Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS

American cities, and more particularly those
in the interior, were to tell their expert
ences mighty interesting book could be
made as result. / know it is a matter of
surprise that confidence men should work
the foreign representatives, at inland cities
tut the reason for this is that the consuls
in seacoast towns have been bitten so fire.
quently that they are pretty wary about
giving substantial assistance TO their fel-
ow-countrymen in alleged distress. In Min
neapoiis not long ago the consul of north
European power was called upon by a
young man of excellent address. who told
pitifUl story about being robbed of a large
amount OF morley he had made in Mon ana
and with which he was on his way to his
European home. He had letters, which he
displayed from the cid folks abroad as well
as numerous communications of d business
nature from well-known people in Montana
and certificate showing that he had sent
several thousand dollars to Europe to await
his arrival there. His story was SO plausible
that the consul was impressed with Its truth
and went so far as to invite the young man
to be his guest in Minnea polls for a Few
days, SO that he could make him the bearer
OF some remembraECes he desired to send to
has family on the continent. He advanced
the supposed sufferer some 81 800 the la ter
insisting upon the consul holding the GER
tihcate Of deposit until he reached Europe
and returned alone. The consul became so
much pleased with the stranger before he
lett that besides giving him many Valua bile
PRESENTS to take to his relatives he intrusted
him with substantial sum of money for
ms younger brother TO enable the latter to
come TO this country. The stranger left
MIN eapolis with overwhelming protesta-
tons of gratitude and sent kilograms of
the most thankful tenor to the consul from
ST. Louis and New York. Two weeks after
ward the consul was called to Chicago on
business. and. dropping into the Palmer
House billiard room, who should he espy
but his alleged unfortunate friend, drinking
WINE and playing billiards. The fellow got
away. however. before he could be appre-
hehueu, anu the consul eventually discoy-
cred that the swindier had stolen the letters
ana papers of the man whom he had repre-
sented himself to be and had forged the GER
tncate of deposit for the money that was
alleged TO have been sent abroad. While the
losses OF foreign representatives are not
usually as heavy as that of the Minneapolis
consul the aggregate Is very large, and a
GOOD many unprincipled scamps appear to
De engaged In this variety of swindling"
Another link has been made in the
chain of consolidation that is sure to bind
Brooklyn and New York together eyentu-
ally, said Felix Van Werken, a civil engi-
neer from Gotham, at Wormley's this MORN
ihs- Inc immense gas main tunnel under
the East river between the two cities was
nnlshed short while ago and several gem
leinen made a pedestrian tour through it
early this week. The new tunnel is ons
OF the most remarkable Submarines s,~nc
lures IN the world, ana WithstaadS great
er water pressure than any similar work
~ Is little over half mile long and is
Ten 1eet high by eihEt and a half feet wide
II Is cylindrical in form and is made of
cast IRON plates laid in solid concrete walls
except where II goes under Blackwelrs Is
iand, when 1t runs In the solid rock. On
the Brooklyn side the tunnel il about So
Feet beneath the river bed. while it is 10
feet below on the New York shore There
Is ~ Feet OF water over 1t in Brooklyn and
% Ieet In New York. There Is no doubt
In my mind that the East river will soon
be underlaid with other tunnels for the
purpose OF freight and passenger traffic
between the two big cities. The use of
compressed air power has simplifed and
lessened the cost of tunnel boring to u
very great degree. and inventive genius has
done 10 much toward overcoming the OBJ
stacles In the way Of underground trans
few difficulties viii hereafter be found in
the way or such systsm being put into
operation between New York and Brook
lyn."
Il don't suppose 1t is the proper thing for
. stranger to come into q community and
read 1t lecture on its blind provinciaism
and ultra conservatism" said Christopher
L. Weaver Of Chicago at the Riggs House
last night, but l will not be mere long
enough to give indignant populace a
chance to raise my scalp l would like to
pitch into your people about their wasted
opportunities. 1 was taken up to Great
Falls by friend yesterday. and 1 was never
so amazed In my life as / was at the utter
lack of communication with such a wonder
full place, and the entire absence Of any
thing like comfortable accommodations
when it was reached. Nature was certain
ly in her most fantastic mood when she
created those marvellous falls and the I'M
rivaled scenery that surrounds them. 1
never conceived that there was half so
lovely spot in the eastern part of this
country. OF course Niagara is grand and
magnificent. and its splendor and strength
are unrivaled. but the falls up your river
need not be ashamed of themselves on ac-
count Of their bigger brother. Why, if that
glorious spot vas within twenty-five miles
of any other city half the size of Washing
ten in the United States there would be a
railroad of some sort running up to il on
both sides of the river with a half a dozen
hotels at their termini each shore of
the stream. When l expressed my amaze
ment at such a place being absolutely cut
OF from the general public. L was told
that the government owned all the prop
erty around there. and that was the reason
the beauties of the falls We're isolated as
much almost rs IL they were in KAN
schatka. Such an argument is perfectly
ridiculous The Hot Springs in Arkansas
are on a government reservation. and so
Comfort the hotels are erected altogether
on government land. The same holds good
IN Yellowstone and Yosemite Parks and
numerous places elsewhere. l can't imagine
what your moneyed men and capitalists
have been thinking about to let such slori-
Gus opportunities for Investment remain
untouched. All your suburban lines of
electric road appear to have a very sub
stantial patronage OF air and plea sure seek
ers. and a well-eIuipped road to Great Falls
with something at the eLd OF II. where the
creature comforts OF siSht-Secrs could be
provided for, would prove a perfect bonanza
You can rest assured I will lose no time
when 1 get back to Chicago in calling the
attention CT moaeycd people to the oppor-
tunities that this community seems to
have allowed to let Slip
Erastus Nicholas of BOSTON. who is in
terested IN several New England street rail-
way companies. was in Washington on
flying trip yesterday. Whether he had his
eye on any Of the Washington lines or nc,
couldn't be csccrtained. He is one of tie
few street railroad people who think that
there are other efficacious modes of supply
ing motive power for the propulsion OF cars
besides the overhead trolley. He told a