St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-04
CASUAL CHATTER.

The bootblacks of ST. Paul are feeling
badly just at present; indeed, they are
kicking. Recently movement has
been made which they regard as an in
novation on their business. A number
of enterprising individuals have caused
to be erected at different places in the
business section of the city bOotblack-
ing stands with chair attachments.
Here one can have his boots Shined and
get good rest while it is being done
for ten cents. The Arabs of the .bOot-
backing fraternity threaten to come
down to nickel shine and diSlodge
their hated rivals.
IN
There is now in course of construction
OH the corner of Tenth and Temper
ance a three-story frame building, built
after the modern style, with pointed
gables and towers and slate roof.
There is nothing about the building that
would indicate the uses for which it is
intended save galvanized sign over
the front entrance, which reads: First
Swedish NJ. e. Church." An inquiry
of one of the contractors showed that
the first floor is to be used for store pur-
poses. while the second floor is to serve
as place for divine worship.
pairs which are at present being pushed
in the dining rooms are finished, the
Ryan will be able to boast of the pref
test and neatest dining rooms of any
hotel in the country. A force of twenty
men arenow at work decorating the cell
ing with a kalsomine of papier mache,
new thing, and when completed it will
alter the appearance of the room very
materially. A huge scaffOlding is
Tod In in Ipi, haI1 l,,tt I, &c
does not interfere with the comfort of
the guests at meals, for a large canvas
sheet is stretched all around the
room, thus preventing material falling
on the floor.
They tell good story on Bill Erwin,
the brilliant criminal lawyer. Judge
Young, of Minneapolis, interrupted one
of Mr.. Erwin's best efforts, saying: II
will give the law to the jury"
Everybody expected to see Mr..
a common phrase. "knocked out"
Instead, however, the great pleader
Strengthened his tall form proudly erect,
and raised his right hand so high that
it seemed it would touch the ceiling,
while his eyes flashed brave defiance.
Said he, you, gentlemen of the jury,
and not his honor turning to the judge
are the judges of both the law and the
facts in this case"
How few of the old settlers think,
with all the conveniences of modern
times at hand, of those days when the
city was young and the population not
a thing to brag about. Postmaster
Terry in those old times would walk
down Third street, and seeing a carpen-
ter at work upon building. would yell
out to him the fact that there was a let
ter for him in the pOstoffice. Mr.. Terry
knew everybody in town, and had the
happy faculty of being able to tell
everybody he met whether there was a
letter for him OF not.
~
The present postmaster, Mr.. Lee,
finds it very difficult to keep track of ali
the bad debt collection agency envelopes
He has collected stack of them, and as
consequence the ''bad debtors'
haven't suffered any annoyance
since the order went into eff
feet. And what queer looking
lot of letters they are, the
entire upper half of some envelopes
being covered in large black letters with
the most insulting inSlnuatiOns. and
sometimes a horrid skull and cross
ZONES Ill Ulle southwest corner. one
agency simply prints in the upper left
hand corner UNITED States Collecting
agency" and it is these very letters
that are puZzling Mr.. Lee, who finds it
difficult to decide whether they come
under the order ornot.
-
GA comparison of the insurance re-
ports of twenty states" said Insurance
Commissioner Shandrew yesterday,
''disclOses the fact that Minnesota ranks
ninth as to the amount of risks written
and premiums received. In their rela-
tive order the states are: New York,
Illinois, Pennsylvania. Massachusetts,
California, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan
and Minnesota"
There is young man with bright
countenance and red hair stationed be-
hind the counter of the Merchants hotel,
who is ''winner" from away back
His principal business is to keep track
of the room calls, but he doen't confine
himself TO that alone. He is perfect
encyclopedia of knowledge, and he can
answer any question, whether it con-
cerns the time of the leaving of a
certain freight train, or who will be the
next president of the United States. He
is as indispensable to the Merchants as
is Col. Lamont to President Cleveland,
and no matter how often the hotel
changes hands. the boy with the auburn
locks will be found doing business at
the old stand