The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-18
a. the ChaIfant Apartments All Are
Dwelling Together I'm Unity
Again, 1t Seems.
WORK OF TWO CoNsPIRAToRs
THEY PLOTTED TO BUY UP ALL THE
DINING ROOM STOCK.
One of the Most Unique Arrange
meuts Ever known for Conducting
an Eating Emporium.

The story is being told Of Nat c. Good
win that while lunching with William H.
Crane in New York recently a waiter
handed him visiting card and told him
that a young man was DESTROYS OF seeing
him Immediately. Goodwin said that he was
busy and couldn't see anybody just then.
But" said the waiter, 1.-The man Is a
reporter and says that he must talk to you"
'.Oh. If that's the case" returned the come
dian quickly, tell him we are still living
together" Those who have followed the
career of the Goodwins-Nat c. and Maxine
Elnott-will appreciate the story.
Almost the same reply was given an In
dianapolis reporter the other day when he
inquired of a man who lives at the Chalfant
as 10 the situation between the two factions
OF fat-dwellers that have been at swords
points in the fashionable North Pennsyl-
vania-street apartment house. "Oh, we're
all living together STILL said the Chatham
there. land things are looking brighter since
last Saturday night"
And thereby bangles yarn that would
have furnished excellent material for one
OF John Kendrick Bangs's Coffee and
Repartee" stories, for the trouble all
started in the dining rom. 1t was this way:
Two years ago the jewellers at the Chal-
fant-there are usually about fifty people
IN the building-arrived at the conclusion
that they were not being treated to all of
the epicurean dishes that the markets of
the Hoosier capital afford. They rebelled.
The dining room, operated for the con-
venence of the people having apartments
IN the big structure, is located in two
story brick building adjoining the Chalfant
"a house formerly used as private resi-
dence. The disconnected boarders con-
cluded to take matters into their own
hands, and so they organized a stock COM
pany for the purpose Of running that
dining room in proper style. They said II
they couldn't get what they wanted to eat
they just wouldn't eat there any more.
And so that settled It Each stockholder
contributed $40 to a general fund. and with
an adequate capital to start things a-going,
a president, q secretary and a board Of
directors were appointed, a stewardess Sc
cured to engineer the kitchen and dining
tables In the right way, and life took on
a more golden hue-
PROBLEM OF GOOD LIVING.
The problem OF good living at reasonable
expenditure seemed to be solved at last.
The stewardess knew her business and she
engaged cook who could cook walters
who could wait and bought things to eat
that could be eaten. What more could an
honest Chalfanter want? Every once in a
while the board of directors met and shook
hands with each other and told each other
what geniuses they were to have thought
OF such solution to a troublesome ques-
ton. Sometimes they found that after all
expenses had been paid there was some
money left over in the treasury. Nobody
wanted this money, for nobody had thought
OF pecuniary profit through the new ar
rangement. All of the boarders considered
his or her $40 well invested, for it cost
each boarder but S. week to sit down reg
uIarly to what had come to be considered
the best boarding house table in town"
So the leftover money was put into new
furniture and pictures for the dining room.
Everybody had grown to love the dining
room which they had once heartily detest-
ed, and all of the Chalfanters were DESTROYS
OF having that now sacred apartment pres
ent an attractive appearance.
The months rolled by. Other people in
the neighborhood who were not Chalfant-
ers learned OF the good things of that din
ing room and asked to be taken in so that
they, too, might share in the luxuries that
were said to be dished out regularly with
every meal in the red brick house. And
the board OF directors said, Let 'em in
the more the merrier." And in they
came, after plunking down the necessary
twenty, of course.
The months developed into years. Now
came two plotters. so the story goes. They
are the villains OF the drama. They put
their heads together and said to each 9TH
er, Look here old man, there's money
in this dining room. What's the use Of al
lowing all OF that surplus coin to be put
into chairs and pictures and bric-a-brac
and other foolish things? Well buy up all
OF the stock, run the place ourselves and
get rich"
The plotters argue that they had per-
feet right to undertake the enterprise. And
so they had. 1t was q business proposition.
But after they had approached several OF
the stock owners with q view to buying
'em out there was the very mischief to
pay What, permit that dining room TO be
taken out of their hands Willingly turn
over to a couple of mercenary persons the
management OF that celebrated refresh
ment emporium? Never, SO long as life
lasted!
THE NEWS SPREAD.
The news of the plot spread. Also the
tulplefuenlaIy BOSSlp lAae inc OAAA~~A~ ~---~
board of directors were not lending dear
ears TO the arguments of the money
makers. The Chalfant suddenly found II
self divided into two factions-one favorins
the ousting of the officers and the board
and appointing new ones and the other
agreeing to stand by whatever the officers
and the board sanctioned. The dining
room-the scene of so many recent pleas
nntries-became a place Of sadness and
gloom. A good many old friends refused to
speak TO each other.
Something had TO be done The climax
came a week ago last night. The faction
that favored the defeat OF the new move
nent went 10 work and sent kilograms TO a
number of Chalfanters who were out OF
town, urging them to come home and help
save the day. The travelling members OF
the fold hustled homeward- They arrived
in the nick of time 10 be present at the
meeting which had been called. Excite
ment reigned at that meeting, 1t Is said by
those good folks who ought TO know.
And what happened? Well. the old ofn-
GERS and the old board were quietly re-