Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-24
SOME VERY QUEER MEN.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF SEW
ERAL CHicAGOANs.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC OF SEW
ERAL CHlcAGOANs.
| A Recluse Who Finds Recreation Only in
Playing tho Zither-A German Who Acts
Like Neapositan, and an italian Who
L. Saxon in Manners.
''There is no such thing as national charac-
teristics, in spite of all that's said. Now,
there is man over there" and he pointed to
the Board of Trade building, ''who is ma
tive of northern Germany, what is usually
called 'low Dutchman.' Yet you would
never suspect it He has black hair, swarthy
compilation, always touch and go in all he
undertakes, wildly gesticulating when ami
mated, fierce in hate and violent in affections
lin short, he reaches the popular idea Of a
Neapolitan or man from the south of Italy
or Spain Yet he was born on marshy sol,
in Holstein, right in the ocean fogs, and his
name isas German as Smith is English, for
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
in his movements, of heavy build, consider
able stomach and face as red as the outside
Of an Edom cheese, very phlegmatic and Of
easy, good nature. I'll give you the address
of a few such men, all of whom / have be-
come acquainted with"
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 a pic
mic, dance, or 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 for
certain firms, has not been to picnic, ca
rousal, bali, theatre, concert, museum or any
other place of amusement or instruction since
he landed in America full generation ago..
Yet he doesn't know more than five or six
streets in Chicago today after so many years
Of residence
The only recreation this man has in his
clam like, solitary existence is to play the
zither. Over this sweet toned instrument he
spends all his leisure time, and he is bril-
liant performer, perhaps the best in Chicago.
There is no Strauss waltz that his nimble
fingers do not rattle off with perfect melody,
no new operetta, no new song or ditty, no
street ballad and no catchy tune of any kind
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, and
thus be viii undoubtedly end them.
Right in the heart of the French Canadian
settlement in this city, in cottage but half
a block removed from Father Bergerons
church, lives little old French marquis-a
genuine one; no flies on his crest. This old
tahl IF he al
gine, with his faded frock coat OF blue, gilt
buttons, white lawn neckcloth and old fash
Toned CATERS, has stormy and very curious
existence back of him He is very retiring,
shy and gentle, and the wonder is how he
ever came to make such busting, almost
aggressiyely active city as ours his final home
OF course he lives in exile and reduced cir
cusnstances, 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
ten.
Tho miniature porsrait of his sire, painted
on ivory, still hangs over his curiousfy carved
spindle legged escTitoire, 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 arrnor-he is very fond
Of billiards. And he often TAKES occasion to
measure cues with member of the vulgar
heFd. 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.
It Is not SO with an old Italian gentleman,
who, as the reporter was credibly informed,
was born in the Roman states with ducal
coronet on bis brow. Untoward circumr
stances, among which were the fall of tho
papal power and run of bad luck at cards,
played havoc with his rank and the re-
manning fragment Of his inherited wealth.
He emigrated less from choice taan necessity,
and today he holds the important post of
janitor Ia 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 littleold man, Saxon
by birth and a residentof this city for thirty
seven years. Originally a silk weaver by
trade, he has drifted away from that and
finally became the owner of q small corner
grocery on West Randolph street. Saxons
are proverbial in Germany for the facility
with which they acquire a knowledge of
foreign languages. All the more surprising
is it that this little old man, after all Inc
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,
lie is quite unconscious And in the constant
shuttle which such words have undergone on
his tongue he has just as unconscioasly 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 der
Glass Park" THE Glass Park, Of Lincoln
Park as "Linksum Park" LEFT About Face
Park, of Randolph street as Rettig stetritt"
(Radish street., of Madison street as ''Maed-
chen stetrItV' (Maiden street,, of Mayor
Cregier as Major krieger" major War
nor, 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 viii wear puzzled ex-
presxfon on his face and viii show an utter
incapacfsy to see where the joke comes in
whenever he has set his customers in a roar
Tpaya II orQ thing ahpryt all the