St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-27
SAINT PAUL.
CAUGHT ON THE CURB.

A lady member of theatrical com
pany now in the city walked into
Third street jewelry store yesterday aft
ernoon, and taking ring from her hand
bag banded it to the proprietor with the
question:
"Can you repair this setting so that L
can have the ring this evening""
The ieWeler picked up the ring, TOOK
one look at the stone and then dropped
it again on the glass case.
81 beg your pardon" he said, but
we make 1t rule of the firm that
opals are never to be handled III any
way whatever | should be delighted
to repair this for you, but must really
ask you to excuse me-"
"Why do you make such strange
rule?" asked the lady customer.
well, it may seem a strange one to
some people," replied the Jeweler, ''but
to be honest about it, l have horror of
opals. They are terribly unlucky
stones, and | don't care to handle them.
There has never been an opal in my
Stock
rs this superstition about opals yours
alone, or am likely to meet with SIM
liar reception elsewhere" asked the
owner of the ring.
The belief in the unluckineSS OF
opalS is pretty general with the trade,
was the reply, but you can most likely
get the repairing done at any of the
other shops. For my part | never al
lowed an opal i'll the place but once
Then | did it under protest, and that
very night l was burned out"
A sad-eyed, lnnocent-looking youth of
Swedish extraction walked up to the
special police officer at the union depot
yesterday afternoon, and asked if the
latter knew where Charles johnson
lived. The officer didn't know exactly,
ne said. but he would find out in few
moments. A directory of the city was
secured, and the two began searching
for Charles johnson.
DO YOU know what street he lives
on?' asked the officer.
No"
Has he another name besides
Charles?"
No
We'll, then, don't know how you'll
find him inside of a week or two," said
the officer, ''for there are just al
Charles JOhnsOnS in the directory"
one of tue most amusing accounts of
q horse race that ever appeared in
newspaper in st. Paul was written some
years ago by a scribe who had just ar.
rived in the city from England and
routine parliamentary reporting. His
first assignment was trotting meeting.
Horse racing was scarcely in the mans
line. but he decided to tackle it anyhow,
and the result was something like the
following extract:
'"Ihere were five horses to run in the
first race. Their names were Jane b.
Freddie S. Alyina. Ben McEwen and
Bethune. They were driven in small
carts with two wheels, the drivers sit
ting dangerously near the horses heels.
After TWO or three attempts to start
them fairly Mr.. Grattan called them all
in front of the stand and spoke as fol-
lows:
81 want you gentlemen to remember
that you are scoring with the pole horse.
| have cautioned you several times, Mi.
Speare, and the next time this thing 0c-
ours | shall be compelled to fine you.
sir. Now try it again all of you. and
come up slowly Loud applause
''Atthls juncture the drivers managed
to come up evenly and the race was
begun. Mr. Jones gray horse Big Ike
turned the corner first and seemed to
be the fav0rite with the crowd. En-
tuliSldStlC cieerlnS IOt Dig Ike. as
the halt-mile point was neared Ben
MeEWen began to gain on Mr.. Jones'
horse and soon passed him, with Alvina
and Freddie S close behind. Great ex-
element in the grand stand.
''ln the third quarter of the mile Ben
McEwen, who had trotted all the way
hitherto, began to run, and would GER
iainfy have beaten the others but for
the extraordinary behavior of his driver,
who began to saw at the bit and whip
furiousIy. throwing his horse dozen
length behind. Then the driver of Al
vina began to whip, and the bay mare
passed the rest of them at the three
quarter post. [Cries of ''Alvina wIns;;"
.'Alvinain walk"
Now the driver of Bethune sent his
horse up to the front and the end of the
race was between Bethune and Alvina.
They seemed TO trot together until a
few lengths from home, when Bethune
ran the rest of the way, getting first I'M
der the wire. This is called breaking,
so the race was given to Alyina. who had
not broken.
Tremendous enthusiasm. Loud
cheering for Alvina. Freddie S got
second money, and Bethune third
money. Time, 8 min, 30 sec. This
race was very exciting.