Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
THE TOPICAL TALKER.

| No Flats In Pittsburg and the Probable
Reason Why-A "Reminiscences About
MIR. studley - The KewubOy's Idea of
Big Men-What of That.
a correspondent, evidently lady. but who,
singularly, is not courteous enough to
| sign her name, asks me: Are there any fats or
! apartment houses in either OF the cities? II
there are not, what appears to be the reasonT
This ANONYMOUS query is worth answering
because it is often asked, and for other reasons
which will appear later on. Competent author
tiles inform me that there are, properly speak
| ing, no '.dats," as the term is understood IN
| New York and other large cities where such
| buildings are numerous in either city. There
is an apartment house in Allegheny and an
other in Pittsburg-but neither Of them are
considerable affairs.
Why there are not fats in these cities is not
an easy question to answer. One suggests that
it is because the people of Pittsburg and Allie
gheny are fond of homes in the shape of whole
houses. But so are people in New York, and
they have taken to fats because house rents,
as many think they are here, are outrageously
high. The fact seems to me to be that the ad-
vantages of the 'hat" its coziness and conven-
ience especially for a small family, are not un-
derstood here, There are enough Pittsburg-
ers, however, who have seen She fiat" in New
York, Chicago or elsewhere to make big nat
building a profitable investment, if it were
built in a good situation. Near the parks in
Allegheny would be favorable Site Central
Park in New York is Delted with fat and
apartment houses.
7 H. Rowe, the veteran actor, said to me
j yesterday: ~ saw that sterling American
actor, J. B. Studley, at the Bijou Theater last
night, which brings to my mind the burning of
the Brooklyn Theater about 1S years ago. Mr..
Studley was the jacques Froehardi in The Two
Orphans on that occasion. A number of panic
stricken people who rushed over the stage
from the front Of the house, and in their fright
lost all control of themselves, could not find
their way out of the burning building. On
seeing Mr.. Studley they appealed to him for
help, and while he himself had narrow escape,
he managed to pilot them safely out of the
theater. I remember on one occasion after
this at the old Bowery Theater. New York, his
reception must have lasted two minutes by the
watch.
His performances of LudoUtco, Master
Walter, IR9omdT, Pierre Michel, Bill Sykes
and other parts safely stamp him as an artist
in the full sense of the word; thorough stage
manager, creator of parts, an actor, scholar
and q gentleman, and as full of talent as a
watermelon is full of Seeds"
To all of Mr.. Rowe's eulogy can say amen.
EsA
CEvERAL theatrical managers in nearby
towns have asked the Sewicklsy Valley Club
to repeat their excellent performance of
"Esmeralda" for the filthy but almighty dol
lar. But faithful to their traditions. and it
must be added, with proper sense of the fit
ness of things, the Sewickley amateurs have
declined to play for rewards more substantial
than applause.
One manager in an Ohio river town offered
the club a certainty of $500 cash. which is q
good deal more than the average professional
company can drag out OF that town, let me tell
you. The manager knew well enough he could
get his money back.
TIE dozens of bands which assisted the gall
liant Mechanics yesterday in honor1ng the
memory of Washington achieved an extraOr-
dinary triumph. 1t was not the amount of noise
they made, nor the skill of individuals or
groups of players which startled me, and lots of
others, no doubt. They played actually some
new tunes-marches which had not been heard
five hundred and fifty-fve thousand times be-
fore. OF course the old tunes, or some of them,
are welcome. General Sherman says he's
slightly weary of hearing 'Marching Thro'
Georgia." and mere civilians may be allowed to
say the same of other notable marches
For myself like the stirring war quIcksteDs
and il is not OF them that complain by infer
ence when applaud the appearance of new
measures in the repertoire of our brazen bands.
But there are some terrible old-timers among
the marching airs popular with local musicians,
and for their removal there will be sincere
WHEN President Harrison was in this city |
last week a conversation took place be- |
tween two newsboys on Diamond street, which |
deserves to be reported.
"Goin' ter see der President tonight, |
Backy ?" said one boy to the other.
What fur? I doan know der President"
but he's mighty big man."
"Big, is he ?'' repeated the boy called Blacky, |
"Big, is he ? seen his pict-
ure, an he amt SO Highland he raised
backing brush to level with his head, and |
then wenT on: mo. sirree-ifI wan ter see
big men I'll take squint at Chris Magee, or
Dan Silvis-they're big, they areP'
#.#
THE newsboy's lack of reverence reminds me
of story told about that queer old char
acter, Joe Shriver, who kept the hotel in Econ |
omy in the days when that quaint place was |
peopled by Economics
A sIeighing party drove up to the hotel one |
evening, and while supper was being prepared. |
one of the ladies, who had known Economy |
since childhood, had the temerity to approach |
the little den where Mr.. Shriver secluded him
self She said the old man looked so lonely that |
she would try to cheer him up. She did all the |
talking. She told him about all the people in |
the world outside he had known as children, |
and she particularly enlarged upon the good |
fortune of one man, who as a small boy |
shriver had often seen. This man had been ap-
pointed to rather high place in the diplomatic |
service of the United States. She described the
Importance of the consulate, its dignities and
and wound up quite an eloquent
little speech with, "And, Mr.. Shriver, every.
BODY calls Mr. Consul nowr'
Mr.. Shriver looked up for the first time and
said querulously: What of that ?''
HEPBURN JOHNS.