The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-27

The Little Things Worth Noting Reporters
Find in Chance Observations.

Talking about our fine public buildings
and our beautiful Streets" remarked a cit
izen. IL shall never be happy until | see q
fine botel building on the site of the Vance
Block. No better location could be found
for such n purpose. for it is right in the
heart of the city. is convenient to the thea
tiers and the churches, and is only a few
minutes walk from the Union Station. The
angle of virginia avenue and Washington
street would give a chance to build an I'M
and impressive entrance to the lobby,
which could be extended back in the shape
of a wedge, The view up and down Wash
lngton street that could be had from that
lobby and entrance could not be surpassed.
l hope SOME e%nterprising firm will choose
that block when indianapolis is to have a
new hotel"
If were asked to institute a reform
that is much needed in this city, :, suggested
an employee of one of the messenger Offices
here, II should compel every owner of
residence property TO SO number their
houses that a person could see them after
night. / am likely to be called to any part
OF the city at any time of night, and nine
times out of ten / spend as much time in
hunting a number as i do in getting to the
locality where | know that number ought
tobe. Themajority of housesi in indianapolis
that are numbered at all. and that majority
Is smaller than one would think, have, per-
haps. q tin placard on the porch only n few
inches square or. what is worse, metallic
flgnres driven into the weather. boarding
n painted the same color as the house
itself. There Is but one sty lie of numbering
that can be easily seen at all times. and
that is to use large gilt letters on the tran
som over the doorway. Our system of
lighting here by which there is q gas lamp
on every street corner and others in the
middle of the blocks, would make these
letters plain enough TO be read in the dark
est night If every citizen could be q mos
senger-boy for n week he would go straight
home and number his house in such a way
that you could see it a square away But
unfortunately they can't"
A commercial traveller, who recently re-
turned from a trip through Egypt, in south
ern Illinois. tells a story of a dinner he con-
tracted for at a farmhouse in that section,
which he found himself unable to eat,
ing to the character of the provender and
the way it was prepared. He tried hard to
dispose of part of it, but everything he
tasted .swelled up in his month, and he
finally had TO lay down his knife and fork
and quit. Not wishing to hurt the feelings
of the lady of the house, who sat at the
table, he apol0giZed for his poor appetite,
but the good woman was not to be deceived.
Stranger" she said, II know the dinners
not what Ii ort to be, but the fact is we've
been tavin' right smar cold weather here.
an our sass-holes is all friz up The drum
mer went out, wondering What the sass
holes" were, and finally asked one of the
children, who pointed out some holes in the
yard. where the winter vegetables were
buried and whose coverings of straw and
soil were frozen 40 tight that egress seemed
effectually prohibited until the next thaw.
1t is growing q little chilly for the Satur-
day evening outside market, but the insti-
tuition holds it's own. notwithstanding
the blue noses and chilly fingers of
vendors and customers. The stout lady
with a large basket and a pair of curtain
poles held at right angles still wanders
through the throng, leav.>g destruction
and profanity in her trail. aud the small
woman with a perambulator and a bucket
of butter resting on the baby's toes still
wends her way across the lea. barking the
shins of everybody with whom she comes
IN contact. The man with the cider-mill
is still there. and will grind you a
drink OF cider out of your own
apples If you want him to do
SD. The horseraaish artists, who
grind out that tear-starlin c0ndiment in
suspicious proximity to the turnip-stands.
are still on hand: and the genius W no shows
yOu " " lucuu yOul OWH tiuWdIt Wltn "a
.tallow-candle and a scent bunch of his Sold
eL. still invites your careful consideration
OF his process. AS for the fruits and vege-
tables. they are mainly of the kind which
suggest the sere and solemn season of the
year. Walnuts are plentiful. and pawpaws
are a drug on the market. while the per-
simmon, with the pale blue tint which sug-
gests the necessary frost, is numerous and
cheap. The fall crop of tinware stock
lngs and wooden cOmforters seems to have
been a good one, and the yield of specracles
and cOllar-buttons was never surpassed.
The motto of the market is, IF You don't
see what you want, ask for it, and the
careful inquirer is rarely disappointed.
Yesterday afternoon. on a south-bound
Pennsylvania-street car. a passenger re-
fused to put his nickel in the slot when re-
quested by the driver so to do. On meet
ing a car with a conductor. the driver
hailed it. explaining the situation, and the
conductor collected the fare from the OBJ
stin ate passenger. The street-car company
has issued orders to drivers to call upon
the first passing conduct or to enforce pay
ment from his class of passengers. They
ing passengers of the line, otherwise the
loss of time by stopping the car while these
fares are taken up would cause much an
noyance TO business men who are in q
hurry.
BOARD OF TRADE PARAGRAPHS.