The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-07
CURBsTONE CURRENCY.
Views and Information Gathered By Journal
Man in Casual Conversations

If there is any one particular species Of man
who is q universal nuisance and who deserves to
be sat down on real hard, it is the mysterious
mantle cheerful idiot who pulls you into some
secluded nook to inquire about your health, or
with portentous MEN, drags you around block
to ask you what o'clock it is, or to do something
of no more Importance In competition with all
other classes of cranks, the mysterious man is
entitled TO the belt and the gate money. The
political variety of this class is probably the
worst The air of mystery which marks his
every action is simply appalling. He is loaded
with 1t He is never known TO accomplish any
thing, but he is all the time creating the impress
sion that he is holding up the destinies of the Re
public by the tail, and that the safety OF the
universe and the salvation of the race depends
wholly upon his profound secretiveness and the
tenacity of his grip In not recognizing tne
demands of society by the prompt removal OF
the mysterious politician, the foolkiller Is as
Stunning grave responsibility.
The frequent recurrence of the name of Ortiz
Stein in the public prints makes him about as
much of public nuisance as Geronimo or an
earthquake. The last heard of the eccentric
genius he was in Jail at San Jose, CAL, for some
petty offense. A gentleman who knows Stein
thoroughly and well, said yesterday: "Orth
Stein is without question one Of the brightest
young fellows in the country and don't believe
he is altogether accountable for his outrageous
conduct. The fellow is crazy. His mania for
getting money by every disreputabe means and
getting away with it quite as dishonorably, is
similar to the species of kleptomana that is
common even among the better classes of society:
Rich women are often detected in stealing small
things, without any reason whatever except the
f0rd he act itsAf q
Stein. He is a clever artist whose work
has been accepted by Pran9 and other fine art
publishers, and as an all around newspaper
writer he has no superior. He is the only man
] ever knew who could do good work without an
effort He write entertaining story at
one sitting. dash off readable sketch while you
wait. and turn pretty poem in jiffy. hap
pened to be with him at time when he wrote
on business card, apparently without effort or
previous consideration, little poem which he
called ''The Skater" 1t first appeared as it was
originally written in the Current End has since
found permanent place in literature by being
printed in several different volumes of poetry.
There isn't much of it, but it is full Of music,
ana is sample of what the fellow can do when
he wants to. This is what he says about
'THE SKATER"
beneath her skirts the curved steel bars
Seemed like two naked scimetars,
That CLEAN about the sandals, in
The sword dance of the Bedouin.
And all about her flying feet
The ice mist few increasingly.
As free she and full rs feet
As sea-guls skimming o er the sea-
ut was the sea in different guise.)
Like Mercury she wore her wings,
And deep within her fearless eyes
There lived the soul of flying things"
Stein is only twenty-five years old, but he has
had more experience of oneknd and another
than most men have in lifetime. He can
command a price for the product of his pen and
pencil that almost any man would be glad to get
and his conduct can only be accounted for on the
ground of inherent cussedness."
-
''I'll tell you what" said man with chestnut
hair, the other day. ''there ought to be reform
in the manner of comforting titles on everybody
In the matter Of addressing letters it has got to-
be SO that every fellow Is called Hon., or Prof,
or something of that sort. The ordinary writer
would never think of stopping at anything short
Of Esq It is well enough, perhaps, to bestow
titles where they properly belong, but their
indiscriminate use is making good many
people weary of life 1t has come to be
that whenever q man is elected q JUS
s,slce- Of the peace ne is at once burdened
with the title of Hon. fellow who is called
upon to act as referee at dog fight is there
after honored with the title of Prof. and one
who Is not an ESQ., cannot expect to maintain
any standing in society When one considers
how shamefully this title business is abused, it
is real comforting to be addressed as plain Mr.
In fact, it is now regarded as being the best form
to address gentleman as Mr.. in order that he
may be distinguished from the eminent slug
gers and cheap statesmen who have succeeded
In monopolizing the Prof and Hon. idiocy.
There used to be lot Of pretty girls in that
house over there" said George J. Iangsdale, the
veteran editor of the Greencastls Banner He
was on j., M. & I. train that was rushing
through Franklin, and the remark was made to
a travelling companion, as ne pointed his long in
dex finger toward little cottage across the way.
what do you know about it9' was the senten-
tious interrogation of his interested companion
II know all about it." he replied. II was
brakeman on this road way back In the ffties-
more than thirty years ago. l served regular
apprenticeship twisting brakes, and was pro-
NOTED in due season to the position of baggage
master. You bet, know all about it. After l
save up railroading l went with Austin a.
Brown to learn the printing business, in Indian
spolis By the way, learned my handwriting
from Austin Brown" This last statement
was accepted with some doubt Anybody who
has ever seen the nightmare which Mr.. Langs-
dale alleges to be his signature will be overcome
with grave apprehension that he patterned his
penmanship after the style of some man who was
afflicted with secondary case of delirium ire
mems
The impression that prevails among nearly all
the politicians that the gerrymander will not cut
any particular figure in this campaign is great
misrepresentation. A Lawrence county Demo
crat, with whom the writer was talking on the
subject the other day, expressed himself very
freely. His name cannot honorably be given.
which fact will doubtless lead the cynics to ques-
tion the authenticity of his remarks But he
was Democrat all the same, for he said so;
and besides, he had the trademark branded on
his breath. He said. IF the politicians think
the people will suffer themselves to be disfran-
cbsed without demonstrating. they reckon not
wisely. In my county. for example. do you sup
pose the voters are going to submit to the out
rage of being robbed of representative with
cut making a vigorous protest. Not much.
Democrats as well as Republicans feel the in
Justice that has been done them by Democratic