The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-03
LIVE roPIcs ABoUT TowN.

One incident AZ the launchlng OF the EN-
| peror's yacht at Shooters Island amused
the people who saw 1t very much. When
the Presidents party arrived one Of the
Secret Service officers detailed with II was
stopped by a very industrious naval militia
officer who acted as IL the eyes Of Germany
and the United States were focused on
him.
That's all right" said the Secret Service
man. you may safely let me pass. /
am with the Presidents party
Il don't know you." said the amateur
officer, and unless you AVE a pass you
must stay outside the lines.
Il don't need a pass. I am a Secret
Service officer
The naval reserve man looked him over
suspiciously and then said:
That's easy to say. How do / know
that you are a Secret Service oficerr i
don't see anything on you to indicate it.
Ultimately the Secret Service man got
through the lines.
President Cantor's crusade against the
City Hall marriage bureau is undoubtedly
warranted by the facts. for there have
been fragrant abuses there, but IL II is
abolished the lower Fast Side will miss II.
II solemnizes on an average 1900 weddings
a year. and II incidentally frequently fur
nishes a picturesque scene for the City
Ildil lOuHBtTr. lHt DuItdu ID tSNdiITiich
In a dark basement room, and there Is al
ways an Alderman within call TO tie the
knot. Signs In French, Italian, German
and English read: NO stipulated charge
for services in matrimony.' The profits
10 the men interested come from what the
bridegroom chooses to pay them and the
gifts are never large. The Alderman Is
not supposed to take the fees. He turns
them over 10 the marriage bureau clerks.
who make out the certificates and the re-
r[AKta that ~ ennt 20 thn nnaEd Of HaQlfh
The best patrons OF this marriage bureau
are the Italians, and they give color enough
to his dingy room On these occasions
the Italian women put on as many bright
coiors as their wardrobes afford. Some
times the entire wedding party arrives at
the City Hall in carriages, but more fire.
quently by way Of the trolley cars or the
sidewalk. The fees average about 81,
though there Ia a rumor that more than
twenty years & a Portuguese o was
married there and after the ceremony his
valet gave the bureau $50. Such a thing
has not happened since.
One Of the most incongruous fads notice.
able In mems dress this winter has been
the wearing OF low shoes and by some
extremists Of open-work socks with them
even in the nastiest weather. When the
streets were filed with slush last week
several OF these men appeared in the Wall
Street district wearing this sort Of insult
able footwear. They were all of them
men who had carriages to command in
going to and returning from their offices,
but there were occasions during the day
when they had to go out in the street. Each
one OF them, of course, wore his trousers
turned up and the spectacle was enough
TO make the average nan SILVER. As a
matter OF fact, however, these men wore
as sensible shoes as did many OF the women
In the shopping district and probably they
ran no greater danger of serious conse-
quences from exposure.
John A. Brashear Of Allegheny who was
one OF the Captains Of Industry invited
to meet Prince Henry at luncheon here
last week was entitled 10 that distinction
because Of his skill az a maker Of astro-
nomical and physical instruments. He
Is an enthusiastic talker on subjects in
which he is interested. Not long ago
a New Yorker who happened to be in
a gathering In Allegheny which included
Mr.. Brashear heard him tell a story that
has puzzled the New Yorker ever since.
The conversation turned on delicate scales
and Mr.. Brashear described a pair that
he made for the French Government.
These scales are so finely constructed
that two weights, side by side. in either
tray make a perfect balance but II one
of the two weights in one tray is placed
on tOD OF lf6 OlfltI l0t tray IlNft. u AS
sumed,- said the New Yorker, when Iheard
Mr.. Brashear tell this story that the ex-
PLANTATION was that by putting the weights
one on top Of the other the specific gravity
Of the top weight was reduced an almost
infinitesimal amount. II seemed a ply
steal impossibility to construct a scale
that would measure Il. This may have
been the explanation or possibly the shift
ing Of the weights simply effected the le-
verage. The achievement impressed me
so strongly that did not wonder at Mr..
Brashear's success in making all kinds
Of delicate astronomical instruments"
The recent heavy snowstorm developed
a new industry in Brooklyn. 1t is snow
sculpturing and several men who were
proficient In II made money while the snow
lasted. They would call at a house that had
a yard in front or around II and ask If there
were any children In the family. II the
reply was in the affirmative they would
then ask II the mother did not want to hire
them TO build a snow man for the children.
One of these men had several photographs
Of snow men that he had constructed as
samples and no more elaborate figures
could have been desired by children. The
price of the work varied in accordance
with the size and the amount Of detail in
the figures. If a snow man with good
imitation eyes and a real clay pipe in his
mouth was wanted the price was in accord
ance with his artistic merit. In one neigh
proited by family rivalry and the collection
of snow men that were constructed in the
front yards resembled at n distance so
manv pieces If marble etatuary.