Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-11
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Deliberate Murder Committed in the Sale
OF Spoiled Foods-Robbing StenogrsPh-
ers-How an Elephant Drinks Beer
How Small the World Really Is.
tFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT


the sale of spoiled food. The other day
great hubbub was raised over the discover.
of copperas on grapes, a slight deposit lef
from spraying mixture used to destroy Cd
noxious insects, and large quantities of thu
grapes were seized and the bottom knocked
out of the general grape market for the sea
Son. 1t was afterward ascertained that {
consumer would have to eat n ton of grapes
before he could get enough poison to make
one dangerous dose of poison.
The raids upon the spoiled food market
the tainted meats and rotten fish have, how
ever, u more substantial foundation II
reason. Unfortunately for the health of the
city these efforts are not long sustained OF
very sweeping. They do not cover enough
ground. Spoiled food is as common in this
city as flies in summer time. The two evils
go hand in hand. Outside of the best places
spoiled food is so common and offensive
that it is impossible to wholly get away
from it. Decayed fruit and vegetables are
exhibited in front of every grocery. Stink
ing fish and meats faint the air of every
small butcher shop. These are all sold to
somebody. Very often they are slyly tucked
into an order of persons who have paid for a
sound and healthy article, though they are
mostly disposed of at q low figure to the
poorer population. Even first-class grocers
are not above putting in a spoiled banana,
rotten orange, couple of de-
cayed peaches, or something of
that kind at the bottom of the measure
where the customer has paid for sound food,
And your butcher is not apt to tell you that
the cut you are getting is q trifle tainted,
but will next morning listen to your COM
plant with careless indifference or a look of
injured innocence. This hurts nobody ex-
cept in temper, because you Will not eat the
spoiled food anyhow, and only swear at
being robbed. As you cannot stand by with
q club to see your order put up, and haven't
dan 0r16 oil fNf a m a
every time before it is cut, this will be re-
peated until you begin to accept it as a nee
essary evil
But with the very poor it is quite different.
On the lookout for cheap article they fall
upon spoiled food of all kinds as regular
diet. When one sees what is sold here every
day and carried home for family consump-
tion, it seems wonderful that epidemics Of
various diseases do not tread upon
each others heels and sweep away
multitudes. have no doubt that
tens of thousands die here annually
from the use of food that was spoiled when
sold them, and was known at the time to be
SO spoiled by the seller. That one man gives
or sells another poison because the latter
wants it is not considered either a moral or
legal release from criminal completely in
case of death-except in this matter of rotten
food. In this we calmly permit the acces-
sorry before the fact to go on with his insidi-
Gus work, whereas the law should hold him
to strict accounta b1lity.
An Elephants Beer Glass.
There is usually a sporting air about
the dressing room of certain well-known
actors. One hot night n short time ago
happened in upon De Wolf Hopper at the
Broadway. They were just setting the
scenery for the second act of that charming
comic opera 'Wang," and I lodged the beer
guzzling elephant just as it was being
swung up out of the way of the chorus girls
and slipped into Hopper's dressing room.
He had Just come off and was perspiring
like quarter horse. But this did not inter-
fere with heated discussion between him.
self and his handsome tenor, Stanley, as to
the merits and demerits of the sluggers in
recent prize fight. Several bets were offered
and taken; all the time the comedians
dresser, a slim young man in a carefully
nursed moustache and a French soldiers
uniform, was getting his principal ready for
the next act. Hopper Is something or an
athlete himself and his stalwart figure
seemed almost gigantic in this small room
presently, but soon returned with great
beads trio king over the grease paint.
"a hot night and a cold house" 4" said he In
disgust. 81 didn't get hand. Factl Where
] usually get an encore I never got handl
Hot night always gives a cold house."
"Well go a tenner apiece" said Tenor
Stanley continuing the sporting conversa-
tion where it had been broken off by
.
And if"
At this juncture the stage director asked
me If ever saw the bottom of an elephants
beer glass, and thereupon kindly showed
me that work of stage art. 1t was fiat
bottomed plain cylindrical glass with q
handle like the regulation mug and had
hole in the bottom plugged with a cork.
This mug holds about q gallon, and when it
is brought on and set casually upon the
table it covers a certain hole on the latter.
When the elephant sneaks in and dips his
L. L. I, la1, khlr
wing pulls a string and knocks the cork out;
and thus, while the audience is laughing
heartily at the elephants capacity for beer,
and wondering where it all goes to-, the
liquid is rapidly running through the hole
into bucket under the table.
Imposing on the stenographers.
One of the latest schemes that is being
worked to get something for nothing is the
ofstenographer's of advertisements
In the daily papers with requests for trial.
Of course, a lady stenographer who wants
Job does not object to a fair test of her
When a business man sends for
one of these however, and tries her on a
whole mornings work, and the mornings
work being done. either thinks she won't do
or offers her ridiculously small salary, he
usually gets so much work for nothing. If
be just keeps that up, making different
he can have a new stenogra-
pher and typewriter every morning of the
probable that any man would thus take
advantage of young women seeking en-
ployment But it is an unquestionable fact
that a certain class of alleged business men
are guilty of this very thing. A man like
that would rob a graveyard.
Ghost Walks at Theaters.
Every now and then the public is in
formed through the press that some one OF
the city theaters is haunted. This new ad-
~ ooh fn hor,
planted the usual diamond racket of the
leading lady or the matrimonial scandal OF
the first gentleman. The latest theater to
be haunted is the Star. They say ghosts
walk there every night. This will certainly
create run on the part of the profession
for employment IN that particular theater,
as ghost walking is the most interesting
part of the theatrical business so far as the
performers are concerned. In most theaters
# the ghost walks once a week it is highly
to the profession. If we can
0nly have a theater where the ghost walks
every night there will be certainly a stam-
Dede for that theater.
Pleasantly aside, it is curious to note these
evidences of theatrical superstition. A
short time ago ghost made its appearance
On the walls of the old Fifth Avenue The |
,ter. Crowds of people gathered about the |
even more seriously by members of the the |
ltrical guild, and nothing would. have in
luced one or them to enter the ruins while |
lis ghostship was on deck. By the by, |
wonder whether the Star ghost is the same
apparition that created a sensa-
ion on Twenty eighth street, or is he q
brand new tirst-appearance-upo
How would it do TO get up pools on the next
theatrical appearance of this rather hack
Keyed ghost?
Two Remarkable Condolences.
This world very often seems to be a
mall affair. Everybody who has travelled
much has unexpectedly met unexpected
people in the most faraway and unexpected
places. Mr.. P. f. Studebaker, the great |