The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-08

A Variety of Things Talked About and Sug-
gested by Those Whom the Reporters Meet.

the State-hOuse gllded," said a gentleman
yesterday. at would make it much more
slightly from a distance. With gilt on the
upper part alone the dome can be discerned
several miles from the city in any direction,
and with all of it having a golden appear
ance 1T would be so much the more attract
i've. The Boston State-hOuse, which Is
much like ours, has a dome that is gilded.
and after you have seen it once you will
indOrse my idea"
Garfield Park is already becoming a
favorite resort. Hundreds of people visited
the place yesterday, and hundreds more
would have gone had there been a street.
car line running to it. The best facilities
of that kind at present of reaching the park
are the two lines that stop within three
quarters of a mile of the grounds. The cit
liens of the South Side are very anxious
that the Virginia-avenue and Shelby-street
line should be extended, and they are pre-
pairing to send a petition to the street rail
road company asking for the extensions.
The j., NJ. 81 |. railroad has already prom
Used to build a station at the park. and will
probably, after the improvements on the
grounds are completed, run trains hourly to
the park on Sunday. People who have not
visited the park since the committee nav
ing the improvements in charge began work
would hardly recognize it now. A new
fence has been placed around the
ground, two new bridges across Pleasant
laid out. and many other improvements
made. The work of planting several hun-
dred young shade trees will begin this
morning. When the improvements are
ures will be the lake. 1t will cover nearly
ten acres, and around it will be a drive
way between rows of maple-trees. With a
moderate expenditure of money the park
can be made as beautiful as that of the
same name in Chicago.
IL notice that some of the papers are urg-
ing that the patrol wagon be covered" said
a gentleman, yesterday, who has had many
years experience N police matters. THAT
is a timely suggestion. If any police i'm
proyement is to be advocated, let's advO-
cate the appointment of a police matron.
indianapolis is the only city of any size in
the country that does not have q matrOn at
the police station"
What is the duty of the police matron in
"The one selected usually lives near the
station. When a woman is arrested, she is
sent for and goes immediately, whether it
be night or day. She at once takes entire
charge of the prisoner. Ii 1t Is a thief, she
searches her; if a drunkard, she assists her.
She stays with a person as long as may be
necessary, and is responsible for her safe
keeping. In the morning she makes the
prisoner presentable for court, and m
times accompanies her there. For such a
position a woman ought always be chosen
who will look after the betterment of her
unfortunate sister. Under the present sys-
tenn here the women arrested have to be
searched by men. In other cities the finan-
cial question does not stand in the way of
employing q matron. No salary is paid her,
but a regular stated sum for each case she
attends. The whole cost is tritiing."
'Is roller-skating likely to be revived'"
was asked an ex-manager of a rink yester-
day. II would not be surprised" said he.
81 see symptoms of it already. The Vir-
~ginia-avenue Rink has been open for sew
era weeks, and it is being regularly packed
with the old-time crowds. 1t is possible
that the craze will never capture the cities
as it did once, but it will have another day
in the small towns where there is a dear tn
of other kinds of amusementS. / know of
many managers abandoning the business
two years ago who are now leasing the Kinks
in small towns throughout the State with
the intention of opening them next fall"
'I learned something about the Union
Station to-day 1 did not know before" said
a gentleman. last night, at the New Deni-
son. Frequently l rave had occasion to
escort my mother to a train. and / always
asked the lOrdly gate-keeper to allow me to
go through and assist her. Each time |
was refused admission into the precincts of
the ~train-sheds. i made my old request
yesterday, and / was refused, as usual. An
urchin was standing by, and ventured to
| remark: Mister, if you want in the sheds
go through the tunnel and come in at the
south side gate; they are not allowed to
close that / followed the boys advice,
and q minutes walk brought me
into the station from the south
side of the sheds, where / found,
as he had said. a gate the courts have said
must not be closed. Through with my
task, / attempted to go out the north gate.
but was not permitted, simply because the
gate-keeper knew / had not come in on a
train. / was so much amused, however, at
having Outwitted him that l willingly
went out the way l came in"
II think people who like to breathe fresh
air are overlooking one of the greatest ad-
yantages of natural gas" said a resident of
the South Side yesterday. 81 have not
heard anybody commenting on the absence
of smoke and SCOT since the factories all
began burning gas. Before the cheap fuel
was in use we of the South Side seldom saw
the sky, on account of a cloud of smoke
which continually hung over the city. Now
1t is rare TO see any smoke at all. and the
air is as pure and wholesome as out in the
country. The change must mean better
health for the people. 1 was at Cincinnati
the other day, and the air there, foul from
smoke and SCOT. made me sick. Until / had
made the trim | did not realize what "A nleaa-