Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-09
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Sunday Scenes at FE Georgia. Story
About Tom Ochiltree-A Western Man
on New York Customs-An Umbrella
Enterprise-The Street Fe0Ca,s

and dry above Harlem, upon the most ro-
mantle and commanding spot that could be
found in the vicinity of New York. The his
toric ground shows but faint outlines of the
insignificant earthworks that were 100 years
ago considered one of the important de-
fences of the city of New York. Irregular
mounds of time-beaten earth crown high
bluff, from which the visitor can overlook
the grand Hudson and the Palisades on the
one side and the Harlem river, numberless
beautiful suburban villas and, beyond, the
sound and distant Long Island on the other
The whole magnificent panorama is unrolled
in one single comprehensive sweep of the
eye. On pleasant Sundays the old ruins and
neighDoring slopes swarm with men, women
and children, the women and children being
in the majority, The place is accessible
from the last elevated station and the
terminus of the cable road. The entire dis
tance thence is lined with beer gardens,
photographers tents, hot sausage sheds, ice
cream stands, fruit and peanut booths, lung
testers, weighing machines, popcorn fact
ories, chowder and roasting ears and circus
lemonade, and the rasping voices of the
motley crowd of venders and fakirs of every
description help out a scene about as far re-
moved from natures treat as could we'll be.
On the hill near the old ruin it reminds
one of mining camp on such days-or of
newlydiscovered OIL field in Pennsylvania.
The ground is covered with tents and avn.
ings. Under the ancient apple trees are
temporary booths and beer tables. When
night advances these are silently folded and
borne away till tho next holiday. Some of
the Coney Island games are in progress. A
shooting gallery is in full blast. Throwing
balls az an imitation negro head thrust
thorugh painted canvas invites the base
ball enthusiasts. Little children roll and
tumble on the short grass undisturbed by
printed signs and policemen. Picnic parties
dot the rugged hooks in every direction.
Young lovers stroll hand in hand apart from
the crowd or half-recline beneath protect
ing sunshade, seashore style, upon the
sward. Along the crest of the old works
that skirt the whole men sit closely together
like flies on the rim of glass, musing lazily
on the scene below. And that scene would
honor the canvass of the greatest landscape
painter that ever existed. The Harlem river
itself here is one of the loveliest pictures
agfuable. Covered with rowboats and tiny
steam laupches and excursion barges that
CLINT about in the sunshine thousand feet
below, spanned by two magnificent bridges,
skirted at the marge by forest foliage and
speeding railway trains, the opposite bank
rolling gently back with suburban villas and
villages on the sound, through the trees to
the right the spires and murmurs of the
great city.
He Had His Revenge.
THE other day an intoxicated hanson
cab driver gave an entertainment to the
Coleman House gang and incidentally to
some hundreds of other people that was in
its way unrivaled. Broadway at that point
is reduced by cable railway excavation to
half width, and this space has two horse car
tracks. Cabby had landed a fare at the
Coleman and naturally wanted to pick him
up again. AS the horse cars run on about Is
seconds headway and take all the space to
the curb, he hadn't waited long before an
entire block of cars came to a standstill. No
body but the first carload knew what was
the matter. In the meantime half dozen
trucks and delivery wagons were coming up
alongside the cars from the other direction.
The swearing of drivers mingled with the
guying of the fast accumulating crowd,
Cabby couldn't get out If he had wanted to,
and he didn't want to. His fare, seeing his
declined to enter the cab
Then cabby, under the influence of a coming
policeman, pulled around in front of the up
coming cars and blocked that line for two
the string extending down to the
St. James Hotel.
Seeing his opportunity to get in again to
the curb, he suddenly swung round toward
the crowd, his horses sending splattering
shower of black mud over 20 pairs of
trousers. A yell of dismay and satirical
laughter greeted this episode, in the midst
of which the crowd broke in both directions. |
Then, under corresponding shower of
curses from both cars and sidewalk, cabby
drove sullenly away without his man, but |
amply avenged for his loss.
Habits of the Stage People.
"THB show business is the most trying and |
said a well-known theatri- |
cal manager, mopping his brows on Broad |
way corner. 81 think we have to deal with |
the meanest classes of people on top of the |
earth. Actors and actresses as a rule are |
wholly irresponsible, morally and pecuniar- !
ly. There are notable exceptions, of course. |
The vast majority think no more of violat- |
ng their word or breaking a contract than |
they would do of eating dinner. You can't !
tell anything about what one of these people
,an do from what he tells you, and he will
strike for $50 to $75 week when he expects
TO get $25. Ifthe whole crowd got what they
rate themselves at it would take the gross
receipts of every theater in the country an
entire season to pay them.
And then, when you have secured your
people, the trouble has just begun. There
ire the railroads, hotels, advertising agents,
ste to treat .b with; tbs you have ave
close of the season, considers the manager
legitimate prey. You meet extortion and
downright robbery on eve every hand and in
men as hard as flint. If knew anything
else I'd quit it for good and ALL"
Jolly Tom OchiItree Routed.
"WHEN the Worlds Fair bill was before
said Doorkeeper Tom Coakley,"a
unny thing occurred. Tom Ochiltree was
IN the floor, a privileged ex-member of the
House, urging members to vote against New
FORK on the ground that Tammany Hall
would control the fair.
"'what have you got against Tammany
IallY' said I. If it hadn't been for your
rammany friends in New York you'd have
tarved to death!'
"Il fix him. said the late General Spin
,la, and he sat down at his desk and drew up
i resolution something like this:
"'Whereas, A distinguished, red-headed,
ree-lunch fiend, once member of this
,ody, is ON the floor importuning members
IN a question before the House, be it re-
olved, ETC.
"Spinola got on his feet to offer the res
,lution, but Speaker Reed beckoned him to
he chair and asked him what it was. 1
thought Reed would split when he read it,
"Don't do it General; don't do 1t. 1 have
better way
lotify Ochiltree privately that he was vio-
ating the rules of the House and must
ease. This official rather strained his in
tructions and told Ochiltree that he was go
ng to be arrested and brought before the
ar of the House. But Tom made a red
freak for open air and John Chamberlin's
'efore you could say scat"
ObIivious to the World.
An interesting pair of cash girls goes up
ixth avenue every evening from one of the
ip retail stores. There are hundreds of
uch girls, but this particular pair challenges
observation. One is O stunted, little, blonde |
lip of girl of perhaps II OF II, the other a
runette slip of a girl trifie older and half
head taller. Both are thin and round
houldered ana bright-eyed. The taller girl
Invariably carries novel in her hand on
lear days. from which she reads aloud to |
er companion as they walk. They go along
t q swinging gait, keeping pace with the
vithout apparently noticing anything or ,
nybody, though the little listener looks out |