Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18
PEOPLE WITH QUEER rpEAa
veritabie Cranks aud What They Do I'D
Think.
% The fvening star

Think.
Special corresponaence of The Evening star.
pHu.DEIrHiA. April II.
II WAS WALKING ALONG SPRUCE STREET
Il this afternoon when saw a very respectable
looking man just ahead Of me turn hastily mp
an alley and proceed thereupon 10 strike his
thigh with many resounding th~acks after
which he regained the street and went on his
way sedstely, as IL he had done nothing out OF
the ordinary. About two squares further on
he dashed up another alley and repeated the
performance. the blows he bestowed upon him
self being so forcihle that one could have heard
them half Q block away. ] should think. I
wondered very much. but what struck me 90
even queerer about an hour afterward was 90
see person in q tall hat and spectacles on
Chestnut street who made his way along the
crowded sidewalk with one arm akimbo and
the other held outward from his body in .
curve with the hand upward. In this attitude,
which was calculated 20 somewhat impede his
movements through the jam. he Progressed
slowly and carefully. zigzagging this way and
that as IL 10 avoid touching any one. learned
from friend that this individual imagined
that be was teapot and that he accus-
TONED 90 perambulatein the manner described
for fear OF having his spout OF his handle
broken of. The other fellow who slapped his
thigh, was informed. was merely victim %
htdt Nv OF ntFNclNueet. winch ne was Nnut IN
the habit OF trying 10 relieve without attract
ing any more attention than was necessary.
MANY OTTER PEOPLE.
Phia9elphia is q great town for queer peopk.
i used 90 know a well-known poet here. who,
while engaged in composing his verses. would
seek inspiration in a very peculiar manner. He
would write two three lines and, being 81
loss for the next would dash upstairs three
flights with wonderful speed, taking the steps
sIWgr H. -E.l
the idea he sought in his grasp. A few mo-
ments later he would get stuck again and the
performance would be gone through
anew. The exercise gave him the
same intellectual stimulation which per
sons ordinarily find in walking about
the room OF even in scratching their heads.
There is n crank familiar 60 the streets OF this
city for many years. Of somewhat the same sort
as the teapot gentleman. who is called the
Locomotive Man He imaeines that he II a
locomotive and makes his way along the public
thoroughfares with great caution lest he run
over somebody, moving his arms at his sides
like piston rods
IMPERaoNATrSa NorAPIrs.
The friend have spoken Of told me about
an old woman well known 10 him and his fam
lily who labors under = sort Of varied delusion.
impersonating TO her own imagining different
historical characters. At one time she will be
Queen Elizabeth at another Martha Washing
Noll. AT MILO. ne tfl1lhuouT ana so on.
There are quite number OF such roles in her
repertory, and the wonderful thing about il Is
that, although very uneducated person
herself, she makes her great people speak in
excellent language and refers 90 contempors-
neous personRges well as 60 facts in history
with wonderful accuracy. Where she gathered
her knowledge no one can surmse. myself
once was acquainted with a somewhat similar
lunatic who had a notion that she the
Marquise of Carabas and wife TO Puss-in- Boots.
She nGad IN deliQht in a4ffrinC haraah
Positions visits to court in bits Of fnery which
kindly disposed people gave her.
PERPETUALLY TO RI MARRIED.
There is a maiden lady Of uncertain year, In
Philadelphia who suffers from an hallucination
TO the effect that she is perpetually going TO be
married. At precisely q certain hour each day
she makes her appearance from her house
dressed for the bridal ana takes q street Car for
some imaginary destination. presumably the
church. At certain corner she invariably
gets out and takes the next car back, 20 20
through the same performance twenty-four
hours later Who can tell what sad story Of
disappointed love may hold the secret Of
this poor woman's blighted intellect A more
cheerful type Of maniac Is a gentleman who en-
tertains belief that his body is not solid but IL
in gaseous condition. so that he IL in danger 81
any time Of having his constituent elements
dissipated in such manner that he will be IN
able to gather himself together again. For
this reason he is careful 10 avoid draughte.
Another man is firmly persuaded that be is
suffering from the effects Of poison, sdminis-
tered in small doses by some person unknown.
The poisoning IL supposed to be accomplished
by telepsthic process, the secret enemy con-
ceiving in his own mind the idea Of q toxic
agent slow, but deadly, which he communicates
TO his victim by an effort of will All that the
latter is able 70 do TO defend himself 10 TO take
antidotes, which his physician administers in
the shape Of colored water in bottles
INVENTIVE cRANKs.
Two inventive cranks there are here also Who
have taken much interest in the recent patent
centennial One OF them makes aerial naviga-
ton his especial hobby. He has devised q plan
for reaching the north pole in a balloon. carry
ing along compact little apparatus wherewith
TO generate what hydrogen gas he may need ss
well as oxygen. in rubber bags for breathing
purposes at high attitudes. His scheme is 10 20
north until he reaches q point beyond the
esrths attraction and there TO remain sta
tionary while the sublunary orb revolves
beneath. This il will do. Of course, az the rate
Of 900 miles per .iour. As soon as the adven-
turous aeronaut sees the pole under him he
will let his gas escape and quietly descend.
The other gentleman proposes 10 connect ell
the great cities Of this country by vacuum
tubes big enough TO contain cylindrical cars
To describe the working Of this Interesting con-
trivance in his own words, ''Yez take all the
air from in front of the kyar, put half dozen
decent people inside and touch IL up from be-
hind. Popl you are in Washington. Repate
the operation, and popi you are in New York.
Once more, and popl you are IN Chicago. The
difficulties of travel are reduced TO nothing at
all, and the human race, through the social in
tercourse Of nations, is transformed into one
happy and harmonious family" War, he de-
clares, is brought about by lack Of general 40
be remedied by the establishment Of quick
methods for passenger transportation.