The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-13
GOSSIP OF A DAY.
The Railroad Franchise
Bill and Its Fate.
A Popular Fruit the Name of
Which is a Misn0mer.
Curious Experiment With Moving
Stones From Nevada.

That bill which the city solicitor has
drawn by direction Of the Goo-Goo City
Council.and which is intended to be used
rs q club to drive the Union Railway isn't
likely to. fare very well when it gets into
the General Assembly. AS one veteran
member of that body'remarked this morn
ing: "a good many members OF the AS
sembly are heartily sick of the constant
stream Of bills that come from the city of
Providence. II would seem as II your
City Council when 1t gets into hole
through its pigheadedness or incompe-
tency.must run to the Legislature TO get
It out. This thing ought not to be. A
city like Providence should have In its
government officials who know how to
deal with public questions and to settle
them properly without resorting to the
Assembly every time they get into q
enarl. Now as to this bill that II is pro-
posed to send to us l, for one, don't hesi-
tate to say that 1t will never become a
law. You must remember that the fran
chise chiefly aimed at was authorized by
the Legislature on the special petition of
the City Council. That body asked for Ii
and got It.. DO the gentlemen who COM
pose that body think they can come up
how and get us to undo what we did
then at their solicitationY IL they do
they will lind themselves very wide OF
the mark unless am greatly mistaken.
They can't play fast and loose in that
manner. 1t isn't business and 1t isn't
Justice. And then, too, do they forget
that this company hes vested rights
which others VIII, II they do not, respect?
1t il all very well for them to talk and re-
solve and send US up bills to pass, but l.,
for one, don't propose TO help out
scheme that at the bottom is dictated
more by cheap political considerations
than by any earnest or honest desire to
benefit the people"
"where Goes the pineapple get its
nalne?'t The uossiper asked large whole
sale fruit dealer this morning. 81 can't
tell you,' he answered caniidly. "The
fact Is the name Is a misnomer. The
first part OF il comes, no DOUBT, from its
resemblance to the pine cone but where
the second part comes from don't know
and never saw any one who did. IL ccr-
tainly does not resemble an apple in any
respect. In structure IL is very much
like the mulberry, for you may trace In
the fruit all parts OF the flower, greatly
distorted, OF course, on account OF the
growth OF the.juicy portions. IL is BIZ
ennial, but does not grow on tree as
does the apple. Indeed, IL is hardly
snrub, its sword-shaped leaves looking
not unlike those OF the common flag,
resemblance TO some. varieties of the cac-
tus. Ii Is related TO the Gamma, ginger
and banana plants, but differs from ali OF
them. i have been told that when II
grows wild.no animal will feed upon IL,
which may be explained by the fact that
none is able to break through the steely
thorns that guard it,"
A friend but short time returned from
the West exhibited TO a party OF inter-
ested spectators last evening n number OF
peculiar stones which he said he had
gathered In the desert region OF south
western Nevada. lie called them "mov-
ing stones, and they certainly deserved
the designation. These stones are nearly
round and about as large as a walnut and
about the color and texture Of Dobuies OF
what is known as kidney iron ore. These
stones were distributed on a large table
two or three feet apart and Immediately
began 10 move toward common center
Nor did they cease their travels until
they were all huddled together about the
larger one like so many eggs in q nest.
The explanation OF their movements is to
be found In the material OF which they
are composed, which Is probably load
stone and magnetic iron ore.
Coming in from Roger Williams Park
yesterday afternoon the Gossiper was
seated beside two very talkatiye young
men. One OF them was relating TO the
other how well he bad performed q GER
tain duty and he repeated with evident
delight certain words Of praise bestowed
upon him by his employer, winding up
With tbs much. abused quotation, "Praire
from Cir Hubert II praiee indeed"
"Quotjng Shakespeare again" remarked
his companion with smile OF seif-com-
placency and then they fell talking about
some other matter OF no importance to
this chxonicle<. Now these young men