Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-06
MURRAYS MUSINGS.
Making Money by Postponing Projected
Enterprises A Girrs Pretty Hands
Millionaires Who Are Ignorant-False
Teeth for Fighting Dogs : Odds and

trhOM A bTAFr COhhESPONDENT.1
The case of Count Mitkiewicz and his
Chinese concessions, which gets a pretty
thorough overhauling in tile newspaper
press occasionally. illustrates queer phase
OF metropolitan life There is considerable
money In many an undeveioped scheme that,
once developed and put to the test, would
prove financial failure. To bring things
to a focus fs to kill the goose that lays the
golden eggs. Take suoh mysterious attrac-
tions as the Keeiy motor-by the by, what
has become OF Mr.. Keely and his motorf-
the alleged Chinese concessions the Isthmian
canals, the recovery of Kidd's treasures, the
search for the forgotten mines-any scheme,
IN fact, that is mysterious and not readily
demonstrabie to the ordinary mind, and
plenty Of money can be found to I'LL the
pockets OF its proprietors and managers.
The art Of getting this money as long as
possible is in cleverly balancing success and
failure. One is played against the other.
This can be done so that u man who has put
in $4,000 to develop" the scheme can be
called upon successfully again and again.
Rather than lose what he has already In
vested he win submit to more or less addi-
t1onaI extortiOn. In this way the unde-
veioped scheme is made to pny handsome
such schemes and schemers. Though they
nave often been exposed by the newspapers
they find new believers and fresh capital on
every hand. 1t Is not an easy thing to de-
termine the legitimate from the illegftimate
when IL come to business speculation. One
often fades imperceptibly fnto the other as
truth may fade into falsehood, leaving no
telltale line OF demarcation.
Children Are to BE Seen.
The other day some literary friends
sat down to lunch. There were two chill
dren, boys of 7 and 4, about whom some dis-
pr1a A.
4-year-old said proudly that he was of such
gentle disposition that she was never
ashamed TO have him at the table with grown
people. The conversation naturally as
sumed literary tinge, and the +year-old
wisely confined himself TO his peaches and
Se a% %esa openn shsy ans G
blue eyes fun upon his nearest neighbor, o
bright woman ofletters, he gravely said:
Are you reading Peter Ibbetsonr"
party; but the little fellow explained his
position Immediately afterward with the
naive remark: "That's what mamma al
ways asks people"
Phase Of Superstition.
Those who are superstitious stop and
glance wonderingly at q new tailoring estaD-
lishment on upper Broadway. Before the
sign was fairly mp you could hear, II wonder
who's going in there" "well, well," Some
body's got nerve" "I1l give him three
months" Nobody but tailor could ever
buck successfully against fate" All this
because of this new shop in a well-known
place. The popular uptown opinion, being
of rather sporting and theatrical turn, fs
to the effect that bad luck attaches to this
that have invariably foio~ed folio % is '1s Occupancy %
by other tenants there would seem to be
some ground for the superstition.
Il is q narrow, Insignificant building. fin.
nn nNft = hasa ,loa I,,&,rr 1ar In
the most expensive style inside, vain scoting.
counters, shelving and ceiling. Perhaps 70
tenants have occupied this one room within
the last few years. The commercial careers
of half dozen tailors strew the shore, half a
dozen saloons and restaurants, picture deal
ers, ,stationers and all sorts of shops have been
washed up here and floated away again on
the next tide. From month to three
months settled most of them. Not less than
$500, 900 have been sunk there in these small
business ventures within half a dozen years.
tleman, ran the place he called Bohemia"
there the longest. Bohemia" had such a
bad reputation that after q long time of
comparative immunity from the law the po-
lice were compelled to break It up. 1t broke
Gus at the same time. Since then there has
been a rapidly changing procession of occu-
pants. The failure of the last restaurant
left the place vacant and the plate glass |
served only for show bills, until |
this tailor came along. The curl rious part of |
It is there Is no apparent-season for this bad |
luck. Ii Is u lOCdblOu uhu LneTt Is 4
no 1s in the number. Yet a queer feeling |
comes over Inc every time pass the spot.
Didn't Know They Were Pretty.
She sat at one of the small tables on |
The roof of the Casino. She was not handsome,
nor distingue, nor loud, nor specially at
;ractive, and yet more people looked at her |
;han at any one else in the vicinity. She |
had pretty hand-an e1qaisitely nodded |
hand. 1t was small, delicate, aristocratic-
with the loveliest taper fingers, the pinlxest /
lafls-a lovely hand indeed to look upon.
She didn't know this. Innocently she ad-
usted her blonde bangs. Her wine glass
permitted her to play with it. The immense
black handle of her parasol was a splendid
oil-the pretty fingers would scarcely meet
direction without seeing that hand-those
lands--she had two of them. The bangs
bothered her and when the bangs didn't
bother her it was the big handle, the wine
innocent! If she only knew what pretty I
lands she has how satisfactory the knowl-
,dge would be!
Fate Pursued the Tweed Ring.
-"See that straight little fellow with a
ort of mottled face, close mustache and
mall, twinkling gray eyes7 That Is Mr..
John Devlin," remarked a man-about-town. |
He's an inspector or boss OF something for
contractor John d. Crimmins who is repay
QG BfOaQWay ana laying G06 caDl6 ROAD. |
)evlin's father, Charley Devlin, was as big O
in his time. He was worth his
Millions. He was bondsman for Boss
Tweed for 5000 900. He finally died not worth
cent. The son, VINO was also well to do in |
lis own right at one time Is now scratching
or q living with the rest of them. Curious,
,ut scarcely one of the old crowd that fat
ened off the city in Tweed's time is now in
ven moderately comfortable circumstances.
Bad luck overlook them one by one sooner
II later"
Millions and Illiteracy
1T may appear little singular to some
'eople, but there are millionai-es in New
FORK who can scarcely write their own
ames. There are plenty of very rich men
ere also, not quite millionaires, who cannot
cad or write at all. These men have fort
mes as contractors, real estate spectators,
tc., and are men not only respected becatse
f their wealth, but because of their natural
bility and personal good qualities. They
yere common laborers once and earned
heir money too late in life to remedy the |
effects of illiteracy. They have children |
read the papers for them,
7rite their letters and keep their accounts
nd sign their checks. To man of letters, |
million and not be able to read or write. !
-et the most influential man in New York | ,
fairs to-day can scarcely do more.
False Teeth and Feathers.
There is little old-fashioned hotel up :
ear One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street
here a few old sports congregate and I
here cock fights and GROWERS go hand in
and. Among these was q rollicking Hi I
eruian the other evening who was retail I
lg his experience in the pit. Z
"He was a lovely bird, that wan, ony he
admit no tail. So 1 tuck an sewed u tail I
n i'm, an he wint in an laid out the other ]
an. He wiped up the earth wild im!n /
One of thebystandcrs remarked that any ,
ody who would sew tail on O bird in order |