The times., 1901-06-24
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN

1t is probable that within the coming
year Washington will have motor fire
engines. Chief Dutton is considering the
advisabiiity of substituting motor vehi-
cles for the present wagons and engines
drawn by horses. No city in the United
States is so well adapted to the proposed
scheme as is the Capital on account Of
the broad asphalted thoroughfares. Tests
made in cities not nearly so well ADAPTED
to the motor machines have proven very
satisfactory and several auto-vehicles are
part of the fire department in New
York, despite the rough streets Wash
ington will be the first city, III all proba-
bility, to have a fair test of the automo-
bile as applied to fire apparatus.
Treasury Department officials were busy
all last week clearing up payments due
to Northwestern Indians for lands and on
account of the distribution of shares in
tribal funds. Same of the names on the
warrants which had to be signed by
Assistant Secretary Allies were so curious
as to attract attention, even among the
routine papers of the department. One
of the Indians was Skin Shirt Another
reJoiceS hi the name of Soap Dish. Among
the females there were Viola Allen, Pret-
ty Lip, Nita- and Fuzzy Top.
A group of politicians were discuss
ing the Virginia Constitutional Conven-
tion at a hotel last night, and the
conversation finally drifted to the person.
ality Of Judge John Goode, Chairman of
that body.
Did you ever see Judge Goodies
purse?" asked one of the party. well
next time you see him get him to show
it to you. He owns the longest purse
string of any man in this country. When
he goes to pay for anything it takes him
about a minute to unwind the long black
string which resembles an enormous shoe
lace. l once asked the judge why he car
ried such long bandage for his pocket
book. and he informed me that he had
always done so. He said that he learned
the value of the string from a man who
had grown rich operating one just like
it The idea is that II you keep your money
handy you are more likely to waste it
and to spend more time in repenting than
in unwinding the string. The untying
and unwinding gives time to ponder be-
fore making, a purchase: At the same
time the judge is one of the most hos
pitable of Southerners, and many of his
friends measure time and space with the
expression AS long as Goodies purse
string.
The department clerk who has Just re-
turned from the Buffalo Exposition" &c
envied by his fellows who have been un-
able to make the trip. 1t is not so mach
because they desire to see the sights at
the Pan-American show, but the envy
of the unIucky ones is aroused by the
strange slang imported from the Exposi-
tion City. To the returned visitor to the
Fair there is nothing new or up-tO-date.
All is covered by the phrase 'twencent."
1t is more than probable that "twencent'
will become as big a nuisance as the 9TH
er slang phrases brought out this season.
'1'wencent" is simply an abbreviation of
twentieth century, but it is used in many
ways never dreamed of by it's authors.
As an instance, a good horse is .'twen-
cent A handsome girl is also ''twen-
cent In fact, there is no further use
for adjectives of praise or admiration,
''twencent' covering the ground fully.
Another thing brought back from Buff
falo, and one to be avoided by those who
have not visited the city this summer.
is the Port Jarvis cocktail. The wise one
who has been to the expo sition is patron
izing the local saloons with bartenders
who know the joke. The wise one will
order a drink and advise his friends to
try the Port Jarvis cocktail, the latest
drink at the Pan-American Exposition
The unsuspecting friends are usually will
ing to try any new drink at the expense
of some one else, and at once order up a
Port Jarvis. The drinks are always on
the friends when the bartender sets up the
which is simply glass Of plain
water with n cork floating on top.