The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-28
DRUGGIST PHELPS
GREW DESPERATE
Took a Novel Method Of Breaking Up
Corner L0aiing.
CONSEQUENCES NOT CONSIDERED
Mail Boxes Located ON the Corner in
Front Of His Store Daubed Over
with White Paint..There, Was a
Great Deal Of Talk About the Affair
and Most Of 1t Was Not Of an Ap.
proving Nature.

Druggist John II. Phelps was very
much discussed parsonage about the
central city last evening. The reason
of this was that Mr.. Phelps had done
something that was open for discus
sion.
On the corner in front of Mr.. Phelps
drug store Uncle Sam maintains two
mail boxes, one for letters, which is at
tached to a telegraph pole, and the
other for papers and packages, resting
alongside the pole on the curb. The po-
sition of the boxes is such that per-
son can lean against the larger one,
throw his arm across the other and
maintain an erect position with only
slight effort. 1t Is most inviting place
for loaf and it is pretty generously
patroniZed.
Mr.. Phelps didn't take kindly to this
sort of thing and determined to break
it up. Without stopping to consult
Uncle Sans feelings in the matter. or
to think of the consequences to him
self If the government should get on its
ear about it, or to consider that thou
sands of people dressed in their Sunday
best would pass that way during the
evening. Mr.. Phelps with paint brush
and some white, sticky mixture daubed
the top and portions of the sides of both
boxes, liberally, If not artistically.
THEY WANTED TO KNOW.
Everybody who came along of course
noticed the changed hue of the once
bright red letter boxes, and, of course.
everybody wanted to know how it all
happened. When the facts in the case
We're duly ELECTED, discussion ensued
and Judgment was passed. The gener-
al verdict was that Mr.. Phelps had
concluded to do the thing without first
counting twenty Some took occasion
to tell him 50. Attorney w. II. Gear
mart told him so in q very emphatic
way. Mr.. Phelps. however, was satis-
fed he had done nothing wrong. and
was not at all exercised about the un-
favorable comments. In explaining his
action to Tribune reporter, he said:
81 did 1t to keep the mashers from
loating on that corner. Every evening
but particularly Saturday and Sunday
evenings there Is a crowd hanging on
that corner, staring at and insulting
ladies who pass. Last night there was
a crowd of six or eight full-grown
men, presumably guests from the
hotel hanging about the corner all
evening passing remarks upon the
ladies passing by A woman who goes
to droD a letter in the box Is almost
sure to be insulted with some such re-
mark as making date, eh?' or She
must have a sweetheart or the like
Lady patrons of my soda water foun-
tain are also subjected to the stares
and remarks of these loafers and 1t is
injuring my business"
TO WASH IT AWAY.
Mr.. Phelps also explained that the
daubing was done with whiting and
would not permanently soil clothing
He said he intended to wash the stuff
off the boxes when he was ready to
close his store.
Patrolmen Feeney and Neuls. whose
beats yesterday met at this corner,
We're in a quandry as to what should
be done about the matter 1t was
clearly violation of the city orJlin-
ance against exposing fresh paint in
a public place, without any warning
sign, but owing to Mr.. Phelps prom
inence they hesitated about taking
summary action and referred it to
police headquarters. Nothing was
done about the matter at headquarters.
except that Mr.. Phelps was censured
for not reporting that he objected to
the loaing and have the police in
structed to put q stop to it.