Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-09
MURRAY,S MUSINGS.


How the Household Beat Gets on In Great
Gotham-Confusion Over the New Elec-
tion Laws-The Proposed Railroad Tun-
nel-The Latest Fad.
1FRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
A GOOD many interesting stories have been
written about tramps. If the autobio-
craphy of one of that peculiar type of tramp
indigenous here, the househOlding beat. could
be truthfully obtained it would probably dis
count any romance of the slums. The house
holding tramp is the head of a family He may
or may not be employed in legitimate business.
1t makes very little difference as he is possessed
of infinite cheek and ample references. Un-
like the solitary wanderer of the streets, he
affects great resources, and his dash and as
surance quite takes the man of his feet who
would question his eminent responsibility. In
fact, he usually takes uuquestioned that for
which an honest man must give bonds. 1 have
seen one of these individuals get the gas turned
on at his fat without deposit where the COM
pany required that security of me. The only
satisfaction had was the ultimate laugh when
the company was stuck for three months of
bills unpaid. The same man managed to get
three months rent for one months pay, and
about the same proportion of something for
nothing from every tradesman in the neigh
Dorhood- Then he moved out with his family
into fresh feld-which can be found in this
great city four or five blocks from the last
scene of operations.
This family of four persons changes neigh
borhoods about once in three months on the
average. They live with Fl rurish. They pay
money only to make a snow and establish
eredlt; The tradesman or house owner who
mas them Tor customers invariably gets left.
Perhaps on years living they pay for three OF
four months living. There is no law TO catch
them-not even the law of false pretenses nor
no a I'm ir71,I- Z,
hold effects cannot be dis rained Nothing can
be recovered by suit. To get Judgment is
sending good money after bad. Thus they go
scot free to work other cOnfidinC people of
fresh neignborhoods. This city is full of such
people. The stories of landlords and house
agents concerning their operations would fill
to do business in New Y ork and escape these
householding beats.
A Feature of SweIIdOm.
a CONSPICUOUS feature of the swell theaters
and hotels is the gorgeous funky whose
business it is to open carriage doors. Some of
the swell shopping places employ the man or
boy in buttons to perform this great act. Tue
individual is usually big colOred gentleman
who wears blue and gold and an air OF owner.
ship important enough to include block on
Broadway. The sight of one of these darkies
IS enough to make the ordinary man feel as il
the greatest mistake he ever made was not
having been born To the buttons
How Grover Got Registered.
A LARGE man walked into one of the impro-
vlsed polling booths in the vicinity of
Madison avenue on the first day of registra-
tion. -Four or five men sat around the tables
copying lists and preparing their books. They
paid no attention to the conner until he said,
after waiting patiently awhile: II would like to
register"
clerks rather grpffiy. The rest looked at the
would-be voter raIher suspiciously.
mo. 6l6 Madison avenue" was the reply,
whats your namep'
"GrOyer Cleveland"
The man started as if he were shot. He was
SO excited that his book fell tine floor. while
de gang" rose 10 their feet and aWk wardly ex-
pressed their confusion by removing their hats
Meanwhile the eX-President of the United
States registered like any other citizen, and
walked away very much amused.
The Latest Mourning Fad.
OF ALL the fashionable fads Of this great
metropolis that accentuation of domestic
grief which shows itself in black shirt, black
collar and cuffs and white studs. white cuff
buttons and white necktie, Is about the most
ridiculous. Fashionable New York will soon
be dining at Delmorico's and promenading
Broadway with miniature collins for jewery
and artificial tears painted on the cheeks. 1t
is doubtful whether such people could really
shed any other kind but genuine hand-painted
tears. When women put their toddIng children
in deep mourning and rode in the Park with
their pOOdleS decked with Grape it seemed that
this sort of thing could go no further. Now
that men have taken to black shirts and sable
handkerchiets. however, the onus of tomfoolery
is removed from the shoulders of wOmankind.
1t is enough to make the dead turn over In
their tombs and tear their shrouds to ribbons.
New YorI's New Election Law.
| THE new election laws threw the city of New
York in a state of panic. From day to day
I the newspapers published diagrams of how the
| elector should exercise his right OF franchise,
| and these were accompanied by the most elaD-
crate instructions. Notwithstanding all of this,
the voters of every precinct were in great fear.
In the first place, there were many tickets in
the field that anybody but the most accom-
plished politicians were apt to be confused.
Nobody could tell just who his particular can
didates were. At the polling places were
erected booths something like 4 bath-tub on
end and from these booths, which were $50 feet
from the polling places the representatives of
the various tickets peddled the tickets of their
respective candidates. The scene enacted in
| the vicinity Of these precincts was often too
| amusing and too annoying TO satisfy local poll
| clans. whatever may have been the effect on the
| general public. AS the new system has been
| adopted by several States, it is unnecessary 20
| explain it here. But that it generally upset
| the precOnceived notions of the average voter
who desired by his ballot to express his prefer
| ence for one candidate over another is now a
matter of history. Some friends of mine in
| sisted that was IN one of the voting booths
| over Is minutes. was ready TO swear that 1
| had not been thus occupied more than two
| minutes. How less intelligent voter could
| get through the mill within less time-and If in
| less time, how much less time-bothers me.
| f.nI
York ever had by which the electors might ex-
press their preference for their respective can
| didates Nobody kicks against the system.
The Big Railroad Tunnels.
| THE great railroad problem of the future is
being solved by two great enterprises so far
as New York is commemorative silent, steady
work of the company that is tunneling North
river, and the contemplated work of the COM