The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-13
ETCHED AND
- '''' SKE7CHED.


accident. For If the train runs of the
track" said he why. you're right there
but If the boat blows up. or catches ahre'
where in the devil are you?" The mana
GER Of the Old Dominion Steamship Line
probably endorsed these sentiments when
the Jamestown and the yorktown
the two new ships belonging TO TINS me
were equipped with a new hre alarm
,.,,sten Tbermostats have been placed
I'm different compartments ana piaCeS =,
tho shin adjusted TO give an alarm AT
snv degree Of Fahrenheit. and by means
Of electrical action communicate TO an
annunciator in the most frequen'ed part
OF the shin. The annunciator indicates
the exact location Of the fire by the ring
ing Of a bell. This device will. without
doubt. prove Of great advantage. paruc-
ularly I'm the case Of ships carrying III
flammable materials.
The warm. life-giving spring weather
brings with it, besides such luXuries as
limeades. lemOnades. serenades, ana prom
enades. the blue bird. There Is a very
unique superstition about the blue bird'
particularly among the old. wrinkled, dus-
ky aunues OF Southern plantations. The
blue bird is a great wanderer, frequenting
different climes according TO the season.
and the old aunties will tell you not 10
eat the blue birds eggs, lest you have
a mania to wander. They believe that
the pale blue oval productions Of the pref
ty little fowl with SKY tinee on his
back. earth tinge on his breast" will
make the heartless nest-robber restless
as a seaman. No place can hold the
being who has once tasted a blue birds
egg. With the hooking bird ii is different.
IL is said that he who eats one of these
songsters eggs will be compelled to "ell
all he knows" The courts would do well
10 feed some Of their witnesses on mock
ing birds eggs. He who eats an OWLS egg.
according to the legend. will be always
shrieking." one cannot but wonder if
some modern female singers have not
dieted themselves upOn this species of
menu. The mastcation Of a doves eES
will be followed by bad luck, adds the SUI
perstiton. and 50 on through the list,
until one imagines that crows eggs must
have been a common die, when he is
told that he who dcvours one Of these
oval objects will be continually making a
fool of himself.
This is the season for outdoor music.
The question whether n fellow really
possesses a voice amounts to naught II
he can make a Joyful noise while joining
in the chorus. why. he gives vent to his
feelings by furnishing the unoffendng
pedestrian en- route couchward with n
few vocal strains laden with barnocles.
as IL were. About every fourth car pas
sing The Times Office carries a chorus
from the West End to Church Hill, or
vice versa If Patti coud hear some Of
the songs. she would very likely abandon
that sixteenth and las Farewell Tour"
by way Of giving the other vocalists "a
show" The serenaders too. are out near
~ every night in full bloom and the
merry tinke Of the mandolin. the thum9
Of the guitar, and the peepinS note Of the
flute can be heard beneath the window
Of the smiling damse with a Tutoring
heart. No matter II some Of these gal
liant cavaliers meet with an experience
something like my first. / played second
base having formerly been a baseball
enthusiast. Some how my notes were not
quite up TO the standard Of Orpheus who
built wall or two by his music. After
several selections, instrumental the light
nared up i'm the hall 1 then decided 10
render some vocal music. I had sung six
bars, when the young ladys father. who
was a physician. emerged from the front
door i'm semi-evenng raiment. He he'd
his medicine chest with him, and said he
would give me a remedy for the collie if
I wished.
Somehow he didn't seem to appreciate
my efforts.
But the organ grinders are just az
present getting In n bit OF work. So
far as / know there is no law applicable
.HeraF.l Yfa
They have learned. some Of them that
by repeating the choruses and refrains
often enough the desired ncke will be
forth coming whether from musical ap-
probation. or the desire 10 rid ones self
of a species Of torture can be best de-
cided 10y the listener Among the most
popular airs rendered by the Richmond
organ-grinders are: After the Ball"
DAISY Bell" "The Girl ] Left Behind
Me-" and even Annie Rooney" and
"Boom-de-ay.' besides other selections
which have been so effective in produc-
ing cases Of nervous prostration.
You frequently hear people ask why
so few newspaper men are devout Christ
ians. I'm reply | might cite a dozen
causes that tend to rob the reporters
spirit Of a genuine religious enthusiasm.
Here IS only one Of them:
Reporter at private Kindly
give me some OF the facts in connection
with this mlsfortune?"
Female relative-"Ah, it's a dreadful
thing, dreadful. I'm so overcome, you'll
have to excuse me. Besides. the family
wish TO have simply a bare mention in
the papers"
Reporter-"Was the deceased resi-
dent Of Richmond2"
Female relative-"You1l really have to |
excuse me; it's such dreadful thing. !
III hardly feel equal 10 talking 10
you about It; we much prefer just a
mention Of #: the family are very par
ticular. you know, about any newspaper |
publicity. and"
Reporter gives II up as a rad job. and |
after some expression of sympathy. re- |
pairs to the office. where he writes a brief |
sketch Of deceased.
Female relative in business Office three |
days later-"I can't for the life Of me |
see why the papers didn't have a two |
column sketch of-'s life: so we'll known |
In Virginia member OF ancient and in |
dependent order OF Fire Eaters, quite |
a prominent Red Man, bugler in the !
war. and-and-"
After some very pronounced and en- |
phatic complaints and generally det- |
rimental remarks all around about the |
paper. female relative sweeps out with |