Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-12
THE TOPICAL TALKER.
A Little Speculation in Real Esfafe-The
Third Wave Theory-Justice to Play

Third Wave Theory-Justice to Play
Queer Questions.
SPECULATION in real estate is popular
enough in Pittsburg and in recent years has
resulted generally to the profit of the invest.
ors. Property in Pittsburg and about it has
been steadily rising in value for good while.
Legitimately, then. a man may make money on
land in this county. Some also make money
illegitimately out of real estate. Several kinds
of sharp practice are employed. 1t is not
always that these illegitimate dealings are
recognized as such, and even if they are it
would seem that the average person is accus.
toned to allow unusual moral latitude to the
dealer in real estate. A very shrewd trick re-
Gently played may serve as an example.
In certain rural spot within easy reach of
the city there was, short time ago. hand.
some villa in course of erection. The house
and surrounding grounds occupied plateau
which fell away toward the river on one side
and was backed by wooded hills. The view Of
a very beautiful valley, to be had from the
house, was but slightly marred by the passage
of railroad at the base of the grounds. Be-
tween this property and the river lay narrow
strip of land of little value for any purpose.
This strip was bought by real estate specu-
lator shortly after the house was begun. He
caused 1t speedily to become known that he
had bought the small slice Of land as site for
brickyard. AS an evidence of his fell tnten-
ton he walked about his property with man
in the brickmaking business. Then he called
upon the owners of the house in process Of
erection and in a neighborly way explained
his plan for the briekyard. The result
was of course. that he sold his scrap OF land
for three times the price he gave for it. and no
brickyard will rise to spoil the view for that
villa up the hill.
But says the lenient reader, might not the
man really have intended to make bricks on
that land? Perhaps he might-but sand
bank is not usually chosen for the site of a
brickyard.
Iris curious to see in the accounts of the
cyclonic storm which has been playing such
havoc with the Atlantic coast line an observa-
tion that Eschylus, the Greek poet, made
thousands of years ago in the play Of "Prome-
theus Vinctus." 1t is to the effect that the
waves which did the greatest damage at Coney
Island moved upon the beach in threes, the last
one of which was always the largest.
The phenomenon has been observed before
but have never seen it accounted for scien-
tifcally and Eschylus merely alludes to it
as an established fact, which he probably
would have explained in some NEUROLOGICAL
way, attributing it to the action OF Neptune's
trident perhaps.
PERHAPS full Justice was not done to "Brics
a-Brac" in these columns on Tuesday last
There is one peculiar feature which deserves
praise, for it is not often found, though much
to be desired, in farce comedy. 1t is really
good singing by the company. There are good
individual singers. but it is the ensemble vo-
cally that is quite unusually good. Linking
this to the outrageously laughable character of
the piece, "Bric-a-Brac" deserves to have
prosperous career. It is curious case of
play without the smallest dramatic value, hav-
ing still right TO ask the publie's approval.
The work of Messrs. Hawkins Stanley, Dietz
and Savage, and of Misses Geroux, Webster,
Bedell, and the rest of the pretty women with
good voices, really makes the play success.
There is debutante in the company, by name
Miss Mary Stuart, who has made an excellent
impression.
A VERY estimable correspondents lady, I
should say from the handwriting, for the sig
nature is in initials only-desires to know if
Abe Lincoln's first name was Abraham, and
Ahb AVN 10 AapPI w o0 eDiO w o"J "AsA
confidence that it was.
This query reminds me of an incident that
enlivened the secret section of Mrs. Jenness
Miller's address at the Opera House last week
The apostle of dress reform was talking of her
magazine, Dress, and how it was published,
etc. Some one in the audience asked her
question which she had answered but few
seconds before, and she said: II do hope you
will understand that Dress is a monthly, and
therefore comes out every month. Once was
telling an audience about quarterly maya
zine had. and lady Jumped up to ask if the
quarterly came out monthly"