Evening star., 1897-04-03

There are many signs indica ting that
old age is coming a man., remarked an
aged gentleman TO Star reporter. but
one of the surest is when he finds that his
suspenders have a way of slipping off the
shoulders. At first he thinks there Is
something wrong with the suspenders, and
he tries to remedy it by Tightening them
up. For a while this cures the trouble
but in little while there is more slipping,
and he gets a new pair of suspenders
Even they slip off and make him feel un-
comfortable. After while he discovers
the trouble is not with the suspenders. but
with himself. As years roll man. he
gets more and more round -shouidered
and unless he has his suspenderS braced
up by connecting them with band behind
the shoulders he cannot keep them up L
remember, some years ago. hearing two
very prominent men speaking of the fact
that they were getting old. One of them
was at the time Vice President of the
United States. and the other was a leading
senator What makes you think you are
growing old of them asked of the
other Sound it out the reply, as
| discovered that my suspenders
would not stay up That has been my
experience Also came from the questioner
Neither of the gentlemen referred to had
yet reached his seventeen year. but they
had both discovered they growing
old by the same incident In their lives. l
have never known it to fail After a man
reaches sixty his shoulders grow round
steadily. and by the time he is seventy
five his shoulders have lost all their orig
nal size and formation
In the notices of the death last week
of Mr.. Robert Ball there was no mention
of the fact that in his early days, and in
deed all through his life he was an ac-
complished vocalist" suggested an old citi-
zen in talking with Star reporter. Forty
years ago there was no concert in this city
worth attending when Bob Ball was not
on the program. He was very popular.
and had grand voice. He sang solo parts
in one of the first minstrel troupes ever
organized with Throden Handy and the
late l. NJ Moxley. who for so many years
carried on the business of bill posting in
this city The troupe was known as The
Serenadcrs. and performed In many Sec
tions of the country. even before Christy's
Ministries Were organized. Mr. Ball was
always in great demand for songs at
church fairs and other gatherings and he
always gave his services free on such oc-
caslons. When he got old enough TO be-
come a member of the Oldest Inhabitants
Association the first request made of him
was to sing the Star Spangled Banner
a treat which he kept up at the annual
meetings of the association. Washing
tons birthday, until the last one when he
sent his regrets on account of illness. He
was msmber of many musical organiZa-
tons. and. what was more, was singer
of rare merit Though he was not the or
ganiZer of the Masonic choir he was the
most active member of it. ever since its
organization
x = = =
The letter carriers are not so enthusias-
tic about the proposed home post office
boxes now being introduced IN this city"
explained a letter carrier to a Star report
er, "as the owners OF the boxes are. The
owners of the box look at it from one
standpoint and the letter carriers from
rumber OF cases the new home or indi-
viduai box will supply want and will he
OF advantage. Neither is there any doubt
but that If such a system was introduces,
very generally throughout the city it would
delay rather than hasten a letter carrier s
WORK The box part is well enough but
the attachment to 1t, that requires a car
rer TO Keep stock of stamps hand for
saie 20 Inc owners OF the boxes will. for a
time at least work injurously There are
very large number of persons who want
TO get everything in sight on credit, and
they cannot be made TO understand that IL
Is out OF the power of the letter carrier to
lei them have postage stamps on credit
ne rule adopted by the post office is i'm
PeFauEe that stamps must be paid for in
caSh- me result cf the new system if IL
gets into extensive operation at all will he
mat people will blame the letter carriers
1or not doing that which is against the
rules of the Office. Postal reforms are al
ways introduced with difficulty. and this ia
orly IN Keeping with those that have pre-
ceded it" PIX
x x x
1t happened that I owned and rode tho
hrst bicycle ever owned in this CITY" said
MI Ned Pilling, to a Star reporter 'Thfs
was over twenty years ago, and of course
before the days of the safety. The wheel
had was sent me by friend In England
II was ffty-four inches in diameter. There
We're no 1nstrLIc tions with IT. and as thero
was no one IN this city who had ever seen
bicycle. / was, as may be imagined in
somewhat OF q Xix But ride 1t / had made
up my mind to do, and ride IL / did | had
seen the old-fashioned velocipede. with
wooden wheels. and ridden one but when
my bike was unpgcked and ready for the
fun. | confess l was In peek of trouble.
Had l dared try TO ride it in day time I
suppose | would have been followed about
the streets by mob of people. | picked
out pleasant night 10 break II in at least
u 'FeaA nyseH IN. and going out 10 the
north ead Of 1Gt n street first amused N.Y.
self trying 10 mount it. With the aid of a
lamp post 1 did so, and down 10Th street
/ went in a whirl. not, however. until the
machine threw several times When
finally got hxei on it, found | could make
good progress, and as i went along the
pace grew faster. As / got down to the
Scott statue. l began to think about dis
mounting. bat j had not the slightest idea
OF Knowing how 20 do So Then began tc
think Of my friend in England and to
pray for him / managed 10 get into 15tt
street. and then down past the Treasury
Department building by Executive avenue
and over into the White Lot. What seemed
10 be the longest ride on record though In
1act, II was but little over mile. ended III
by my riding into the Potomac at the foo-
OF the Monument AS the machine STRUCK
the water il wObbled. how glad was | fol
that %Obble. moment after / was In tn,
water up to my waist, still, however hold
ing on 70 IT. Then / carefully waded ou
and pushed the silent wheel up to m,
home l had enough for one night In /
Few evenings | was at 1t again, and In les
tEan week / was a wheelman in fact
ana have been ever since though | dom
suppose III ever forget the night l brok,
in the wheel
x x
The late Patrick Brennan the hackman
who was buried here last week.. observe,
an old cabby 10 a Star reporter. prob
ably led all the hackmen in this countr
as far as record is concerned He ha,
driven in all to over 4 600 funerals dur