New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-07
CHANCES HERE AND THERE.

One Of the curiosities Of literaure-or rather. q
common spoech-is the Of initials instcad Of tho
full names Of societies, etc.. that are unfortunate
enough to be tho bearers Of long names Everybody
Is perfectly familiar with tho use OF Y NJ. c. A. and
a. r., which arc much oftsner employed than
Young Mems Christian Association and Grand Army
Of the Republic In fact among the members Of those
organizations the fun name Is rarely heard and In
their documents the practice Is to write the initials
only There arc many other similar cases. s. P. G. A.
ard 8 P. G. c. the accepted designations for the
two well known societies for the Prevention Of Cruelty
to Animals and Children. When one has to write or
use these titles ofen he Is tempted either TO use the
authorizations, to wish that the founders had gone to
the Greek for "philozocr and sphilopaedic.s In
England . member Of the House Of Commons Is
habtually spoken Of as an NJ. r., and the plural
NJ Ps, is as freely used, but nobody in this country
thinks Of abiding to Representative in Congress IS
an NJ c. although that is, according to the dictionary
permissible sbbrevation Among charitable workers
In this city ono hears the Charitable Organiza
ton Society mentioned 1t ~ always called tho c. o.
So s. I. c. p signifies the Society for Improving the
Condition OF the Poor. No member of the womans
Christian Temperance Union ever speaks Of that
ISOLATION as anything but the W. c. 7. U. Indeed. It
is related that on occasion. at meeting OF ono
Of the branch organizations, tho member who was
called on to open the proceedings with prayer de-
voutly asked that the choicest Of heavens bless
ings might rest on the W. @. I. u" Tho Brooklyn
branch Of this body is designated as the f. B. W. c.
4. u, which, being Interpreted, means the First
Brooklyn womans, etc. The incongruty of asso-
ciatng the name with the first Brooklyn woman does
not seem to have boon detected
What want to fndn said wellknown physician
the other day, is trained nurse who Is also
stenographer. typewriter and bookkeeper. There
arc plenty Of trained nurses and there also plenty
OF young women who writo shorthand and manIpuF
late typewriter. but the combination is something
that have looked for In vain thus far. The work
that have to do would Just occupy the time Of one
person who had all these accomplishments, but there
is not enough for two I want trained nurse to
assist me In Office cases and at tho time to take
notes Of both there and the hospitals There
is great deal Of valuable material lost because
physician does not have tmo to write down his OBJ
servatons In my own work only mako few
hasty notes of the most interesting features Of
and half the time when como to look at my notes,
day or two or a week aftcrward, can't read them
Such q person I have spoken Of could go with
me to hospital and follow every step In operation
as 1t going on, 1otting down everything to which
I called attention. Then, Of course, should wish
her TO attend to my correspondence and great deal
OF time would be saved for me II could dictate my
articles and addresses. Tho bookkeeping could be
done at odd times But said can't find the night
sort Of person. Tho trained doesn't take kindly
to stenography. which she regards a somewhat
mental employment and the stenoTaphcrs have no
taste for nursing, even II they had time to take a
two years. at OF the hospitals, which most
OF thcm haven't. II you hear Of any such person
| have described. however send her to me and will
guarantee her good wages and steady employment
But she has got TO be competent In both professions
as / suppose she would insist on calling them"
There is one way of making living in this city
which does not always smoothly. but which,
nevertheless. when 1t does run, Is not Improbable
The secret IS well known to newspaper men and to
all lcio travellers the elevated trains. There
has always been from time to timo man to DO
o'clock at night who retails amusement the weary
work for their homes. He Is a singer, or whistler,
or a banjo player He is usually II not always
negro These entertainers come and 20. for the
railroad officials not kindly to them. still,
however many Of them arc weeded out new one
eventually crops up. There is who is
working the Sixth-sve. road. He wears a rusty
ovcrcoat, generously developed mouth, well-worp
black felt hat and banjo He plays his instru-
ment with lively entertaining air, which is sufficient
y catching to draw all travellers IN tho train into
his car. He varies his performance with singing.
His voice is wretched, but seems to mind
that, for he gathers in goodly amount Of coppcrs
and small silver sufficient encouragement TO him.
no doubt, not TO speak OF the occasional applause
which stirs him to efforts. HIS life viii DO
short in this direction, for the officials will soon
stop his profitable business. but he Is making money
while 1t lasts, and there IS doubt that he will
In his turn find success, to Ill bis place.