The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-20
HOBSON AS a KISSER-
How He AffectiOnately SaIuted 1853
Women in Thirty-Six Minutes.


CHICAGO, Dec 19.--The Tribune thus
tells how Lieutenant r. p. Hobson kissed
1853 girls in thirty-six minutes at the Audi
torium last night: Upwards of one hundred
persons, among them thirty or forty women,
passed before kiss was given or received.
Roth sides. the lieutenant making the one
the women the other, apparently were wait
ing for the ice to be broken. Several times
rosy cheeks were held temptingly near and
several times the gallant lieutenant bent
with the air of a courtier over pretty
face but he seemed to lack the courage
Never was accusation more false though it
came tauntingly to him from the rear.
where stood laughing friends and a crowd
of uproarious men and boys. Under the
guise of a relationship kiss his lips were
given freedom for action. Two women,
young and pretty, came up the line. one
of them held out a card.
"We're relatives of yours. Lieutenant Hob
son." she said archly.
"Indeed?" quered the smiling lieutenant
I've been finding relatives ever since
started West
I'VE are, truly" was the response. 1--WE
are daughters of Ex-Governor Towle, OF
North Carolina"
LAS relatives" said Lieutenant Hobson
''T must give you a cousnly salute"
With a deferential courtesy he threw one
arm around the neck of one of the two, Mrs
Thomas Duerson Knight and kissed her
with smack that was heard far back in
the parquet circle With the same cere-
monial he bestowed kiss upon the sister,
The performance was received by the audi
ence with long drawn sigh of happiness:
Before the expression of popular approval
Ead "A dressed a
school girl held her lips up to the lleutenant
as he grasped her hand lie lowered his
own until they rested upon hers, a cling1ng
kiss far removed from the smack which had
started the kissing bee,
my, but that's good, said a small boy
who had crowded his way to the front of
one side of the aisle which had now formed
beyond the lieutenant TO see how he re-
warded affectionate patriotism.
After that every woman who passed in re-
view ran a gauntlet-of derision If she
failed to ask for the kiss her manner
of the number If she held up her lips or
allowed the lieutenant TO lift them to the
level of his own.
after each successful encounter.
aren't you sorry that you didn't? greet
ed a number who turned around regretfully
after their chance was gone.
Eyes, / am snapped one determined girl.
but / won't be long" And she wasn't She
went back and was kissed.
Kisses fell in steady succession after the
first half dozen had been given, and each
kiss was favored with some comment not
from the lieutenant, but from the aisle
members ahead
bend lower: he can't find your lips"
Hell do his part If you'll help him
bit"
Finally came the rhythmic count, 100
lOl E" and on and on until all records OF the
kind, if ever one existed previously, were
left far behind.
For thirty-six minutes the lieutenant
stood at the kissing post. giving an average
of five oscillations a minute. During rush
minutes he kissed as high as ten pairs of
lips, making up for the earlier minutes
when modesty held him back from making
a demonstration Of his abilities In the last
ten minutes he levied tribute, allowing no
girl or woman to pass free. In some in
stances 1t was like a contiscaton of sweets
The lieutenant, however, would not be
vanquished and when lips Were not prof
fered he searched for them. Throwing his
arms about waist and shoulders he held
the apparently defiant victims until he
could lay his face against their Cheeks and
find their lips with his mustache. His ac-
tions CONSCIOUSNESS in plenty but never an
outcry. When marked obduracy was shown
General McNulta assisted him in pinioning
the prisoners But for those who objected
there were many who repeated One woman
stald until she was kissed twice, and one
pretty girl received three salutes.