Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-13
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Names on the Signs Show Americans Are
Not Shopkeepers-Idle Men of a City
Rapid Transit Talk - Apartments $50
Feet Above Ground 49,

Names on the Signs Show Americans Are
Not shopkeepers-Idle Men of City
Rapid Transit Talk - Apartments $50
Feet Above Ground
tFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The late Charles Dickens had system
attic way of picking up odd names about
London in his repertorial days, and these
names he utilized in his subsequent stories.
If Dickens had been a New Yorker as well
as the carefully observant man he was he
would have had plenty of this material to
his hand. Our streets, fashionable and un-
fashionable, TEEN with curious names of a
heterogeneous people Street signs always
have singular fascination for many peo-
pie. These street signs, more conspicuously
and lavishly displayed in the United States
than In any other country on the face of the
earth, teach their interesting lesson in the
book of commercial life, and it is lesson
well worth the attention of anybody. Those
who have learned 1t well could name the
city in which they happen to be by glancing
at the signs, even were they pumped down
amid them blindfold. Who could be deceived
by the signs OF Milwaukee? or ofNew Orleans?
or OF Boston? And as for New York, what
record of individuality is Broadway! Take
a single block in the heart of the trade on
broadway near Canal street, for example.
Here is faithful transcription of signs from
corner to corner:
"Hirshkind &Co.. !" "Fielman, Heller, Dink-
elspiel Co.. Joseph BeckeI & Co.," ed
ward oberndorff Co., ""A. S. Levy Co.."
''Selchow & Richter" "Indig, Berg Co."
"flngs Y Pinner," 'Dieckerhotf, Raff1er &
Co.. "B. Blumenthal & Co.," "Charles Falk-
enbeTg 4 Bro" "Hensel, Calliday & Co.,"
Butler Bros"
The last is the only name that carries the
Enghsh language and nativity on the face
OF 1t. These names are not selected, but
comprise all in sight on that block To bet
ter Illustrate this. let us take in the oppo-
site side of Broadway between the same
streets:
wv omser, Fellheimer & Co." Eugene P.
feig sopt1 Ssc Co. kramer haG
singer" "Cagney Bros. )" Goodman Bastan-
nelli," "Ffshel Bros" ''Max Schiff," "Mi-
chselis Il Lindeman,' C. p. Wildey,'' "weis
Where are the good old Jones, and Smiths
and Browns and Williams and Cooks and
Coopers and Carpenters and Bakers and so
on?
"Why down in Temple Court" said
friend to whom 1 submitted the question.
go down to the Equitable, to the Potter
and other big buildings where professional
good old Anglo-Saxon names. You'll find
them on nearly every office door,"
Probably. But does this indicate the
fn1n APTITUDE tfdSsd f for life
would seem to show, at least that we are not
by nature or by practice a nation of shop
keepers.
The Returning Wanderers.
The healthy tan of the sea shore and
mountains begins to show up on Broadway
and at the tneaters in the scores and hun
dreds of people who have just returned to
town. 1t is a mark of social distinction.
The young lady who airs the skin of Mexi-
hn 10 of "a
down upon her fair-skinned sisterhood who
remained. in town with well affected pity.
The latter comments upon the appearance
of the returned wanderess severely and
wouldn't look such q fright for anything"
And then the piles and stacks of luggage
that are heaped up every day at the railway
and steamboat terminii Verify, these are
the days that try mems souls-though possi-
bly, good many of the returning fair and
brave ones are not prepared to concede
be, the just and philosophical must admit
that the baggage men and their satellites,
the porters need the prayers rather than
the curses of mankind Just now And when
the extraordinary amount of extra work
these officials are required to perform in the
early September without extra pay is taken
into consideration, it is not easy to say they
do not deserve what they need.
The Decline of the st. James.
After months of painful gossip and oc-
casional sweeping denials on the part of his
intimate friends Captain "Billy" Connor was
leposed from the management of the st.
James Hotel. For his own good his friends
should have co-operated in the effort to save
/ fine property and a clever and popular
gentleman from the inevitable ruin that
waited their continued business associa-
ion. Captain Connor was one of the bright
,st and most successful theatrical managers
,ver on the road, and the late John McCul- |
ough owed much to his agents per-
onal popularity. As lessee and manager |
IF the splendid hotel property at the corner |
If Broadway and Twenty-sixth street this |
popularity increased, and Billy's |
with the turf drew around him |
,he most aristocratic of the sporting ele- |
nent of the country. 1t can scarcely be |
aid that a distinct clientele of this kind is |
u advantage to hotel so important as is |
,he st. James. Horsey people of prominence |
lttract horsey people of every sort; book
makers and gamblers touters of every
,rade. The great majority of hotel patrons |
10 not like to live on the quarter stretch.
they may take a fly on the track occasion
lily, but they draw a line ut the track.
The result was seen in the st. James in the |
gradual withdrawal of the ultra respectable
ran to show signs of both physical and men,
al failure. This was concealed from the |
public with whom he was q favorite. But
wing to the fact that Captain Connor's
,onsent for their guidance this concealment
lad no appreciable result on the fortunes of |
he house. So things ran swiftly down hill |
Until the creditors combined to save them
elves, dispossessed Captain Connor and in |
tailed their own manager.
New Yorl's Rapid Transit.
-"I hope the Broadway cable road will put
N the newest pattern of cars said citizen
vho had just returned from the West
Much depends on that as to whether the
inc will be popular or not. The latest de-
ign of cable cars is not only a thing of
eauty and comfort; but recognizes for the
ret time in street car service in this coun-
ry the rights of smokers. They are putting
uch cars on in st. Louis. New York should
eep abreast with the times. We have long
een behind st. Louis, Chicago Pittsburg
nd Washington in the matter of local sur
nee transit, and now that we are taking
teps to catch up we ought to have the best
'hese new cable cars have no platforms, |
ut open at the side by means offs cross
esti6ule. In one end of the car men may
mol>e; in the other they cannot. The con-
uctor and gripman are both under shelter.
he seats are divided 80 people cannot be
uueezed into O jelly, and so that but one
erson can take up but one seat"
Idle Men of New York.
Visit them on whatever day you will,
he parks of New York are full of idle peo-
lie. 1t is not proDaDle tnat all OF these peO-
lie are living without work and at some
ody else's expense. Nevertheless, man
Tho sits in the park is not at work. No
lore is the man who is lounging in the beer
aloon, concert hall or garden. Every park,
very garden, every saloon in the city has
IS quota of idle men during the day, not to
lention the street corners. Not less than
Zoo men are idle every day in this great
ity. Not theEsame ones, perhaps, but that
lany at the same time every day and every
our in the day. At the average ate of Ia
or wages this means the loss of 800 900 per