The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-26
Condos OPENING.
Lincoln's Coach, Fine Vehicles, Music
and Pinks Draw a Large Crowd.

1t is estimated that ten thousand people
yesterday visited the carriage emporium
of II. T. Condo & Co., on North Tennessee
street, in honor of their formal return to
business after the disastrous fire of Feb
ruary. Nearly every style of vehicle was
in the display. Montanis Band dispensed
music during the hours from 10 a. m. to 10
p. M, and several young women were kept
busy all day and late in the evening dis
trihuting to every lady who called a carna-
ton. A historic object of interest was
the Lincoln coach, in which President Lin
coin rode to the theater on the evening of
his assassination to see Our American
Cousin" The firm unexpectedly found that
the driver of the coach during a year of
the martyred Presidents life at the White
House lives in this city, and he was Sc
cured to stand guard over il and relate
incidents about it to thA interested people.
The drivers name is Joseph Christian, who
now runs a barber shop in the Roosevelt
Block, on Ohio street. He is of French
birth, and drifted as a boy to Galveston,
Tex, where he. being a homeless waif.
was allowed to enter the regular army as
a bugler. This was in 1858, and Joseph was
only in his eleventh year. He served his
five years enlistment, and then lived for
a time in Springfield, where he made a liv-
ing riding race horses, being of a slight
build and light in weight. His employer
happened to be a friend of L~incolp's. and
when, in 1864, the. White House coachman
was arrested on the charge of being in a
conspiracy against the government Chris
tian applied personally to Mr.. Lincoln for
the job. Il made myself known" said Mr..
Christian, "as one of the running horse
riders of Springfield in the employ of a man
he knew, and he asked me to call the next
way. 1 was there on time, and Mrs. Lin
account of my size and Youth. But the
PRESIDENT said: oh, ma, what difference
does the size make so long as We know the
Young man is accustomed to horses?' The
| drove that very carriage for a
assassination. Mrs: Lincoln used to scold
me frightfully, and left three times, but
somehow got back again. I had two runs.
aWays curing that thine, and in one OF
them Mrs Lincoln accused me of being
drunk r. but wasn't, ! was driving her
OF hospital soldiers, dysentery soldiers, we
called them in those lays, because the reg
lazies and the towards, and Just as /
reached Fourteenth street here came one
Of these companies with a band. which
started up just as we saw them. The horses
iurched to one side and started down the
bill as hard as they could go; I heard Mrs.
told her no. Then she jumped out of the
carriage and rolled over and over, but,
was driving a big pair of grays which be-
longed to the marshal of the District, be-
burned up in the fire for which the former
driver had been arrested. The other run
away was when the President was with me
an alarm that the rebels were right after
US, and we started to drive quickly, but
ran away. The President sat coolly in the
carriage. as If nothing was going on un-
usual. You couldn't rattle him. He was
we hurried into a safe place nevertheless"
Another object of interest at the opening
ever made in the city, and about
the first that was ever seen here.
COLLEGE e is the sve proger : ca Of II; m J; MarsP b. ws Of
the Hanlon Brothers came to this city
riding on one of these velocipedes.
The machine was new here, and created
speaking of the wheel yesterday. Il made
a drawing of II. on the blackboard and set
to work to build one Of the machines. I
to the shop of Colonel Shaw for exhibition,
and was anxious to own one. This was
especially for the velocipedes, because they
had to be without dish. / had 1t silver
o aGensea at IN 4 cp part Of s SO. 1t nl was peh maa in
and the only part that has ever been re-
placed mae tnd in sn the many many yea years s,t that | rode It
always an object of interest on the street
during those years that bicycles were not
S0itC oilS 0SCus II NICClC Oulo Dt DOuSul
for a song a year or so ago, but l guess
that 1t is worth more now as a curiosity
This style of wheel was always called a
velocipede in those days. Their stiffness
and iron tires made them bard to ride on
the street, and they were mostly used in
smoothly-foored halls by persons who
rented them. This velocipede weighs
seventy-ive pounds. while the modern
bicycle only weighs an average of twenty
pounds.
Among the visitors yesterday we're Mr..
Glenn Studebaker and his son, Mr.. George
Sf11dahakNr. They rOn1ra fI1qt ted fha mann
bers OF the firm upon the character and
on goods made at the Studebaker factory are
too low" said Mr.. Glenn Studebaker, look
ing at some of the prices on the handsome
vehicles. I'VE don't sell such goods at our
Chicago retail emporium at such prices by
from $50 to xW d vehicle"
That is what / have been telling our
people" said Mr.. Condo. smiling, land /
am glad TO have you confirm what / say
The exhibit contained over fifty. styles of
vehicles, practically everything known to
the trade. Their strength, finish, ease and
convenience caused much admiration to be
expressed.