St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-08
PHASES OF LIFE.

favorite place for clandestine meetings.
1t is peculiarly adapted to that sort of
thing, too, in many ways, full of hooks
shaded by projecting walls from prying
eyes, which offer advantage to the
young couple who desire a cosy little
chat out of sight of the public. But it
ings which occur without the knOwl-
edge of papa OF mamma, meeting of
young girls with men with whom
they have struck up an ac-
Quaintance per a Irritation, but
of whom they know nothing
other than that they are good looking,
pleasant and possessed of engaging
manners. Appointments for down town
meetings would be dangerous for many
reasons, especially as friends of the girl
are likely to come along at any moment,
while the library is far enough up town
to be safe from ultro-watchful eyes.
Moreover, young Miss Indiscreet can
always find an excuse for going to the
library without exciting suspicion in
the mind of mamma. The library is
great convenience for these young peo-
pie, and, to all appearances, its advan-
tages are being appropriated.
Speaking of the public library calls to
mind an Improvement which might be
made in one department of that excel
lent institution. Some system of cata-
lOguing the periodicals, especially that
portion of them that is composed of
magazines and kept in inches or pigeon
holes, each magazine i'll a compartment
of it's own. AS the magazines are now
disposed one may sometimes be COM
PEELED to look through the whole
supply of magazines before find
ing the one that he wants,
whereas, If each pigeon-hole were
labelled with the name OF the periodical
finding resting place therein, it would
be vast convenience to the public.
Such labelling might appear out OF
keeping with the elegantly finished
library interior, but appearances should
never be allowed to stand in the way of
utility. 1t is suggested to Librarian
Putnam that he descend from the ether
to terra frma one day and institute
some such reform.
There is one feature of Minneapolis
life which is constant annoyance to
those who have to spend much time on
the streets in the down town portion of
the city, and that Is the presence on the
sidewalks of innumerable children's
tricycles, with children mounted there
on and propelIing them at rapid rate.
Should the adult rider of two-wheeled
conveyance dare to venture upon the
sidewalk within the range of vision of
the municipal police officer the chances
are that he would straightway be
led before The municipal bench and as
sessed part of his weeks salary. Now
the tricycle. used by the little girls occu-
pies more terrestrial space than does
the mans bicycle, but because there is
no law specifying that the children's
tricycles must be kept off the walk they
are allowed to cumber the paths of
pedestrians to an uncomfortable extent.
it is not intended here to cry against
the liberty and pleasures of the little
ones, who have scarcely enough room at
the best for out of door exercise, but
they should be compelled to confine
their cycling to the less frequented
streets. and restrained from mOnOpoliz-
ing Nicollet, Hennepin and Washington
avenues, and from barking the shinS Of
citizens who pay taxes.
One Alfred TennysoD, the one who
smokes clay pipes and who receives
. $40 cash and cask of wine in trade
every year for services rendered in
singing the praises of bow-legged scions
of ROYALTY, once took it upon himself to
enumerate the changes which come
over things, animate and inanimate, In
the season of rain and mud. but he for
got one. He failed to mention the
street takir or vender of trif1es. Despite
Alfred's neglect, the thoughts of the
fakir turn to the shady side of
the busy street in the spring time
gentle Annie just as naturally as do
those of the lawn tennis young man to
love. 1t is in the spring, and from
spring until late in the autumn, that the
fakir ''gets in his graft" When the
mercury gets to monkeying with the
attic Of the thermometer, the fakir can
stand around on the corner and sell his
shoe laces, collar buttons, suspenders,
lead pencils, walking birds and jump
ing frogs without using all alcohol
lamp and a fur oyercoat to
keep from freezing. This being
so, the fakir is now happy.
He was on the street yesterday, several
of him in fact, evidence of which was
given by portions of the walks being
densely crowded. Of course the fakir
musi make living, and to that end
must use the streets, but it would be a
public convenience if all the fakirs were
given the use of one street, or, better
still, an alley, where they could tran
sact business without clogging the
wheels of the world.