The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-16
LITE ToPICs ABoUr TOWN.

~@'HA 'NfA NNAhh guy =
that the Japanese are not manufacturing bi.
cycles,' said a man who spent q dozen years
In that country. and that the much discussed
SIG Japanese bicycle ~ a myth. I'll venture
TO say, however, from my knowledge NJ the
Japanese, that they will soon be making their
own bicycles. When ] went to Japan | took
my wheel along with me. That was long before
bicycling had become a fashionable fad In this
country, aud | expected that my appearance
on n wheel would create II sensation. | didn't
know the Japanese. In Yokohama there were
fully n hundred bicycles Of all kinds. Half
a dozen Of them were the modern ~safeties that
tourists had left there, and the others were
old-fashioncd machines that must have been
a lot OF tho old ordinary high wheels. and It
was amusing 70 sec the Japs In their flowing
roses mounted on these bicycles and looking
dong something unusual. Several large con.
! iiiEn,neI Ms,i Of second sSs ,h nSnd r wheels as,o rf soSssd
upon as great prizes. During the last year
OF my stay in Japan q lot of modern BICYCLES
were imported. and I have heard recently that
bicycles were as common In Japan AS In this
country"
Electrical experiments are interesting lots
of amateurs nowadays. and during the past
week there have been thousands OF them in
town to inspect the wonders of the electrical
show. They represent all professions. One OF
the most enthusiastic patrons of tho show this
week is an elderly country Clergyman from up
the State who experiments q bit himself By way
Of amusement.
There Is no more interesting field for an
amateur said one OF them. than electricity.
and none in which results can be produced so
cheaply and easily. When ! as a schoolboy
IN the country al electric battery was looked
upon as n great curiosity. Now they are rs
common as bicycles or cameras, and much cas-
Ter TO get. i have spent much of my time this
week at the electrical exposition. and I'll ven
who have attended II are experimenting In
electricity, In an amateur way themselves.
hope of accidentally stumbling into something
that will be of practical value. but most of
these amateurs have taken it up simply for
sheir own amusement"
While John Oliver Hobbies was in New York
she was credited with a bon mot that q maya.
zine alleges in its first number was revanpcd
from an historical French retort. AT a lunch
con given In her honor o salad of lobster was
served. She declined 1t and pleaded iidiges-
tion. -,
What Is tndiRestiOnf'
In = bored way, John Oliver Hobbies turned to
Walter. bring this gentleman a dictionary"
The. eccentric Southern magazine alleges
that the incident dates from the siege of Paris
a party OF ladies. who we're much a%gltated. The
gallant Marshal asked the cause OF their agi-
We are on the eve of a battle" said Mme.
Brohan. and we fear -"
IXvFs,r, ;sar:" iH.srrupted The Marshal arsh;
summoned her maid and said:
Marie. bring a dictionary for the Marshal"
New York 10 we'll supplied with schools of
acting. and young women from the country
who have histrionio ambition and money find
no difficulty In getting teachers. II they can
not Join one of the best schools In this limo
there are during the summer months dozens
OF actors who are willing 10 tutor them, men
who might have played Hamlet successfully II
Booth hadn't been jealous" or song-and-dance
teams who teach specialties. shortly before
his death Dion Boucicault announced that he
would teach a class something abou. acting on
the stage of the Madison Square Theatre. His
own fame as an actor and a play wright as
sured a large number of pupils. When the
afternoon on which the class vas to be formed
arrived the writer found half of the orchestra
seats in the theatre nlled with aspirants for
men who had appeared in amateur, theatricals
to the delight OF their friends, and the other
mixed styles. Mr.. Boucicault stepped out on
the stage and looked aghast at the collection.
dates la wS who. in IN his hse o p n SiTnS Would 1Ii waste eheir
time IL they attended his school. Each one
was called up in turn, and asked to recite
Perhaps It wasn't a fair ties. for the timid ones.
Mr.. Boucicault told the women TO walk asst
told them that they talked a. If they had a hot
potato in their mouth, and he said many other
them skipped off the stage and left the theatre
crying. MIR. Boucicault selected about a dozen
advised the rest to go home and leave che stage
alone. 1t was undoubtedly good advice for all
of them.
There were a dozen interesting restaurants
near New York several years ago which were
known only to the initiated. and priced accord
ingly. but they have lost the charm that made
them popular with the New Workers who sought
them out. They were unassuming little res
taurants run by excellent French or Italian
cooks, and New Workers who sought them out
in the country found them delightful because
of their good dinners and the excellent service.
Moreover. the fact that with the exception of
a few Of the visitors these, restaurants were
they happened to be located. gave them an ad-
ditionai charm. Several of these little din
i Msrs p' aesr w tSe Bronx Bn as"i Rive isiA and I aian Stn ths
Hudson. They made, a pleasant object, for a
little excursion into the country. and the ini-
friends to them. The bicy lie has changed
these restaurants sadly. The army of riders
suit. the proprietors are doing q bigger bust
ness than they ever dreamed OF, out this old
celient service Of the proprietor and his wife,
there are careless waiters.and guests from New
S msGk to ar serve r%' t & n""s speeia Hs'I that 70 %e iH" emioy ses
by the old patrons. They are suffering from
too much popularity.
One barometer.of the conditions OF city life
Is to b~e,found In the line OF men who walt out
side the Broadway bakery which distributes
every night the bread not available in its bust.
ness. II the present size of that line expresses
the situation accurately, there must be now In
New York an unusually large number Of home
less men. On sunday night. two hours before
the time for lhe distribution. there was O large
enough number Of men waiting, to extend the
line from the middle Of the block of Tenth
street between Broadway and Fourth avenue
up To n point on Broad way opposite Twelfth
street. For this time Of the year such II nun.
Der is unusual. The probabilities are that
during the two hours that interviewed before
the bread was giv,n out the crowd grew much
larger. A policeman standing near the spot
told a SUN reporter That never before in the
early summer had he seen so many.
BROOKLTN POLICE PROMOTIONS.
A Deputy Superintendent aud nn Additional
Inspector 20 Be Appointed,