The sun., 1894-01-04
lIIRIG'S PLEASANT VAGARTES
GIVING THE BOFs or mrs SEIGHBOR-
noon NO END or EUN.

| Hts Doctors Say Hs Needs 20 Re uu.
| morea aud The- Taken Into the Coiuiry.
| The vagaries OF Mr.. George W. Ihrg are Of
gentle and harmless nature. worrying no
| one excepting his relatives and his lawyer.
| who fear that he will spend all his money upon
| his pleasant hobby. As the doings OF a man
| OF apparently unsettled mind. there is OF
course. something pathetic about IL all. but as
his alteration 10 only temporary, his physi-
clan has advised that he be humored In his
| actions.
Mr.. Ihrlg lives In small brick house at 27s
| South Third street. Wiltamsburgh. Until
| four days ago he was actively engaged in the
! produce business, owning profitable stall In
| Fulton Market. He has now given this bust
| ness over to his two older sons and retired
| from active life.
Mrs. Ihrig died the day before Christmas
| For few days after the funeral Mr.. 1hrig sat
in his room heartbroKen. He cried all day.
| and could not sleep at night Finally. how
| ever. there came reaction. Tho shutters
were thrown wide open. the house was aired.
and preparations we're made for festal sea-
| son.
Now. children" he said to the little boys.
| you had no Christmas presents last week.
and you we're both good boys. What would
you like to haveT
| Il want cannon" said one.
| II want bicycle" said tho other
| And can have a rocking horse p asked the
| first.
| Then want box Of soldiers" put in the
second.
| Mr. lhria went out that very afternoon and
| visited half dozen toy shops. lie came home
| with big bundle under each arm and every
| pocket bulging out. and the next day package
| after package arrived by express. The littls
boys were overwhelmed with delight.
| Can we bring other boys In to play with
| US 2" they asked.
| Certainly" said their father. Bring In as
| many as you like: The more the merrier."
Tnat night pandemoni reigned In the ihrig
home. Theta in the dining room became
try. cavalry. and ARTILLERY. clashed and fought
| to the noise OF half II dozen screeching horn.
| every time u cannon was supposed TO go oif.
II is needless to say that the artillery did the
chief OF both sides and conducted the battle.
| shouting Boomr with as great enthusiasm
| What we need he said after the battle,
are cannon that viii make real noise. III
the next day he wont to New York and
bought dozen heavy iron Columbia cann9n:
neT.isnGied . terror rcr IN ,i %ni;h v tightly
| ure making u terrific noise. ills schemes Tor
tho entertainment OF his boys and their friends
| were becoming so great that he needed an as
%iiiiamsblrsR branch Of the Young Mems
| young men. Tho assistant whom he secured
| Is u tall young man with red cheeks and blue
| deeply interested in tho play and froc of the
boys as Mr.. Ihrig was.
cred at Mr.. lhrie's house again. The new
tcrious @ S and happy. Sons Of the little boys
| becoming excitod began to throw the soldiers
gSa do tEa Soy ys' sn
| right for boys TO strike each other. Surprising
enc SGe q You he'd M his eye put out; you wouldn't
The culprits were Attached. and after that, 1t
hsn The Sss Mas over M hrs
mysterious package and took out rails. ties.
locomotives. ears, all the parapnernalia Of a
boys shouted with delight. The ta6Io was
cleared and every boy was set TO work laying
| "Chook -a-chook- -chookv' in imitation of u
iSS WSrniSs eSsry one to get on the track, whiiS
| the others called out the stations and shouted
marched around. playing soldiers. Mr.. lhrig
| nag. which the boys donnei 10 their great de-
light lie put them through drlil, ordering
about. face" Just as though they were reCi-
boys" he said. lets build fort and have
Hoorny? they cried. Can wei" "Thatn
Mr.. Ihrig sent one Of the boys to get builder
Now. sir he explained to the man:
With with d@ooriSg. @ and build a Tort on il"
What Kind Of fort would you Ike" said
aware OF Mr.. ihrig's ecceutricity.
Why, stone fort qt course What other
regular, fort. like Fort walsworth or Fort La
That night two trucks loaded with building
| stone-the Kind that IL used Tor foundations
drew up in front OF the house. Yesterday
| rIed through tho house to the yard where il
| was piled up In thick. impenetrabe walls.
and nd &C cover the ground with blanks and boards.
| and by noon they had laid out the groundwork
sUN reporter went to tho house yesterday
| to see how the Tort was getting along. lie
I rhysician. ian The physeiaa afterwafd % said I'D to to
Mr.. !hrlg's brother-in-law;
i sifStS Sssetsa II h. od9 mind at
| country for while AMI rests the best thing
TO do is to humor him for day or so aud then
| is all at he nssds."
Mr.. Ghrie came ont. nodded pleasantly to
'ns o% DO You Sn dos 90 out into the yard and
take look at things. I'm going out with my
wait for me. won't be back until 4 O'clock"
The dining room. the hallway, and the yard
tin soldiers, railroad ears tin loats wooden
animals a litter that little boys dream OF;
the fort 10 the yard. The y. III. G. A. man sat
in the dining room beside blaek board that
What are those black things on the table 2"
the reporter asked.
on haven't you seen the Columbia cannon
Of paper In here stretch il tight. and then pull
this back. ike this. Now I'll pull the cord.
Better stick your tlnger In your ears. II makes
terrible noise till you get used toiL Look
out, noWV
seem ed greatly pleased. and offered to show
the reporter the rest OF the toyA
How Is Mr.. lhrigT'
"Idon't think there Is anything the matter
with him. Mr.. Ihrig is a good Christian aud a
very worthy man. lie 10 a little eccentric on
the subject Of children and likes to see them
:" Is that some Ot the childTen's work on the
bAekbOaTdr
- No." said the young man. blushing
slightly, that's my work"
Shortly before o'clock Mfr. IhrIG returned
with two big trucks laden with Christmas
trees. aud half dozen men were set to work