Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-12
TALK OF THE TIMES.

| -'r''F IALk UF IHE TINES.
| WH1TELAw REID has come home from
the banks of the Seine, Charles Emory Smith
! has said, 'adieu to st. Petersburg" John
Jarrett has given up his fat place at Bir-
mingham and John C. New has left the Lon
don Consulate. They will all resume their
former avocations. And despite all this
there is still some talk Of opposition to the
| denomination OF Harrison!
WATER in stocks is bad enough, but 1t Is
| worse in financial institutions, as is appar-
| ent from the fact that the Mississippi river
has been breaking its banks this week.
He was a quiet looking elderly man in
pastoral sort of black broadcioth suit and n
| felt hat with broad Drim, such as are worn
by "cOlonels" and "majors." Next to him in
the car sat two young men who were telling
| stories about personal experiences on the
road. One of them related with much gusto
an encounter which he had recently had
with a desperate Western man, the weapons
being cards The game was poker, the
special occasion was that old familiar
"b1g jack pot" which so often figures
| in profane history and two principals were
each armed with straight flushes. at was q
dollar limit game,'' remarked the young
| man, ''and we bet 81 times and then called
him. He had a sequence flush, queen high,
and had one king high. You should have
heard him swear" 1 noticed that the old
man listened with great attention to the
story, and at its conclusion he exclaimed
with much candid astonishment, "You
called himr' The youngster blushed and
ack nowledged his guilt. "Well! well!' said
the old man, shaking his head, "these times
Is suttenly not what they usen tubbe. You
to this way er doin' things. Why. I'm
playin' q hand yit thet WIZ dealt to my pap
in '57. Him an ole Jedge Dublin, of Muir.
freesooro they set into s1me one one night hal IN IN
bet. AM when they run outer cash, they
bet mules an then horses, an then niggers,
an at las they TUX to bettln' acres OF Ian,
an then they run outer everything an
it was agreed thet the hams shud be put in
scaled envellup an marked un' kept in the
vault of the bank till both on 'em got more
stuff. Well, it went on that a way off an on
till the war cum and the ole Jedge has died
and pop was killed at Seven Pines an then
young Jim Dublin he TUX his ole mans
place an trik dads. Well, gen'elmen. we're
fist bettin' yit whenever we git the cash and
there amt no signs of quitting, but wud
suttinly like to see them hans of pops an
ole Jedge. Dubbin's afore I die" and he
sighed long sigh of patient resignation
while the two youngsters and the other men
in the smoking compartment regarded him
as one worthy of veneration, even If it was
only as a liar.
A RATHER curious reason is given by
western newspaper man as the true reason
for the recent resurrection of the Blaine
boom. He says that the Secretary of State
was extremely anxious to have his son-in-
law, Colonel Coppinger, given q Brigadier-
Generalship in the army. He is reported to
have assured the Colonel that the appoint
ment would be made relying upon friend
en to nal ke nj w Pregi-
dent When the time came the President
fatty refused to make the promotion. This
in connection with the refusal OF Harrison s,,
State Department added to Mrs. Blalne's
welIknown anxiety to have her husband ac-
cept the nomination, are the cauees at work
for the new deal, Blaine's appearance at
the circus with the bag of peanuts and the
talk of the corridors at Washington as to
the Secretary's intentions.
The driver of a sewing machine wagon
who seemed to be afraid lie would miss an
important engagement in some distant part
of the city. tried to bring my mundane af-
fairs to an abrupt conclusion at street
crossing yesterday. AS he disappeared
around a corner noticed the word "Singer''
in large gilt letters on the tailboard of his
wagon. Singularly enough to that tailbOard
there hangs a tale, suggested by the name
thereon. Away back in the busy years be-
fore the war, there was a Pittsbur2 theatri-
cal singer named Murphy, a man with a re-
markably sweet voice and decided aptness
for Irish comedy and Irish melodies. He
made a name for himself which has greatly
benefited q subsequent generation OF Mur-
phys OF ofhistriontc and musical tendencies. He
left the stage for time to enter business
life here in a picture store. One day there
entered unto him a1anky man of marked
appearance and striking attire, accompanied
which clung several children of various
sizes. The man introduced himself as being
a strolling actor, out of work. hard up and
seeking help from one whom he had heard
OF as being connected with the stage Mr.
Murphy was warm-hearted man, and
promptly secured lodgings and food for the
visitors, and afterward aided them in giving
readings and dramatic entertainments
The actor incidentally announced to Muir
ply that his name was Singer. He
showed a great fondness for mechanics
entertainments, he fitted up workshop and
began to dabble in various experiments.
Finally he rigged upa machine which would
cut out circular pieces of wood This ma
chine was finally fixed up with a movable
table, which allowed letters with curved
surfaceStto be cut out at will. Singer used
this machine to make tall wooden sign let
tiers, which were gilded and fastened on q
painted board. The first sign of this kind
made was bought by Paulson, the halter.
Other merchants followed suit and Singer
was busy for quite while turning out signs. |
From this machine came the first idea of
the sewing machine. Singer worked at it
some while in Pittsburg, but finally left for
New York, where his work was perfected. |
Atterward, reward for his kindness,
Murphy was offered the agency for the |
Singer machine for the entire West, but
Murphy said he did not care for mercantile
veatures, and he declined an opportunity to
make many millions of dollars.
THE death of John w. Breckenridge, son
Of Buchanan's Vice President, recalls to me
an incident in his life of which l was q
spectator. In 1876 was doing some work on
the Press, in Philadelphia, and one day l |
was told to go to the Office of Mr. Forney. 1 |
found him busy and while awaited his |
leisure two gentlemen came in. One OF them |
was stout and short, the other tall and |
handsome and aristocratic. The short man |
was warmly greeted by Mr.. Forney. and |
then followed an Introduction Of the other. |
"Forney," said the short man, your posi- |
tion in politics and OIL the war was SO pro- !
nounced that feel you will take an interest |
in the son of an old adversary: 1 want you |
to get him something to do in connection |
with the Exposition. Will you do it?" 81 |
will, and DO it gladly, il 1 can,'' was the |
quick reply. A general conversation fol- |
lowed for a few moments, and then the |
visitors withdrew. The short man was |
Adolph Borie, then Secretary of the Navy In |
Grants Cabinet, and the tall one was John |
W. Breckenridge whose father was one of |
j John W. Forney's bitterest enemies in pub |
lie and political life. p l.. W.