The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-23
HEYWENT"ROOTIN
THE CITY GOVERNMENT ALLOWED
TO RUN ITSELF YESTERDAY.
Nearly All the Officers and Employees
Were Out at the Base
ball Game.

of the courthouse presented a deserted ap-
pearance. In some Offices one lonely man
had been left on the dog watch. and he did
not seem to appreciate the great confidence
reposed in him by thus leaving him in
charge of the work of the city,. OF course.
Mayor Taggart went TO the ball game. for
he had to pitch the first ball. Then. Con-
troller johnson has some property in the
neighborhood Of the ball park, and he heard
a report that a sewer in front OF 1t had
caved I'm. He was compelled 10 go out and
make an examination, and incidentally
dropped into the ball park TO witness the
first game of the season.
Martin Murphy has charge of the sale of
bicycle licenses in the controllers ONCE
and he thought yesterday would be a good
time to see how many riders are still with
out their licenses and went TO the ball park
to inspect the. wheels as they came in.
Maybe he didn't see the game. he was so
very, very busy looking for the little license
plates. A little after 3 o'clock Bert Spen-
Ger, Mayor Taggart's secretary, remem-
berer that the Mayor had made a re-
mark during the morning that he wanted
some letters written in the afternoon. and
thought 1t best to hunt up the Mayor and
allow him to dictate them. The Mayor was
at the ball park. and that is where Spencey
went. but he failed to find the object of his
search. and after about two hours of pa
tient watching and hunting he returned TO
the city.
Bart Parker, clerk of the Board Of Works,
did not care to see the ball game. but then
it so happened that his uncle's wife's sis
ter's brother-in-law had a friend whose
cousin was sick. and he thought that as
there would not be many people in the
office he would go to see the sick He
started I'm ample time to make a visit and
incidentally see a little of the ball game.
1t is not definitely known that he did see
any OF the game, for q little while after he
left the Office the other clerk. John Red
dington, discovered that some very impor-
tant papers needed Mr.. Parker's signature
and started out to find him. and towards
early supper time Reddington was sitting
on the top row of the bleachers, casting his
eyes over the large crowd in his vain eff
succeed. for at the last of the game he was
still yelling at the top OF his voice, hoping
by this means to attract Mr.. Parker's at
tention.
Report has il that Richard Herrick, clerk
of the Board Of Safety, went out to take a
look at one of the new engine houses. in
process of construction, ana in passing the
ball grounds was lucky enough to get a foul
outside OF the fence, and II would have
been little less than human if he had re-
fused to take advantage of the free en-
trance to the grounds which this gave him..
One of his intimate friends denies the
story.
Street Commissioner Herpick and his
clerk. John Brennan, had some work to do
on Ohio street, but when they reached the
place they found such a crowd passing
back and forth over the street that IL was
impossible for them to do any work, and
when they got in that crowd all they could
do was to go with 1t. 1t was like getting
into the undertow OF a strong surf; there
was nowhere to go but where the crowd
went. and. of course, that was through the
gate.
his Office, but il was denied that he had
gone to the ball game. He had simply gone
out on East Washington street to see a
nected with the Retail Grocers' Associa-
ton. This business would probably detain
cars from the east would be so crowded
with people from the ball game that he had
decided to walk home and would not be I'm
the Office again.
City Engineer Jeup and Grant Hornaday
had been waiting for a fair day to get out
east to run lines for a certain two-by-six
sidewalk, and as yesterday was the first
took advantage OF II. One of the two men
who. were to be seen in the office said the
Sidewalk was not in the neighborhood OF
the ball park; Ii was almost a whole square
away.
OF the five men in the assessment bureau,
one held the fort yesterday and politely
told all callers that he never saw n bali
game in his life and did not want to see
one-at least he did not want to see one
yesterday. win Hughes. Thomas Palmer.
Michael Lahey and Bert Shoemaker. the
other four men. were not there to express
their on the national game, but
the lonely mar said he was under the i'm
preston that they were devotees of the
sport and might be at the game, but ne
VAS not certain.
Judge Cox was not to be seen In the base
ment. but his friends say he was there
during the morning. They could not vouch
for his whereabouts In the afternoon.