Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-09
SOME VERY QUEER MEN.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF SEW
ERAL cHlCAGOANS.

|
Recluse Who Finds Recreation Only in
| Playing the Zither-A German Who Acts
Like a Neapolitan, and an Italian Who
| Is Saxon in Manners.
ssThere is no such thing as national charac-
teristics, in spite of all that's said. Now,
there is a man over there" and he pointed to
the Board of Trade building, "who is a ma
| tive OF northern Germany, what is usually
called a low Dutchman' Yet you would
never suspect it. He has black hair, swarthy
| complexion, always touch and go in all he
undertakes, wildly gesticulating when ami
mated, fierce in hate and violent in affections
in short, he reaches the popular idea of a
| Neapolitan or man from the south of Italy
or Spain. Yet he was born on marshy soil
| in Holstein, right in the ocean fogs, and his
name is as German as Smith is Ess2ish, fol
| it is Mueller-Hans Mueller. Opposing him
| in nearly every deal is willy man of italian
| descent, who is just his opposite in every
way, decided blonde slow and methodical
| i'll his movements, of heavy build, consider
! able stomach and face as Yed as the outside
of an Edom cheese, very phlegmatic and OF
easy, good nature. I'll give you the address
| VI u lew SUCH ulcll, all Ol WHO'LL L nave De
| come acquainted with"
A PAIR OF ODD ONES
| The first of the men was a middle aged
German. Men of his nationality bear the
reputation with Americans of being sociable
jolly, pleasure loving, seldom missing pic
mic, dance, OF any other frolic if it be handy
This German, who lives on Robey street
Lake View, and makes comfortable living
by finishing or ''retouching' photographs fol
! certain firms, has not been to a picnic, ca
rousal, ball, theatre concert, museum OF any
| other place Of amusement or instruction since
he landed in America full generation ago
| Yet he doesn't know more than five or sly
streets in Chicago today after SO many year,
| Of residence.
| The only recreation this man has in hi,
clam like, solitary existence is to play thl
either. Over this sweet toned instrument h
spends all his leisure time, and he is a bril-
liant performer, perhaps the best in Chicago
! There is no Strauss waltz that his nimbl
| fingers do not rattle off with perfect melody,
| no new operetta, no new song OF ditty, nc
| street ballad and no catchy tune Of any kline
that he, back there in his clustered home
| doesn't by some magic trick at once possess
himself of. And thus he spends his days, ano
| thus he will undoubtedly end them.
| Right in the heart of the French Canadian
settlement in this city, in a cottage but hall
| block removed from Father Bergeron's
| church, lives little old French marquis-a
| genuine one; no flies on his crest. This ole
| gentleman, a veritable relic of the old re
| gime, with his faded frock coat of blue, gill
! buttons, white lawn neckcloth and old fash
| ioned CATERS, has stormy and very curious
existence back Of him. He is very retiring
CHI and md fba ie how, l,
ever came to make such a busting, almost
aggressively active city as ours his final home
| OF course he lives in exile and reduced cir
| cumstances, but what weighty reasons they
were which induced him to leave his beloved
| Paris and wander off to Chicago to spend his
| declining days it was impossible to make him
| tell.
| The miniature portrait of his sire, painted
on ivory, still hangs over his curiously carved
| spindle legged eScritoire, and he is the Mar
| quiS de Nj to himself and to all who know
him. But, like Achilles, there is just one
| vulnerable spot in his armor-he is very fond
| of billiards. And he often takes occasion to
measure cues with member of the vulgar
herd. But whomsoever he plays with,
whether winner or loser of the game, he in
sists in his mild but irresistible fashion, on
being paid all the respect due his rank, and
he is never addressed otherwise than by his
full name and title.
HELPS HIS TRADE.
1t is not so with an old Italian gentleman,
who, as the reporter was credibly informed,
was born in the Roman states with a ducaj
coronet on his brow. Untoward circum-
stances, among which were the fall of the
papal power and run of bad luck at cards.
played havoc with his rank and the re-
naming fragment of his inherited wealth
He emigrated less from choice than necessity,
and today ne holds the important post of
janitor in a downtown business building.
Nobody, however, who sees him going out
with ash box, broom and mop, would sus-
pect that this ragged form with the beard OF
six days growth belonged to one whom birth
had marked for another career.
Perhaps as queer type as any to be found
in Chicago is that of little old man, a Saxon
by birth and a resident of this city for thirty
seven years. Originally a silk weaver by
trade, he has drifted away from that and
finally became the owner of small corner
grocery on West Randolph street. Saxons
are proverbial in Germany for the facility
with which they acquire knowledge of
foreign languages Ali the more surprising
is it that this little old man, after all the
years he has spent in America, has learned
absolutely no English In his inability to
''catch on" to the correct pronunciation OF
English words, even those he hears hundred
times day, Mr.. Weisse is really unique Of
this inability, though, let it be understood,
he is quite unconscious. And in the constant
shuttle which such words have undergone on
his tongue he has just as unconsciously and
gradually evolved vocabulary of his own.
Generally the words he has thus formed bear
some association in his mind with German
words he knows,
Thus he speaks of Douglas Park as ssDer
Glass Park' 1.-THE Glass Park, of Lincoln
Park as "Iinksum Parl' left About Face
Park, of Randolph street as ''Rettig stetrittn
tRadish street,, of Madison street as ''Maed-
chen stetritt" QNaiden street,, of Mayor
Cregier as "Major Krieger" Major War
rior), etc., etc. The effect produced by this
unwilling punning on his part is ludicrous in
the extreme, and the funniest thing about it |
is that the old man will wear puzzled ex-
preston on his face and will show an utter
incapacity to see where the joke comes in |
whenever he has set his customers in a roar
There is one thing about all this, though
His amusing peculiarities bring him more
trade than he has any idea of; people go to
hear him talk lust to have n good so11ara