The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18
JAM AT UNION STATION.
Over 100 Extra Coaches Brought In
Last Night's blockade.


The way the immense crowd which was
in the city yesterday departed was an in
teresting study. There were thousands of
them and it was small matter for the
police and the corps of officers at the Union
Station to get them on board the right
trains and keep the station in anything like
a clear condition for the passage of trav-
elers to and fro. From o'clock yesterday
afternoon until past midnight there was
solid mass of people within the station, ex-
cepting during brief period between $50
and 1920 O'Clock, when there were no de-
parting trains. But even at this time there
was only a slight diminution in the size
of the crowd. People planted themselves
about the place to wait for trains which
We're not due to leave for hours. One po-
liceman said that the man whose train left
last was always to be found in the first
part of the crowd next to the gate and he
was III the way Of every other man no
had to pass into the train sheds Men and
women and children were there two and
three hours before their trains left as if
fearful lest the train should get away from
them.
There were some amusing incidents con-
nected with the getaway" A family of
seven was seen early in the evening rushing
down Meridian street at a Patchen clip.
There was the father mother ana five chill
dren. They seemed to be in a dreadful furry
and some pedestrian who did not under
stand the situation thought they were run
ming to a fire or were going for a doctor
1t was $50 o'clock. They stopped a police
man at the corner of Maryland street and
inquired the time. When they learned the
hour the old man started on another run
and shouted to the others:
Hurry up here; it's half past 5 O'clock
now and the train leaves at half past g."
He had only two blocks to go, but his
fears were not ungrounded, for there was
crowd of thousands to fight through be-
fore he could possibly reach any train de-
parting from the station. Another party
of four was Walking down South Illinois
street. 1t appeared to consist of two coun-
try SWANS and their sweethearts. They
were taking up the whole sidewalk and I'M
mindful, in their sightseeing enthusiasm
of the inconvenience they were causing
other pedestrians. AT the corner of Georgia
street they met two other couples One Of
the young men of eacn party were ac-
quainted, and as the eight people stopped
facing each other traffic on the sidewalk
was entirely suspended. People rushing to
the station took to the road while the
young people, unconscious Of the whole
world, began a series of introductions 1t
was not unlike a country party where
the girls all sit around the wall of the best
room and the young men are brought in
and taken down the line and knocked
down" to them. The introductionS We're
finally finished and they stood almost in
circle in pairs. The street was crowded al
the time aud the attention of policeman
almost half a block away was attracted
Just moment before ne 5eached the scene
a blind man with Il fiddle" sitting just
around the corner, struck up a dismal
enough tune, but one which might have
done service for a country quadrille, The
policeman shouted, All promenade" The
set took the hint and the blockade was
raised.
A WATERMELON PURCHASE.
There was another party, consisting of
two men, two women and two children
They had come to see the sights and to
have good time. They had dinner at
the Penny Cafe" at noon and spent the
afternoon at the Statehouse, courthouse
and monument. They were to leave on an
early evening train, and in the course of
their rambles found thmselves in Commits
sion row, on South Delaware street Large,
luscious watermelons set the youngsters to
begging, and the result was that the two
men Clipped in and bought one at a bar
gain. II cost them 3 cents apiece but ii
was considered a fair enough bargain, al
though it did have a knot on one side. At
the corner of Maryland and Delaware
streets they stopped and one of the men
had lust sunk a knife into the rind pre-
paratory TO dividing the melon, when po-
hceman told them they could not eat 1t
there unless they would carry the rind
away. The melon was picked up again and
the party started off in search of a vacant
lot or an unimproved street. They were
afraid to wander far from the Union Sta
ton, as it was only about three hours
until train time. They walked about, trav-
ersing the same streets several times. and
finally brought UP at the Union Station.
They still had the watermelon.
Ky gum" said the man with the melon,
I'm eat this watermelon If have to carry
il all the way to Rossville." And he must
have carried IL there, for he was seen TOR
the next two hours, hugging the melon, in
front of the gate to the train shed.
The business at the Union Station yester-
day was the largest known. An idea Of the
immense crowds brought into the city can
be obtained from the record between a. m.
and noon. In addition to the regular train