The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-23
BRIEF TALES AND GOSSIP
Boy hood Friend of the Booths Talks Of
the Actor and Lincoln's Assassin.
Politsness That Was Taken Advantage Of
Running for the American Parliament
Jekers Who Got the Worst Of 1t

Col. Walter Gray, OF No. 22e North Della
ware street. Is an intimate friend of the
stricken trsgsdiau, Edwin Booth. and tells
many interesting "reminiscences Of the
actor. Four years ago. when Booth made
his last appearance in this city, he called ct
the Gray home and spent an afternoon in
recounting the incidents of the school
days when he and the Colonel were boys
together. Mr. Gray, in speaking of Booths
ailness the other day. said:
Edwin Booth and his brother, j. Wilkes
Booth. were fast growing lads when at
tended school wish them in the oity of
Philadelphia. Their father. the elder
Booth. was in his palmy days thon and con-
trollsd the Areh.street Thsster. where We
were never Two brothers who differed 90
widely in character and temperament As
Edwin and Wilkes. There was nothing in
common between them, although they
were apparently fond OF each other. |
have play ed marbles and ball with Edwin
Booth many day, but as for J. Wilkes, he
seldom mingled In the boyish sports and
was inclined TO hold himself aloof from the
rest Of ns Although be was courteous and
dignited. there was something about his
dark, handsome features that caused the
boys 80 feel that he did not care to sssoci-
ate with them.
wilkes was the most brilliant boy in the
school. while his brother Was the reverse
Edwin was considered slow and rather dull
by the teachers, as we'll ss by his father. i
remember on one occasion he was being In
etrncted IN the drama by his father In the
theater. and il seemed impossible for him
90 get the conception of the lines which his
tutor desired. Finally Edwin committed
some blunder which In the mine OF his
parent was unpardonable, and the old
actor sdI,,nistered a cut that sent the
the stage. Many times ] have seen him
slapped for his inability to speak his lines
properly. Edwin was not the brightest
boy. but he was thoroughly square in all
I have seen him o number of times since
the killing Of Lincoln. but ss we'll as
knew him l never uttered the name OF
Wilkes Booth in his presence"
+
About midnight every night the drivers
On the various lines that work from the
Louisiana street stables are making their
report to the night foreman. When they
happen 20 be In mood for jolity, which 10
nearly every night one can hear some
funny incidents related. A few nights
since. when the boys were turning in their
change boxes. some one asked. Where's
that new msnfn referring to o new driver
that had just been put to work upon the
stook-yards line. The new driver had gone
few minutes before. after having narrow
" escaped being worked" on the stauding
catch for new driyerA The boys had pre-
she stable foreman. being taken into the
scheme, had agreed to help them out
When the new driver made his report. he
being the last man in, tho foreman, in all
seriousness. asked: did You lock the turn
Lock the turntsble. No; didn't know
IL bad TO be locked replied the new man.
Didn't know it had 20 be locked! Where
mnst be locked. You will have TO go back
and look it. II the su perintendent knew
that you left it unlocked it would cost you
your job. lou go back and lock 10. how
ever. and will not say anything sboutlt.
asyou are new man."
ITS bad night and awful late" VEN
tpred the new driver. glancing at the clock,
which showed that 1t was nearly A. NJ.
"iesit is. and You have my sympathy.
be locked tonight"
The new man started out in the snow and
rain. and the wind blowing almost gale.
He was permitted to 60 several squares.
whom some of tho boys jumped in buggy
and started ous 90 overtake him. They
drove nearly to the turntable. wondering
oil the while where the man could
h.ve gone: as they saw nothing OF
he ought to start out as 9 professional
walker. Why. he can walk faster than
this beastly wind Is blowing" ventured
one of the men in the buggy. Failing to
nnd the a man a. they fstuTned to the stable
NJ. before they arrived st the stable to find
that the joke Was on themselves. The now
driver had gone but o block or two when
he remem oered that he had no key with
fnh fr,l hA fxxrn foh and voA
TO the stable for the key and Was then told
that he need not bother about the table as
it was 30 late. aud he Immediately departed
for home. The mon who had set MP the
joke, when they returned about an hour
later from their drive through rain and
snow. were the recipients of the "guying"
they had intended for the new man.
Mr.. BENJAMIN G. Elder. of the Grand
Hotel, Was chatting the other evening CON-
corning the occasional peculiar conner At
that very excellent hostelery. and told this
little story about "the man and the room"
There are." said he. "a great many stories
that get loose among hotel corridors abou {
she man and the ROOM 1t Is hardly safe
60 pose as Q hotel clerk if you haven't some
kind OF . stock story on this combine
tion. Unfortunately, have no such story.
nor could the little incident which hap
pened here day or two ago properly be
called one He was an aggressive. and Y ct
. somewhat dithdent man of about thirty
hve or forty years, perhaps. whose entire
personnel smacked sourly of some remote
hog town, where the Most trusted Gus
toners smoke their pipes on the dry goods
counters or fall asleep on the summer
stock Of overalla Walking across the
office with Soudan teeter,' his sarsa-
parilla beard doomed up across the register
like an Egyptian sunset.
eel looked at him and he looked at ma
but no symptoms of registering were ex-
posed. Now. look here. young teller, he
said. and lis words rolled out of his mouth
like potatoes from dump drsy. i wunt to
sleep around hur sumplace. an 'spect ure
the bottle washer NV this hur kennel, aims
YET acknowledged the honor aud hand.
ed him the pen TO register. but he stood
back exceptionally. and. with q facial gyra-
ton. said he'd just be id if he ever signed
anything again. and sent boy up with
him. The boy took the key and motioned
him into the elevator and went MP the
staircase on foot himself. Before the ele-
vatof boy had started with him he rushed
out TO the counter furiously. wanting to
know why he was put into q little coop of
aden without any bed in it-or il j took
him for q walrusl He thought the elevator
was the room that had been assigned TO
him for the night"
Indianapolis men are polite to women.
They would consider il shame for q
woman TO remain standing in q street car
while they were seated. and they are al
wavs re- ADJ In sanrifica THAR eomfort |; N m ~