The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-07

t10 liz tu6G nau Just Ms WhIm anu
loyal a~dherents. who hesitated not to back
up their opinions by engaging in single
combat any one who differed with them.
1 think il was in the Governors Circle.
before the old mansion that stood IN the
center of it was torn down.. that our boy
trst saw Henry Hoagland- He was. L pre-
sumo, q poor demented creature. such as
every small town has at one time or an
other. to wander uD and down Its streets.
and | do not know that he ever did any one
any harm. but our boy was so afraid OF him
that his whole being would be filled with
terror at the sight of him. One night It
somehow happened that he was left IN the
house aione for 3 short time. and his child
ish mind was full of the thoughts of this
poor creature, and he imagined him creep
ing around the house and peering In the
ndow In those days there were no
door bells. and while the child waited ana
BILE some one suddenly knocked loudly
at the front door and contln-
ued to knock until our boy, with
trembling hands. opened IT.. only
to close it again with a shrek. for there on
the step stood Henry Hoagland, bare
headed. and. have no doubt now. hungry
and seeking food. The boys were never
afraid or Joe Lawson. who wandered aim
lessly about the town. nor afraid of poor
crazy Lucy. with her sad and patient face,
but they were awfully afraid Of a man
named Piibean. who was q constable. He
was clothed in a blue jeans suit and the
majesty of the law, and his delight, nay.
the aim or DIS lie, was TO eaten u boy n.y.
ing q kite when it was "agin the law" but
be never was knQwn TO catch anything
else. The boys in the old days were simple
In their ways, and they did not know much
about books or public affairs. but L
also knew but little of evil ways.
All boys, however. are naturally cruel. and
our boy remem bers how a lot OF the bigger
boys aught a poor Ole white rooster and,
having tried him for some alleged ~otlense.
they hanOed him Inv the neck The iury
was composed in part of Ed Thompson
now the postmasterl. Peter Purcell. Ed
Phipps. the Goldsberry boys and a number
OF others from the neighbOrhood. Our boy
was too little TO be q jurymaD. but he was
permitted. he is ashamed TO remember. TO
so up very near and hit the poor rooster
with q stone. In those days. however.
there was no such O thing az tho word
stone In the boys talk; every stone was
call a rock, no matter how big or how little.
When our boy was very little he would
sometimes hold on to his fathers hand and
go to the postofice. which. IL seems now.
ington street. Near the post0fice was q
bakery kept by q man named Thompson.
who made the best crackers IN the world.
The boys were always hungry, and could
eat anything from a sour green apple TO- a
Thompson's bakery and smell the
fresh baked crackers and bread
simply made them ravenOus. Coming
from the postofice you passed O hotel,
called the Wright House. 1t stood where
the New York store Is now, and political
speakers used to make speeches from the
porch while the crowd stood out In the
street. Once on q time. perhaps 1t was dur
ing the Pierce campaign, our boy remem-
by the Democrats. and how some
one stretched q wire across Washing
ton street strung with balls of cotton twiDe.
When night came these balls were saturat-
Will Aleck Morrison and other enthusiastic
Democrats who, if they did not make Rome
howl, did the very next best thing they
could and made the crowd howl when GER
tain of these flaming balls dropped down
on them.
Leaving Washington street, going up
Pennsylvania street. was where Wood 81
Foudray used to keep a livery stable. inst
south of where the When clothing store is
now. They also kept o half dozen yellow
bulldogs. These dogs had a bad fashion of
being much interested in the fat little legs
of chubby boys; so much so that our bow.
when be passed them. used TO walk stiff
legged through fear of giving otfense. Bnt
these dogs were pets in comparison with
two great shaggy beasts owned by MIR.
Lawrence NJ. Vance. who lived on Market
street, near New Jersey. l am sure now
that these dogs did not devour boys as q
pastime, but our boy thought they did.
and that was just as bad as if they really
did it.
In 1854 the Secondhand schoolhouse was
located on North Delaware street, between
Vermont and Michigan streets. 1t was q
small affair. but one story high. and the
boys and girls occupied the same room.
Opposite the school building was a field,
inclosed by q rail fence; Q haystack was
there the first summer and the only house
near by was the one owned by Mr.. HOlli-
day, the father of John III. Holiday, who
lived ON the far side. facing on Alabama
street. The boys used to play town ball
and bull pen. over In this field. though
our boy and other small boys were
only allowed to chase the ball and
hand it over to the big boys. At other
times they could sit on the rail fence and
try to learn to whistle through their fin
gers. Our boy never could learn this, or to
spit with his teeth closed, both of which
were considered great accomplishments.
His first sohOolmate was Albert YOhn.
than whom q more quiet. studious scholar
never delighted q teachers heart. John
II. Holiday was the best natpred boy in
the school. and Will Gillespie could throw
q stone the turthest. Among the scholars
were John Blake. David Brown. Frank
Holland, James Fisher. Charles Brouse. AL
George and Will Wallace. DE-. Charles
L. Wright. Henry Mears. Scott Greene.
Henry Kellogg. Septlmus Water the South
ard boys. and many others whose names
are familiar as citizens of Indianapolis, and
others still who went forth with the boys
in blue never TO return again. But few OF
the boys were known by their right names,
as nearly every one had O nickname given
him. sooner or later. by his school fellows
Some of them were far from being cOmpli-
mentary, but the boys soon became used to
them and answered to the nickname
as readily as to their proper name. Great
rivalry existed between the First and Sec
ond-ward scholars. and our boy will never
forget the great sno " ball fights that oc-
Cured from time to time between the two
schools. The boys would put pieces of
coal in the snow balls and send them in like
cannon shot. These battles became so bit
the school authorities ordered them
stopped. Examination day was q fearful
trial to the boys. especially when visitors
came and sat on the platform and stared
with O fixed, stony glare at the classes.
Calvin Fletcher. and David Culley, and
James c. Yohn. and others used to come
and hear the boys recite. and then make
little speeches to them. The boys were too
much scared to be close observers then, but
looking back now, and remembering those
speeches, no doubt but that the visiting
brethren were equally frightened.
The boys bad many superstitious notions
In those days. If you handled a toad you
would have warts on your hands; IT you
killed q toad your COW would give bloody
milk; if you saw the new moon over your
left shoulder you would have q fall. This
last one generally came true. because the
once or twice q day. IL you got warts on
your hands you could remove them By TAX
ing an old bone from the ground, rub
the wsrt with Ii three times, put it
back in the same place on the
ground carefully, and then walk AWAY