The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-13
WANTED:
Good Lookin' Young Girl
For a Wife.
Not too Many Call at Once.


De Hart is. in a way, the David Harum
out Broad Ripple way. His house is about
ten feet long and five feet wide, and so the
sign does not have to be very big to cover
a large part OF the front of the De Hart
residence, which stands on the Broad Ripple
car line near Forty-fourth street. The sign
does not mean what you mean that is, ii
is not sincere. De Hart does not want a
wife. He put up the sign to provide amuse-
ment for himself at the expense OF the car
line. He does not like the car line. AS he
explains it: 'Ye see, the fur track is in the
middle Nv tn road. 1 have to pay
taxes on my land to the middle
NV tn road. an SO I'm payin' taxes
fur tn street-car company. B'sides that, tn
street-car comp'ny charges 10 cents to ride
int town, an that's too much. It's only
a mile an a half to tn junction at Illinoyes
street. I thought about putin up that
sign a long time ago. but 1 had a heap NV
trouble to git it painted. 1 put 1t up Sun
day m0rnin' an ever sence 1 been watchin'
the people on the cars cranin' their necks
to read it.
did We ever see one 4 tn old-fashioned
owls in a tree? Ye walk around tn tree,
an tn owl don't move He jest turns his
go al thaN nlo DCCIi
seen to wiring their necks that away That
reminds me of some NV tn people on tn
cars strainin' Z read my sign. No / don't
want no wife. 1 was married for twenty
six year. an it was twenty-six year Wv trou-
BILE. I was divorced two years ago. an it
cost me so. L don't know. but mebbe 1 was
skinned"
The old mans sign has certainly created
a. sensation on the passing cars. 1t has
given rise TO marvellous exhibitions of GU
riosity. The conductors have been piled
with questions, but they can only answer:
I'm sure L DON'T know" The cars run at
high speed past "old man De Harris" house.
In the meantime he has been sitting on the
steps that lead from his door enjoying him.
self. His %neighbors and friends understand.
One of them painted the sign. "He laughed
a good deal while he was a-doin' it," said
De Hart is somewhat bent with age, and
he has a broad, smooth shaver, kindly face.
HIS voice is beneicent- At dusk last even
Ing a wayfarer found him sitting on his
doorstep watching the cars go by. After he
mad explained the motif of his sign he was
urged to talk about himself.
HIS EXPERIENCE WITH A LEASE.
mo. 1 haven't lived here all my life."
he said. but I've been here about six
year. I've lived around this part NV tn
country fer about fifteen year. This house
Is built on a w~agon-the wheels is in there
In the dry-an' 1 KEEP tollgate fer some
IHicD Dul III WASH HOuSn money In Z. Il
cd make more workin' by tn day. 1 de-
cided t settle down here an / leased this
ground fer six year from a colored man
that said he owned it. / paid him two year
in advance-S10. He didn't own it any
more'n / did, but his son owned Ii. Tn old
man got into trouble an would a-gone L
Jail, but he come out here an asked me L
lend him So I pay his line, an L lent il L
him. / said 1 was sort NV beholden t him
fur leasin' me tn land. l didn't know then
he didn't own it. He said he pay me 50 in
trust fer tn use NV tn money twenty DAYS.
II had $500 in gold buried in tn ground.
an 1 had a twenty-dollar gold piece besides.
let him have tn twenty-dollar gold piece.
Not long after that l got sick. | thought
tramp that dropped in l. see me where my
money was buried. a person can't tell
put it in tn bank; By an by the son NV
an said he'd sell 1t t me. After bally-
swackin' around fer a long time he agreed
t. sell fer $500"
$500 for the land, because you loaned him $50
and had paid him $40 rent"
Yes" said the old man. II paid 1922.
Don't fergit tn 81 intrust L was to git"
De Hart was born in Kentucky and his
family moved to Johnson county. this State,
when he was young. Later he went to Mis-
souri, and then made a trip around the coun-
try. When he returned he was married. He
was a soldier in the civil war and the gov
eminent pays MIN $Z a month pension. His
house on wheels he has moved from place
TO place, but now hat he Is settled down
on his own land he never expects to move
again. His lot is 100 by 800 feet and he has
a ~pretentious berry garden.
1--WE got a good many friends" he said.
IAN I've got used L Twin alone. This is as
good a place L live an die as any. I've got
a good reputation around here an my place
is worth 81, 600"
A small boy with two milk buckets
stopped TO talk TO the old man.
"Yd better git home b'fore dark" he
said 10 the boy. "er a frog'l gobble We up
an VII never git out Nv him unless v got
tbacca in yer pocket. The frogs Is awful
bad around here. I'm afraid TO go out after
dark m'self."
Jaw. you go long" retorted the boy.
Eyer tellin' a story 1t could be seen that
the boy and the old man were pals.