Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-05
TALK OF TIE TINE.

AT the sale of the Borghese art treas
ures the other day they found q Rubens
which had been stolen from the public
gallery OF one of the Italian cities, ! do not
recall which. About the same time the
papers had story of the purchase OF q
picture from New York barber by New
Jersey cennoisssur, which bears the "P. P.
R." signature, and which Is said to show
marxs of being genuine.
This recalls the fact that in one of the
oldest residences in Pittsburg there are two
pictures, portraits. if my memory is not at
fault. which have been declared to be the
work of Peter Paul Rubens by such a
critic as Stanley Reinhart. The owners of
the pictures are themselves well informed
on matters of art, and they are firmly of the
opinion that Rnbens painted them. / am
told that the pictures are really wonderful
examples Of color and detail and are good
enough in themselves to be cared tor on
their own merits without regard to the
artist. Like good many other art treas
ures which are slowed away in this city, few
part of their owners to give them to the pub
lie for examination.
Nationality In Footwear.
An English acquaintance of mine said
to me the other day: when you Americans
take up fad you run it to death. Now take
the brown boot craze as an example. En-
glishmen have been wearing what they call
boots and you call shoes, made Of brown
Russia leather, for years for outing wear.
The real thing made by a good London boot
maker costs good deal of money as such
things gO-from SIS to $25a a pair. They are
always OF the same color although they may
dust shoes, at the races or for out of door
events in dry weather and when the grass Is
not wet with dew. The least touch of water
spots real Russia leather boots Sld makes
them OF mongrel, dingy, dark color. Over
here the brown shoe is made of all sorts OF
feathers and Shades, from light brown
to dark purple, and they are worn on
all daylight occasions and in all sorts
of weather. Our wet weather or seaside
shoes are of canvas or chamois skin, whit
ened with pipe clay, and can be soaked In
water without losing either color or shape.
You can have your shoes "pipe-clayed" just
as you have other kinds polished and they
are always neat and tidy to look at. The
distinctive difference between the dress of
the two nations 1s that the English have
more things to wear, but in the end they
cost less because they are only worn on suit
able occasions"
Pitfsburs Has Plenty of Money.
They say there is little doing in the
staple lines of trade this spring, but from
the talk money seems plentiful for the sum-
mer outing. / hear of more people from
and about Pittsburg who are going to Europe
than any year before. Besides those who
cross the ocean, the home vacation bids fair
this year to outdo recent summers. 1t
seems to be in the air earlier than usual and
1t Is hard to find family that is not figuring
on what is called O "rest," but is in reality
q hustle.
Ard then another indication of PLENTY of
cash is the way the people are dressing. ]
have never seen Pittsburg crowds as well
dressed and as apparently prosperous as
they are now.
Origin of Political Slang.
The Hon. William Finn, of the rather
weIl-known firm OF Booth & Finn, and who
has word to say ON local
political affairs is, among other things, q
coiner of phrases. One of his happiest
efforts in that direction was mfnted last
summer, when, in alluding to local politi-
cian who had once been friendly to the
Senator, hut had forsworn his allegiance on
obtaining an office, he said the man In ques-
tion had "gone north" This has passed into
local currency, and is frequently heard. 1t
is almost needless to add that it signifies q
journey to the chilly polar regions, where
they say the memory OF man Is impaired by
In passing, it may be said that Senator
William has had occasion to use the phrase |
with more or less frequency since it was
originated.
UTILIZING Our Three Rivers
Il do not believe there is city in the
world that gets as little amusement out of
its adjacent waterways as does Pittsburg.
Within ten years local aquatics from a
sporting point of view have dried up and
collapsed, and in their stead there has arisen
no pleasure seeking on either of our three |
rivers. The country along the Allegheny |
and Monongahela is about rs little knownto |
the average Pittsburger-except such as can |
be caught on the wing from the window Of o |
car-as the banks of the Oxus. Both I
rivers are wonderfully supplied with natural |
beauties and either would make the fortune |
of a small European state or the English |
counties through which it ran.
Instead Of swarming with pleasure craft |
the rivers are given over to Sunday excur- |
sions to nowhere in particular and bathing |
houses Why don't the athletic associations |
turn their attention to boating, as the Phila. |
delphians do? P. L. W.