine-m;le Hill, be-
ing that distance from thecity on the Bluff road.
Further to the west and further to the south,
the hills at Bethany, twenty-one miles off. on
the Vincennes road, rise, the highest
Of these being called Mt Nebo. A
stiff southeast wind was blowing the after
noon the Journal reporter paid the man on the
tower visit, and the great plumes of smoke
from foundry factory and locomotive. curled
over the south and west of the CITY. The river
seems very near the tower. as do other points
that are really at considerable distance. Bright
wood seems parted from the city by mere
thread of trees, while Irvington appears TO be
but stones throw away. The United States
Arsenal stands forth clear ard bright, but
the houses of Woodruff Place are quite covered
by the trees. indianapolis itself, the residence
portion, seems almost park, the trees so
numerous and luxuriant The most thickly
settled section of the residence portions of the
city, at least that section showing the greatest
number of houses, is bounded by Washington,
Alabama, the railroads and St Clair
street Here the houses are not only
closely together upon the streets, but
in many places there are houses on both
ends of the lots. The best shaded portion is
north of New York street to Seventh. along Illi-
nois, Meridian and Delaware Streets the
foliage for squares seeming to lnterlace over
head forming an arch over the street. The city
stretches far off to the northeast while in the
southeast the cottages seem hiding in the woods
of what. years ago, was known as Fletcher's
pasture.
below seem to think we do. On 3
number of occasions. by of the
telephone, have been of service to
the police. We now and then see runaways
and street fights. We saw the accident on the
Airline when the train went through the
bridge at Broad Ripple, but could not quite de-
termine what it was. The arrest of the man
who attacked and shot the Waterman at the
Panhandle freight depot was made upon info-ma-
tion furnished by the tower Waterman to police
headquarters by telephone. It was at night, you
remember, and the shots fred. together with the
cunning of man carrying lantern, furnished
the Waterman with sufficient suspicion that
something was wrong, to justify him in notify
ing the turnkey at the station house. The view
of the city at night with the electric and gas
lights ablaze, is beautiful and we can see much
better even at night than one would suppose
Now and then we have a moonlight night that
gives US better view than daylight, for the rea-
son that for the greater part of the working day
cloud of smoke hangs over the city. Sunday
Is the clearest day of the week. the manufacto-
flies being then closed down"
From the tower indianapolis certainly looks
. like a city of churches. There are ninety three,
and many of them with tall towers or spires
One large part of the city is singularly destitute
One looks down upon the thicky populated
Eighteenth ward, the Sim Coy ward, and finds
not single church of any description. lmme-
diately to the east of this ward churches
numerous, and along South street, Fletcher
avenue, Huron and other streets in the neighbor
hood of these houses of worship. are long lines
of beautiful cottages There is no better class
of citizens than this part of the city affords.
There no very wealthy people and no poor
people. Nearly all are well to do, and nearly
every householder is a freebooter.
Among the visitors to the tower, and one
whose visits are frequent, is George Hibble, the
blind pianist. He comes up and down the long
ladders with much and assurance as a
practiced fireman. He doesn't COUP to see any,
thing, but to enjoy the elevation and to converse
Crikh "a wat aS IN wis ha he.
low. While talking with the Waterman the re-
porter remarked that the street-cars from that
height 203 204 feet, looked like toy cars. $50
they do" said the Waterman, land the Missis-
gippi-street cars are so small that even with
field glass one can hardly see them" Continu-
ing, he said: "There's one thing that never got
into the newspapers. For six weeks in the
ond story of that building on Delaware street
over the barber shop we saw men at work, night
after night melting aud molding something
They would 60 to work about o'clock in the
evening and work until or half-past o'clock
In the morning, and then 60 to sleep in the same
room. They worked by very dim
light, and we saw them by means of
our glass over curtain that did not
quite come to the top of the window. At last
we made out what,they were about They were
making counterfeit money We told the police
but they failed to act promptly and the counter
feiters got away. They must have made at least
barrel of bogus money"
''Another time the police had their little Joke
on u.s. One day, looking over the Denison
House. we saw a man acting very suspiciously
He would crawl along as if trying to escape OBJ.
servation from the street. and would then lie
down for time behind a chimney. We tele-
phoned the station house and a couple of police
officers went over to catch the fellow. They
waited until he came down. and then, without
saying anything to him. went away in disgust
II was q district lineman hunting broken WIRE"
Secret of Low Prices
Link Reed was arrested yesterday, for stealing gro