The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-06
AS in A KALEIDOSCOPE
SHIFTING SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF
CITY'S DAILY LIFE.
Tom Taggart and the Diamond, Coun-
try Girls i'm University Park and
Others-TaIes of the Town.


The scenes and incidents of day in Uni
versity Park are as varied and as quickly
shifting as the bits of tinted glass in a
kaleidoscope. One who spends the hours of
daylight in this fascinating part of Indian
apolis is a witness to all the varied moods
of life. from the grave to gay. He sees child
hood at its joyous, aimess play. He over
hears from the lips of youth the words
that foreshadow welded bliss or misery.
Listening to the excited language and OBJ
serving the graphic gestures of some old
man in uniform of blue, he sees rising be-
fore him the panorama of the civil war
and hears again the long roll of musketry
and the awe-inspiring crash of cannon.
These are but 1.-THE of what may be seen
and heard by the one who occupies
bench in charming, shady University Park
the fairy spot that, being in the very
heart of "a great city, is yet as much re-
moved from itself as if hundred miles
away.
A man who occupied one of the benches
near the queer spouting fountain in this
park few days ago was witness to a de-
lightful bit of life's comedy. Buried in his
own reflections, the man was suddenly
aroused by the enthusiastic comments of a
group of ruralites upon the fountain whose
intermittent plash had lulled him into the
sweet insensibility of mental abstraction.
The group was made up of a father and
two daughters. The parent strolled away
after gazing at the wonderful device to his
hearts content, but the young women re-
manned absorbed in its beauty and mystery.
About twenty-five or thirty feet from the
fountain stood a wheelbarrow filled with
grass which had been moved by an attend
ant and left for time, to be removed
when he had leisure. AS the girls retreated
reluctantly from the fountain, walking
backward so as TO see it as long as pos
sible, one of them struck the wheelbarrow
with such force that she fell back with her
head burrowing deep into the soft, moist
grass and her heels high in air. This ming
ling of the idyllic with the ludicrous was
made more striking when the father of the
young women rushed forward, eXclaiming:
Gracious goodness, Sallie, can't you look
where you're walking?"
Hugh j. MCGOWAN has met with remark
able success, having risen from a driver of
mules in a street car to a position of COM
manding influence in the financial world
long before he has attained the prime of
for this to Mr.. McGowans '1ong- headed
ness" as he terms it. Here is one of the
stories told to illustrate this trait of the
former Kansas City man. When Mr. Nc
Gowan came TO Indiana polls early in 1899
to assume direction of the local street-car
plant and begin the task of converting it
into one of the best systems in the country
a young man entered his office one day
bearing a letter of recommendation from
a prominent citizen of Indianapolis, and
applied for a position with the company
For some reason-probably because there
was no vacancy in the place he was COM
petent TO fill-the young man did not secure
a position. About two years afterward the
same man came TO the street-car COM
panys offices again seeking a situation.
When he was ushered into President Nc
Gowans private room he was greeted COL
daily. but the magnate's countenance be-
trayed no indication that he recognized his
caller from the previous visit. When. how
ever, the young man presented letter of
Introduction and recommendation Mr. Nc
Gowan glanced quickly over il and re-
marked: why didn't you get a letter from
the same man that recommended you to me
two years ago2' The applicant was
startled at the recognition, but managed to
voice the explanation that he aid not feel
like bcthering his friend a second time
about the same matter. THAT shows one
reason of McGOwans success in business"
said the man who told the story. He is
long-headed. as l call it. He never loses
track of events. You can't trip him up.
Xxx
Tom Taggart. who is just now prominent
in the public eye because the recent Demo
cratic state convention Endorsed him unani-
mously for national chairman, has repu-
tation of no small dimensions as a practical
Joker. His friends have come to know this
so we'll that whenever they meet him they
keep their eyes peeled for some out
burst of his mischievous proclivities a
favorite Taggart trick is TO approach a
friend and pretending TO discover a speck
of dirt on his coat lapel or necktie, deity
abstract the scarfpin TO enjoy the victim $
amazement and discontinue when he
learns of his loss.
Not very long ago D. B. Shideler, the
portly, good-natured insurance man, was
a member of a group of which Taggart
and the world-famed smile were central
figures. While Mr.. Shideler was busily
engaged in demonstrating a proposition TO
the accompaniment of vigorous gestures
"Wily Tom observed with his most be-
nignant facial expression, Mr. Shideler.
you have some dirt on your tie, let me re-
move it," With a handkerchief in one
hand, Mr.. Taggart made SNOWY preteEse of
brushing the tie, while with the other he
cleverly unscrewed a pin bearing a diamond
which looked as large as a hickory nut, ac-
cording to one who observed the incident.
In few moments there was a mysterious
movement, unnoticed by Mr.. Shdeler, as
a result of which the mammoth gem
flashed and scintillated daZZlingly from the
scarf worn by the proprietor OF the Ma
rion county Democracy and other valua bic
assets. Where on earth did you get that
monstrous diamond?' suddenly asked one
of the party, and at once the brilliant
stone was the object of interested glances
and eager comments Looking careiessly
at the diamond. Mr.. Shideler shifted con-
temptuously and said. That is a pretty
good-sized stone, but otherwise I dom
think much OF IL. | wouldn't give 80 cents
a dozen for diamonds like that Why, just
look at the defects in it," Here he pointed
out some half dozen fatal objections TO
the gem. Then Taggart 'let him have H. !"
as men on the 'levee" would express it
Il suppose you can show something a great