New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-29
FROM MANY POINTS OF VIEW.
TOPICS OF THE TINE TOUCHED ON LIGHTLY
IN BRIEF CHATS


There Is no disputlng that Horace L. Hotchkiss has
the Nicaragua Canal fever and has 1t badly. Ito
lets every one know 1t with whom he comes in con-
tact in terms Of expression which indicate that no
Is fred with the enthusiastic idea that this great
Yankee Nation, should build and control the inter-
oceanic waterways Of this continent AS French
scholar, Mr. Hotchkiss Is enabled to keep Intimately
Informed to all the plans and movements AT Count
De Lesseps in Paris and at Panama In speaking Oh
the Panama enterprise, he said: Tho reckessncss
with which money has been spent there Is ono OF tho
reasons why the French will not succeed Why, one
expedition which was sent down there merely as
junkcng observation cost over a2,0OOOoo VIC
have heard from engineers the Nicaragua route
and gratlGed with tho progress they arc MAKING
But what gratfes moro than anything else IS the
feeling growing up among the people Of the United
States that this Is canal and that we ought TO
build, own and control It. We want America Tor
Americans, by which mean, Of course, anybody that
comes over to us In citizenship
copy Of tie Bible always lies on the Office desk
Of Colonel Robert G. Ingersol The Of this Is
that he prepares his lectures and newspaper articles
at his Office. and this Is the only work Of reference
which he keeps at hand He dictates to sion
ographer whom preparing lecture or article stopping
occasionally to think frequently going back to change
or correct phrase, again talking empeuously ana
rapidly After the stenographer has put his dlcta-
It with tho utmost care and painstakng making
numerous corrections and lamentations. Then he has
1t all rewritten the type writer, when he goes over
II q second tImo with equal care. Sometimes three
or four manuscripts thus prepared for him Deforo
he is satisfied A stenographer who has done great
deal OF work for Colonel Ingersol says that outside
the Bible he uses reference books or memoranda
Whatever no desires to say, even to quotations, IS
stored away In his great head
Many persons take It upon themselves to attompt
to convert Colonel Ingersoll from his atheism They
mako their efforts both in person and by mall, In
letters and pamphlets The other day the Colonel re-
ceived pamphlet entitled, Sure Cure for Atheists
He replied to the sender by returning the book, with
the comment that II was as full OF errors as tho DOOR
It sought to defend, and that he could not think OF
retaining II. because single pernsal was suhicent
that It's only earthly object was to minister
to the vanity Of its author. Several times women OF
severe rarb and countenance have besered Colonel
Ingersoll's Office intent bringing him into the
Christian fold. These generally put of by tho
office boy, who has to know unerrlngg all such
visitors One pretty little Salvation Army woman In
poke bonnet pleaded earnestly once to gain tho
Coloneps presence. declaring pathetlcaly that she
knew she could convert him IL she could only be al
lowed to pray with him.
"There arc tricks In all trades but Ours, but es
pecially beware NJ the writcrs tricks.' said
army of young women with pencil and notebook,
imperfect syntax and bad grammer. who are ad
vertising for positions as stenographeS and type
writer's al ON SIS to SIS a week He continued:
There are so many mperfectly trained incompetent
young women going into this department OF work that
the stenograpbers who have offices not prospering
as they formerly did Prices for their work being
cut fearfully. But can tell you where they make
II M, and that s why I say beware. These stem
ographers have regular customers, who treated
to retain their custom but y you have large piece
Of work, that you want In hurry and have no reg
uar place to get such work from, and fail to mako
viii Get the benefit Of all the fancy prices and sntras
to get any more work from YOU but they Till strike
weeks ago, for instance, had work done by the
stenographer nearest my office, who usually docs my
work. 1t cost me sl2 Three days ago had occa,
docs my work regularly was III. l went to another
office and left It. never thought Of making bargain
shown printed schedule OF rates. and found It was
not worth while TO fght the ma.tor, so have con-
tented myself with warning my friends
Colonel Harry Norton, old Bufalonian. who
spent a number of years on the Sacramento River
in command OF a steamboat line OF which his
uncle was the owner. spoke recently about Michael
Reese an eccentric man, who died there some
years ago after accommodating a large fortune. lie
had originally been pedler In Georgia. tramp
ing about with pack on his back On the coast
he grew wealthy by loanng money. at cost $4,000
for me TO tell the story said Colonel Norton and
stT have twingc Of regret when tell It. But
tho $4,000 "a gone and the story was too good to
keep. I had been III for two or three weeks. When
got back on the boat OF the first passengers to
come aboard was Michael Reese lie said he wanted
TO talk to me a bit and began to spar around with
staferoom bu he didn't IKE 10 say 50 directly lie
had been TO Napa springs lie had heard was ~.
That's the Mace Why. when went down there
was quite III Just bathed every day in The water
and drank nj the same time and was WELL could
scarcely contain myself thought how he bad been
cheating The Springs MANAGERS ONT OF ms dr'hkS Al
= cents glass for the water ., ,n mo srory ~
roprse and soon everybody was p!agune him about II
He had loaned large amount Of money TO nv unclc
The loan called, and cost me Just $4,000 for
telling that story
Among Old Cafornlans the traditions Of the pcnur
business Of Michael Reese frequently related Tie
was born somewhere near Franlfort-on th.Main He
went across the Atlantic 20 revisit; his old home The
bones Of some Of Ls ancestors whose graves he de-
sired to see rested In cemetery to which admittancs
wa, Only % b ae nh Py To climb high picket
fence and received serious injuries from a faL
"whcrc will the United states stand In the event
Of war between Russia and Germany 7" was the qnes-
ton esled by Russian connected with his Govern
ment's diplomatic service at dinner-table In New
York few nights ago. The tabo talk had been
turned upon the celebrated forged letters by which
Russia and Germany were nearly drawn into friction
on the Bulgarian question. Z" don't know" was the
reply OF a man who had been wide traveller But
that reminds mo OF a similar question heard
asked In Yeddo years ago. 1t was In caie'
where there assembled Russian Consul diplo-
matte representative OF the English Government,
number Of Americans, Germans and Engshmen IL
was at a time when Russia and England were dsput-
Ing over the Black Sea- dispatch was brought IN
and handed to tho English dIplomaIst. IIo read 1t
carefully and his brow corrugated he glanced over
at the Russian lie studied 1t a moment or two ana
then made It's contents known. 1t was the bare an
nouncement that war declared between England
and Russia the Black Sea question There were
no means verifying dis proving the dispatch ana
II was taken for granted to be true. II was aterward
found TO be untrue. The Engllsbman looked across
the table knot Of Americans, and addressing QUO