Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-17
TALK OF THE TOWN.

tesy on the Cars-A Nurse Girl Millionaire
Novel Message-Cigarette sauce-Tht
Topical Takers Gossip.
AFTER the performance the other evening
at the Festival, Anton Seidl pitched into
Pittsburg's street .pavements- in fine style
He said they were disgrace to a city OF
Pittsburg's standing, and refused to take
back word when Director Johnston, of the
Exposition, told him that Pittsburg had
plenty of well-paved streets in the East End
and elsewhere. Mr.. Seidl insisted upon re-
ferring to the streets adjacent to Mechanical
Hall, which he declared were in q shameful
condition, as o good many of those who
drove or walked to the Festival will be in.
clined to admit.
Afterward Director johnson said to me:
'1 have every reason to believe that the
present condition of Duquesne way and
other streets near the Exposition will soon
be remedied. Before the fall season opens 1
believe that the greater portion of Duquesne
way, and at least that in front of the Expo
sitfon grounds will have been put into first
class order. An appropriation was made by
Councils some time ago to the extent of
$4,000 for the Improvement of Duquesne
way. Chief Bigelow has already advertised
for iron pipe for larger water supply, and
/ understand that there will be no delay in
laying the pipe as soon as the contract is
let. The re-paving of DuQuesne way will
follow the laying Of the pipe, and know
that Mr.. Bigelow Is disposed to do all he can
to improve the approaches to the Exposi-
tion, and that he will push matters, now
that Councils have given him the money.
Everyone must admit that the improve
ment of the paving in the streets named is
one of the most important that could be
made in the entire city. Just think of it
during the 40 days the Exposition is open
hearty half million people travel over these
streets. There are in addition the thou
sands who attend the entertainments-take
the Festival for instance-gfven in the Ex-
wRho 9o TO Say n0tnng OF those
In the course of their business each day.
Visitors from other cities and the country
are unfavorably impressed with Pittsburg
as city when they see thoroughfare so
much in use in such bad shape. 1 am glad
that Mr.. Bigelow is now in position to take
the matter in hand, and know that it is no
1ault or his, but simply for lack of funds
tnat ne has not done 80 sooner. Mr.. Bigelow
sees the need for the improvement, and
has done his best to forward them"
A Street Car Autocrat.
BURR MCINTOSH, the actor, said the other
day: "There is big difference between the
street car conductors of Pittsburg and some.
you meet on the surface cars in New York.
One day last winter was riding in Sixth
town crossing. They were both anxious as
women often are lest they should be carried
beyond their destination, and as the car
sped uptown, first one and then the other
reminded the conductor to set them off at
Fourteenth street and Sixteenth street re-
spectively. The conductor had all the
characteristics Of a Bowery tough, a
fieEedihhg forehead prominent a1Sin lower
ger in his walk, and he showed
1mpatlence when the ladies repeated their
directions. Finally one of them said again:
glared at her and replied: 'Yez
got on that ther same place an yez'n get Off
at ther same place.
1.-THE ladies were so badly scared that
both got out of the car as fast as they could"
Some Transformations.
sTHE growth Of value in real estate makes
some strange transformations, said banker
to me recently. stNot more than a dozen
years ago young woman was employed in
my house as nurse. She was q good nurse,
and the only thing my wife disliked about
her was that she affected great secresy about
her antecedents, and practically gave no ref
erence for character, saying that she had
never been in domestic service before, and
that her family lived in or near New York
City. But she stayed with us two years, and
then one day left suddenly without any ex-
planation further than that her father had
lied and her presence was required at home.
Last Z winter my wife went South, and in the
woman of 81 Or so whose face
seemed strangely familiar. She could not
place her, however, and it was not until
was handsomely and correctly dressed, and
was accompanied her maid, came up to my
wife and introduced herself as the qtondans
Nurse. The story the woman told to account
'or the change in her circumstances was
somewhat extraordinary, but I have since
verified the most important part oft, namely,
,he fact that she Is at tpresent a very wealthy
Eoman. It appears that she was the
FORK, and after violent quarrel with her
ather left home and sought to make living
Is servant. Her father was never recon
,iled to her, but her mother, who survived
1im, made her sole heir to the estate he left.
ny nurse girl found herself in posses
ion of real estate and other prop |
,rty worth in the .neighborhood of |
lalf million dollars. But the point |
n the story, singular as it all was, which in |
crested me most related to the increase in |
yalue of real estate in the business part Of |
Sew York in the course of less than half a |
century. About 40 years ago the father of |
his woman bought three houses on Sixth |
venue, somewhere between Fourteenth and |
Twenty-third streets, for 1900, or $1,000 |
piece. To-day each of these houses, now |
torres with dwelling rooms above them, |
ecently the present owner wisely refused |
250 900 for them. The woman, who was /
Wiling to look after my youngsters for $3 |
week ten or twelve years ago, had the kind
hen than she is now with money accumu-
ating faster than she can find investments
Or it."
Lost More Than They Found.
MANAGER JENKs tells me singular story
bout two lost festival tickets. One morn |
ng last,week lady came to him and said
D him that she had lost q couple of tickets
ropped them in a downtown store she
hought. She could point out-and she did
exact location of the seat
n the box office plan. Manager jerks felt
e could rely upon the veracity of the lady,
d. he knew her to be of excellent social
tanding and her manner of telling the story
arried conviction with 1t, so he gave her
special card of admission, and instructed
ne doorkeeper and ushers to give her the
eats Indicated on the card. Then to prevent
nv possible trouble he told the ushers that
the lost tickets were presented to give the |
olders seats in box.
Well, the night came, and sure enough
ouple'of people came in with the lost tick
Is, and when the usher obeyed his instruc- |
ons and told them .courteOusly that owing |
} mistake-a generous term to use-he
ould have to ask them to take seats in
OK, they were prodigiously indignant and
the seats in the box which they
ad bought!
They didn't get the seats and-well, there
no use in moralizing over it, but some re-
oectable people-and the finders of the lost
ckets looked respectable-have q singular
onception of honesty, have they not?
The Cook Smoked Cigarettes.
81 DIDN'T enjoy my dinner to-day" said
ittsburger yesterday.
"Whatwas wrong with it?" asked friend.
"Oh, trifie-an incident of French cook
g. ordered some green peas and when