The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-14
BITS FROM NEW YORK.
The straw Vote Taker-A hisiea :ns
Legend Scar ;hc Postoiii-e.

NEW YORK. Oct. l1-By This time in
the campaign the man who takes stray
votes" for the presidential candidates or
railroad trains, in ferry boat cabins and all
o.hcr public places infests the land to
such an extent as 10 constitute himself
an almost orlniurescnt nuisance \ party
Of Jolly Commuters" O. tho y. ! ami
II. r r. have organi1od g mutual pFo,ec-
tive league and ngel.cl system fer the
disbursement Cf The ''siraw vote tcnl
that, judging from 81 experimental tflal
last week, is likely 10 provo ceiiSh'iuly
effective. Tho commuters ~ question
doing business In New York and living IN
the numerous pleasant little villages
along the line Of the road, travelling back
and forth daily in company together arc
acquainted wit Ia each other. and by com
mon consent, Tor the preservation Of pleas
ant relations in their daily enforced com
panionship. avoid the discussion Of poll
ties when on the trains. Taking straw
votes" Threatened 20 disturb this harlO-
NOUS relation.
What. You don't mean TO say you
vote for Cleveland, do your or "Ihun
der. If anybody had told me you wer1
a Harrison man wouldn't have believed
it," had already broken mp more than one
pleasant game Of whist or railroad cuchr'
played laps, siam, jam bones and tn,
widow in'-in the smoking cars, when
some Of the older brethren grasped the
situation and propounded o scheme that
promised so much fun that all the others
heartily agreed to cooperate IN It,
a inc al
were interested in two games Of whist
three Of them as lockers on-in a crowded
smoking car a little below Now Rochelle,
when protracted wranglo between two
strangers CULTIVATED in a bet over the
result of a straw vote in that car
Neither Of tho wranglcrJ would trust the
other. so each started ont vi-h pencil and
paper. explaining, requesting, interrupt
ing conversation and play, annoying
cYcrybOdy. Ono If them started from
the front OF the car. the other from the
rear, each o. 80 Independent canvass
When each had 20; through they met -
compare results. Ono had C.ovcllnl 80
Harrison 26. the other. Harrison 81
Clovclcnd n. total il each case. o..
Pho vote takers for 4 moment glared 10
each other in silence. while they breathed
hard and grew rel IL tho face. Then each
charged The cther wit. deliberate falsitca
ton and lying. called each other al mGu-
ncr OF things common ana Unelcan and
speedily wcro engaged IL vigorous pun
melting match which was eventually
stopped by the train hands
Meanwhile ;hc eleven commuters rOared
with laughter. slapped their thighs and
screamed imparrially encouragement 10
both tho corbatants Thoy Lad made all
the trouble and HAD al exclusive right TO
the triumph IN compliance with an
agreed upon signal by one If their mem
bers. they had simply cast their eleven
votes sOlidly 10 ono nam Tor Cleveland,
and % The o.hcr for Harrison. That was
the schcmo - which they hope 90 either
PAT stop - vote taking on the trains
they paironize or yet the maximum of fun
out Of the attempt ~ IT, that cre made.
On Mil street. opposite the rear Of the
pOstOiicc AID near broadway stands a
huge block III atorc. handsomely carved.
adorned OF lis ends and one side with the
words. in great raised letters. Drink, Pa
tient Iricnd. It's interior is Dug out. so
that il formsa great stone watering trough.
which was originally intended % be FOR
the use and benefit Of horses. But season
after season goes by and 10 patient
friend" drinks there. u j. Kept dry GaI
| boarded over summer ofter sumner Tho
end If q pretended p,iil4nthrDphy seemed
/ q be attained when the thing was put ~
place and nice paragraphs about j. had
been inserted in al Ire newspapers
After that the sham only remained and.
/ fer all anybody seems 10 care. the patient
friends tongue Lay hang ont Of his
mouth with drought. The fountain in
tic City HALL park does not play regularly
! in summcr. but docs 50 spasm0Jieaiiy and
wastes fifty times l5 much water as
would keep that trough full all the sea
son through. Sd thai llck Of water can lie
10 cxcrsc What q pity it is that horses
cannot real that Inscription and give
humanity the benefit Il their philosophic
reflections upon ouch humbug
J. IT, CONSELLY.