The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-08

| O'Brien. 1.-THE most popular saleswoman, p"
paid-or her friends did for her-S614. 81
for the piano she got for nothing her
vote being a. 57s That piano cost all
the contestants, casting l33 o9l votes,
$4,000 81.
Compared to Miss Rodgers piano, MSS
O'Brien got hers chenp If not strictly
"for nothing" And, Of course, her
friends could have boughtt the piano she
selected in omen market for her. though.
for considerably less than they paid the
Telegram for 1t. Even accepting the
TelpQram's statement OF an average value
of 8 % apiece for the pianos.
IL cost Mr.. John O'Ioole's friends the
most popular policeman, s5Sl3S for his
piano with 80, $50 votes. and The various
contestants contributed 10 see him get il,
s2226. 20, represented by liS, iiS votes
The loyal friends Of Miss Alice Mccoy.
most popular lady cyclist," only paid
S4l5. "a for their Christmas present to her,
represented by 27, 7l6 votes, and to prove
her popularity cast n grand total of ] IL, 9l4
votes which means sl6S3 ~.
In tho same way Mr.. William Nuts
piano-most popular gentleman cyclist-
cost 90, 500 votes or 1897 63 and it cost
all hands in tae fun lOS, ,yi votes. or
Sl634. 81 I'm cold cash.
Thaddeus kuebst's paino-most Dopu
lar member of a social society-cost about
the same but the test OF popularity was
rather more expensive to the contestants
who polled 1874, GAG votes, which means
S20la69 in plain everyday coin OF the
realm.
lhe friends OF MIR. Michael O'Gara.
most popular fireman, paid 1924 So for
his Christmas present IN III, 99l votes,
while with all the others seeking to win.
~, 7S9 votes were cast AT an estimated
cost of Sl@7l. So
Mr.. Isaac o. Winslow's piano-most
Al.
tim--cost him and his supporters Sl6I.1G
or IL, 1874 votes, while all the contestants
pooled In 7S. $40 votes at an expense OF
$ll74 Is In small change These all got
off pretty comfortably, considering.
Ii apponrs that one or two of the vic
tins Mt the foot Of the list got the pianos
at fairly reasonable price, though not
so cheap as appears since tho average
rrico Of the eight pianos according To the
Tel gram own statement, was only $500
each, and some OF them ARE recogni Zed as
for superior to others. A little inquiry
In the pinac trade will discover, however,
IL any of the successful competitors was
really gamer over and above what the
pianos would cost bought at tho piano
store.
But there is another and still more
painful subject for study from this
"grand finish OF q contest - 1t Is suggest
ed by consideration OF how the folks feel
who were in it during the progress of
tho contest, but not In IL for piano at
any price-not to mention for nothing.
No need to go into details as to this
feature of tho grand contest Now
that IL IL over those most concerned
know all about IL without telling. 1t Is
only necessary TO cite the pathetic nase OF
Miss Mary Connoliy's friends who gave
her 80, l9l votes. according TO the iele-
a. 4 = L..
good American money but IL didn
mean piano, for Miss Connolly was only
No. 2 at the finish anu might just as
well have beon Moo for oil she got OF it,
while her friends could have bought her
a real nice piano for that matter OF $500
so also Miss Kate Kelly. who just miss
ed being officially announced rs the
most popular salesw oman and incident
ally getting piano "for nothing. Her
friends put IN 80, Sll votes which cost
them S5g7. l6 Just to learn how close the
victim could arrive and miss it.
Indeed for tue money spent for nothing
thus, "a score or more persons on the list
might have been made happy with pianos
on Christmas day aud when you stop To
consider that nvs ~ the unsuccessful con-
testants in the school pupil class. two In
the saleswomen class, four In tho police
men class, four lady cyclists, one gentle
man cyclst and two secret society men,
actually had more votes than the winner
Of the piano in the school: teacher class and
yet got nothing but experience, their
situation is particularly grieyous and
may we'll excite the sympathy OF large
hearted public as they contemplate the
hundreds upon hundreds Of dollars that
the Telegram took In from those i've in
exchange for de!usive bits Of paper calleu
"votes"
IL was pretty costly fun.
And it IL perfectly clear now To the VIC