St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-05
THE BLUE JAY LIAR.
The Modern Munchausen Lets
Loose His Lurid Imagination.

The Modern Munchausen Lets
Loose His Lurid Imagination.
New York World
Don't you think it would pay for
some one to establish a restaurant in
this town." queried the Blue Jay liar
from the West, as he rode on the rear
platform of a Twenty-third street sur
face car yesterday.
"Why, we have thousand of 'em,
STRIP replied the astonished conductor.
"Not restaurants"
"Of course! can show you several
within the next two squares. There's
one right over there"
"Ahl That's what you call a restaur-
ant in New York, is it? Well. I'm glad
l found out. l've been looking for
three days and couldn't find one.'
Most any one could have directed
you, SIR"
"PIenty of them tried to. but when l
got inside the places | saw they were
wrong. What you call restaurant here
we call a free-lunch temple out West. i
don't suppose you have real, genuine
restaurant here, as your people would
not support such a thing"
The conductor mechanically rung up
a fare and stared hard at the stranger,
who continued:
"Went in place way down Broadway,
somewhere, and ordered everything on
the bill of fare and dozen extras, and
treated half dozen brokers to cham
payne. what 90 you suppose the Dill
WASP"
Fifty dollars, perhaps
ga little more. All they could make
it was sos, and [ felt like breaking up
the dishes. I'd like you to sit down i'll
a Western restaurant with me-sit down
to what we call noon lunch. They'll
average about $500 per plate, but you
never hear any kicking"
"Good lands, sir, but you don't tell
me a luncheon costs $500 out WeSt!'
gasped the conductor.
''Astonishes you, does it? Ever see
$4,000 mirror in a restaurantW
mo, SIR"
Ever see a place large enough to
seat 1900 people and give each seat?"
Never saw gold plates and knives
used here, take it?'
"Never, SIR"
swell, New York may grow to it after
a while. If could get about four acres
of land fronting Oh Broadway, near the
city hall, believe I'd spend about S1O.-
100000 to put up a restaurant and give
the thing trial. If it was failure,
suppose could turn the place into
riding school or an aquarium. Ever
been out West?'
mo, sir, but hear it's great cOun-
try" replied the conductor, as he pOck-
eted fare and forgot to ring up.
Must have heard it by letter, then,
for the New York press is too jealous to
say anything good about us. We have
now and then a horse car line out
there, but we run 'em for exhibition
to show strangers how people used 10
travel 200 years ago. Think you'd like
to go West"?'
II would, SIR"
swell, I'll see you again. Pm open
ing a cable line twenty-four miles long
at Denver and shall want about fifty
conductors. Might take few of you
boys out there as curiosities, but I'd
pay you we'll. Honest. of course?"
II am, SIR"
'That's good. The cables will be of
silver and the tassels on the cushion
seats of pure gold, and l want an honest
lot of conductors on the line. Pll drop
off here at Sixth avenue. l want to see
this Masonic Temple. We've got a new
lodge at Helena-abOut twenty-five
members-and the boys want to build
one Just like this, if it is roomy enough
to hold us and our traps. So long''