Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-10
TALK OF THE TOWN.
The Deadly Banana on Duquesne Way-A
Stranger With a Thousand-Dollar Propo-
sition-A Pittsburger's Visit to Bar


Stranger With aThousand-Dollar Propo-
sition-A Pittsburger's Visit to Bar
Harbor.
Ten centa dozen, banan"
That's the cry that you will hear a score OF
times as You go down Duquesne way to the
Exposition, Our Italian brother has dis.
covered the craving for edibles that visit
to the Exposition begets, and the banana is
close upon the heels of the popular popcorn.
! A handsome young son Of the South, who
lolled upon the handles of HIS fruit wagon,
chatting the gamins around him, told me
yesterday that he had sold during the day
twas then about P. NIB dozen bananas.
His stock was running low and he expected
to sell out before evening.
The banana business ought to be fairly
remunerative to the vendors even at such
very low prices as five for nickel, but on
Duquesne way it should also put penny or
two in the doctors pockets. Not that the
banana, ripe and sound is indigestible, but
the evil in them lives after they have been
eaten-in their skins. Duquesne way is
carpeted with them; in some places the
banana peels actually conceal the beauties
gets to the Exposition without slipping on
the cast of coat of a banana may back his
luck with assurance.
Bluff Meets Bluff
Give me some paper and envelopes"
said man with a sharp, cheeky face to
Chief Clerk Crosby at the Hotel Anderson
yesterday.
"Over at the newsstand" was Mr.. Cros-
by's reply with a serene smile.
Doesn't this hotel provide its guests with
notepaper?" asked the sharp-faced man.
"Are you guest2"
"Well, not exactly-but I'm going to take
dinner here"
"Be good enough to register" said Mr..
Crosby, Offering pen and pushing forward
the book. The man registered and held out
his hand for the paper and envelopes.
zone dollar" said Mr.. Crosby coldly.
A confused expression and Il rather sickly
look on the mans face. Then he said: II
was giving you q bluff, you know
Just So" said Mr.. Crosby, "but bluffs
don't go here"
A Cool Thousand Won.
About the time when oil circles were
stirred by the burning well at Mcdonald
station an elderly countryman in a linen
duster entered the Oil Well Supply Com
pany's offices on Water street, and, stroking
his long beard, said with some spirit: "Gen-
tlemen have something OF importance to
tell you"
Mr. Eaton, who was nearest the PETER
like stranger, asked what he had to commu-
nicate.
"I've just deposited $1,000 forfeit in bank
that kin put out any well that gets afirer'
the old man said, with great emphasis. 81
kin put out that there fire at McDonald's as
easy as wink. Let me show you these"
and he took brown paper parcel from his
coattail pocket.
just then gentleman who had been talk
ing to Mr.. Eaton, said in q gentle, quiet way:
You can win that thousand dead easy, sir"
Wisdom with the whiskers wheeled around
and said solemnly again: "1've posted
thousand dollars that kin squench that Nc
Donald fre-an' money talks"
"Well, L repeat you have that thousand
won," said the gentleman who had spoken
before.
"What d,you mean?n asked the inventor.
"That the Mcdonald blaze was put out
yesterday. The well isn't burning"
And the elderly man left off stroking his
beard, wrapped his duster about him. and
air.
We're Not Invited to Call
"A Pittsburger who was at Bar Harbor a
few days ago-not Mr.. C. L. Magee-said to
me yesterday: "On the way to St. Johns
n. B., the steamer stopped for eight or ten
hours at Bar Harbor, and we went ashore to
see. the town. We did not go to see Mr..
Blaine, because we had not been invited to
call, and moreover the men who haye not in
terviewed Mr. Blaine on his health, and that
of his boom, are getting so few that we
thought we'd stay in their ranks But we
heard enough of the great statesman. Ev-
erybody in Bar Harbor is just full of him.
The hackman who drove us about told me
that he'd seen Mr.. Blaine the day before
walking on the street, and mighty strong
and well he looked All we heard confirmed
this favorable report of Mr.. Blaine's health.
We stopped to moisten our clay at a tavern,
and mine host behind the bar, q chatty old
had seen Mr.. Blaine playing baseball with
some boys. 1 thought he was joking but he
stuck to the story as a piece of history, and
after that 1 felt pretty sure that ill-health
vrould NOT Drauanf Mr. Rlaina from ruOnin0