The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-09-07
SCHEMES OF THE SCHEMERS
More Money Madein developing" Them
than in Bringing Them to a Focus.
Bait-An Unllcky New York Building
Servants Must Have Brains to Succeed.

Special Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal
NEW YORK. Sept. 5.-The case of Count
Mitkiewicz and his Chinese concessions,
which gets pretty thorough overhauling
In the newspaper press occasionally, illus
tratess queer phase of metropolitan life.
There is considerable money in many an
updeyeloped scheme that, once developed
and put to the tesr, would prove financial
sailure. To bring things to q focus is to
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Take sucR mysterious attractions as the
Kelly motor--by the bye what has become
of Mr.. Kelly and his motorf-the alleged
Chinese concessions, the is:hmian canals.
the recovery of Kidd's treasures, the
search for the forgotten mines-any
scheme. in fact. that is mysterious and not
readily demonstrable to the ordinary mind.
and plenty of money can be found tc fill
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 80 that man who has put IN SlOOO0
10 develop" the scheme can be called upon
successfully again and again. Rather than
lose what he has already invested he Will
submit to more or less additional extortion.
In this way the undeveloped scheme Is
made to pay n handsome profit to It's man
ayers. New York IS full OF such schemes
and schemers. Though they have often
been exposed by the newspapers they find
new believers and fresh capital ON every
hand. 1t Is not an easy thing to determine
the legitimate from the illegitlmate when
it comes TO business speculation. One often
fades impeTceptibly into the other as truth
may fade into falsehOCd. leaving no teil-tale
line of demarkation.
The other day some literary friends sat
down to lunch. There were two children,
boys of seven odd four, about whom some
discussion ensued. The mother of the little
four-year-old said proudly that he was of
such a gentle disposition that she was
never ashamed to have him at table with
grown people. The conversation naturally
assumed literary tinge. and the fOur-year-
ole wisely confined himself TO his peaches
and cream. When they were finished.
however. he saw an opening finally, and
neIghiorN bright woman or letters. he
gravely said:
Are you reading Peter IbbetsonPD
There was u grand collapse OF the entire
party but the little fellow explained his
position immediately afterward with the
naive remark:
That's what mamma Away asks people"
Those who are superstitious stop and
glance wOnderingly at a new tailoring es-
tabli shment on upper Broadway. Before
the sign was fairly up you could hear: II
wonder who's going in therep "Wen.
WELL" Somebody's got nerve;" 'Tll give
him three MONTHS Nobody but tailor
could ever buck successfully against fate"
All this because of this new shop in &
well-known place. The popular uptown
opinion, being of rather sporting and
theatrical turn. is to the effect that bad
luck attaches TO this particular building.
And from the results that have invariably
followed it's occupancy by other tenants
there would seem tn be some ground for the
approximation. 1t is a narrow, In significant
building, finished. as all of these places are
along here. In the most expensive style in
side, wainscoting, counters, shelving and
ceiling. Perhaps twenty five tenants have
occupied this one room within the last few
years. The commercial career of half q
dozen tailors stTew the shore. half dozen
saloons and restaurants, picture-deal-
ers, statiOners and all shorts of shops
have hern washed up here and
fioated away again OH the next tide. From
q month TO three months settled most of
them. Not less than 100000 has been
sunk there in these small business ventures
within hall dozen years. Gus" Heckler,
a well-known sporting gentleman ran the
place he called "BOhemlA" there the long
est. Bohemia" had such bad reputa-
tion that, after long time of comparative
immunity from the law, the police were
compelled TO break it mp. 1t broke Gus
at the same time. Since then there has
been a rapidly changing procession of &C.
cupants. The failure of the last restaurant
La - T. -
windows served only for show bills until
this tailor came along. The curious part
of IL Is there Is no apparent reason for this
bad luck. 1t 10 u splendid location. and
there IS 10 - in the number. Yet a queer
feeling comes over me every time l pass
the spot. -.
See that straight. little follow with a
sort of notified face. close moustaohe and
small. twinkling grey eyesa That is Mr.
John Devlin." remarked sman about town
He's an inspector. or boss. or something
for contractor John ID. Crimmins, who Is
repaving Broadway and laying the able
roads. Devlin's father. Charley Devlin.
WAS AS big contractor in his time. He
was worth his millions. He was bonds
man for BO2s Tweed for 500, 600. He finally
died not worth cent. The son, who was
also well-to-do in his own right ut one time.
Is now scratching for living with the rest
OF them. Curious. but scarcely one of the
old crowd that fattened Oft the city in
Tweeds time is now IN even modera tely
comfortable circumstances. Bad luck over.
took them one by one sooner or later"
1t may appear little singular 10 some
people, but there are millionaires in New
York who can scarcely write their own
names. There are plenty of very rich men
here. also, not quite millionaires who can
not read or write at all. These men have
made fortunes as contractors real-estate
spectators, etc, and are men not only re-
spected because of their wealth. hut be-
cause of their natural ability aud personal
good qualities. They were common Ia
borers once and earned their money TOO late
In life to remedy the defect of illiteracy.
They have children around them who am
ply supply the Interchangeable read the pa
pers to- them. write their letters and keep
their accounts aud sign their checks. TO a
man of letters, however, it seems pretty
hard lines TO have million and not be able
to read or write. Yet the most influential
men in New York affairs to-day can scarcely
DO more. =.
There is q little oldfashioned hotel up
near One-hundred and-thirty fourth street
y here few old sports coBgregate and
" here cock-ights and GROWERS go hand in
hand. Among these was n rollicking
Tiberian the other evening who was
retailing his experience IN the pit.
HE was "a lovely bird that wan, ony be
badn't no tail. 81 / tuck an sewed tail
on i'm an lie wiut IN an land out the other
wan lie wlDeu IN the earth wild iltnH