The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-16

keep out the wrinkles and ~crows-feet oy
having their faces m~assaged~ regularly. and
a man cannot enjoy a satisfactory mas
sage II he has hair over the greater part
of his face. And then. too. so much has
been published in the newspapers of late
concerning the unsanitary effect of wear
ing boards that many men have been
scared into having their whiskers shaved
on. A man said to me the other day. as he
took a seat in my chair, I've been read
ing an article on disease germs. and /
wish you would please remove this mi
crobe conductor just as soon as you can
L didn't know what he meant until he
pointed to his beard"
Indianapolis is a peculiar town in some
respects" said a travelling man who has
been coming to. this city for several years
in the interest of a New York hat house.
1T is the only city among the larger
places that visit where take my meals
in the hotel in which 1 happen to be stop
ping. 1 do not care for hotel tables as a
rule, and always prefer to hunt up some
restaurant or cafe that suits my taste bet
ter. But what is a fellow to do here if he
deserts his hotel at meal time? OF course.
you have plenty of restaurants, and very
good ones. too. of the kind, no doubt. But
they are not my kind. AS a general thing
the Indianapolis restaurant is an eating
place serving a meal for % cents, and the
meals in every one of these establishments
that I've patronized are-well, 2o-cent
meals. This city is known among travelling
men as a city of excellent hotels and
awfully cheap restaurants. 1 don't mean
to knock the restaurant men here, for L
suppose there is absolutely no demand for
epicurean eating houses in this city on ac-
count of the great majority of the towns
inhabitants living in their own homes.
81 know very well that Indianapolis peo-
pie do appreciate good things TO eat and
drink, for L have dined many lines in pri-
vate families here where everything on
the table was of the very best, but a Wis
itor in your city. judging from the predom-
nance of the 25-cent meal in the restau-
rants, is likely TO go away with a poor i'm
preston of the palate of the Indianapolis
public. This city is attractive in so many
respects that most of the Eastern travel
ing men like to come here, but none of
them are wildly enthusiastic over your
restaurants"
An indignant woman passenger on a CEN
tral-avenue car, last Tuesday. who had re-
ceived a curt answer from the conductor
in return for a polite query, had this to say
to a friend who sat beside her land she
didn't care who else heard ii, either): Il
should lave resented that insulting reply,
but, like most other people, 1 let the OPP
portunity slip by and it's too late now. 1
have come to the conclusion that Mark
Twain was right when he said that we
Americans are all too good-natured about
some things. Insults, or discourtesies that
ticket sellers and other small officials of
big corporations, are universal experiences.
The first impulse is to resent them, and
the second is forgetfulness. Some people
argue in favor of this churlish spirit on
the part of the petty employees of big con-
Germs. They say it shows independence
that this is a free country where nobody
'todies' to anybody else. They forget that
mutual respect is the first principle of a
really free and enlightened people. Most
of the conductors on Indianapolis cars are
gentlemanly, but a few of them don't know
the meaning of the word politeness. That's
the second time I've received an answer
like that from a conductor. I'll let it go
this time, but the next time it happens I'll
report the rude offender If it's the last act
of my life-see If l don't!'