Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04

mothers are away from them.
Another department store has installed
a vast and ornate merry -go-round. free for
all children whose guardians hold slips
showing that they have purchased much
as ten cents worth of goods In the store.
Brooklyn department store is fixing up
big swimming tank for the women GUS
toners of tina establishment. and compe-
tent instructors are to be provided to teach
the patrons of the store how to swim.
Naturally enough. the Coney Island
grafters don't like these department store
innovations that serve to divert coin from
their cash registers and the Coney bankers
refer sneeringly to the department store
schemes in their addresses
Eating Contests.
There couldn't wen be a much more dis
gushing exhibition than the "eating con-
tests which are periodically held over
here. but more than a thousand New York
ers, all of them possessed of the essentially
New Yorkesque idea of humor, paid real
money to witness one of the nauseating af-
fairs the other night
Not only that, but they carried the alb
normal brute who devoured the greatest
quantity of fodder around the hall on their
shoulders as if he had taken a city, won a
prize fight or a walking match, or sunk a
fleet
This unimaginably hideous trousered
thing ate 100 Little Neck CLAIMS and nine
and three-quarter pounds of beefsteak in
was declared the victor.
Another of the contestants disposed of
fifty-two soft-sheH crabs and fourteen boil
ed eggs inside of an hour and twelve min
utes. topping off with three and a half
pounds of beefsteak and thereby gained
the second prize.
Others of the beasts performed similar
revolving featS one Of them consuming
fourteen large apple pies, with a two-pound
hunk of cheese as a chaser" and on top
of it all, drinking down. without break,
the contents of a can holding four quarts
of mixed ale-ugh!
Each of the stunts evoked the tumultuous
acclaim of the enthusiastic audience, and
but what's the use?
Wasn't the chief distinction of New
York's last Tammany mayor the fact that,
in such a contest, he had once devoured
nine and one-half pounds of beefsteak at
a sitting, and didn't the simple announce
ment of that fact gain him thousands OF
votes at his election? a whole populaee
can't be indicted. and they like the public
gorgel's over here.
This Man Was Hungry.
Talking of the human capacity for sol
ids and liquids, by the way, crook was
annexed by cop early on Monday morning
last who wasn't so bad.
The fellow contriyed to secrete himself in
the cellar of select downtown eating
house a little while before the place was
last employe of the restaurant had taken
his departure at midnight the crook
emerged from the cellar and began to en-
joy himself. He knew that he had clear
coast until the following Monday morning,
and so he took it easy.
The following. according to the sworn
affidavit of the amused proprietor OF tlie
restaurant is what the crook got away
with in the restaurant from Saturday md
night until Monday morning:
Three baked chickens, half baked tur-
key, half ham, seven cans OF sardHnes
two pounds of tongue, one pound OF Rogue
fort cheese, three packages of crackers.
four loaves of bread, nineteen pint bottles
of the finest champagne one quart bottle
of rye whisky and about an even keg OF
beer thrown in just to ill up the inter-
SticeS
The crook, pretty WOODY, was getting
away from the restaurant on Monday
morning carrying with him a bag contain
ing 2.1GQ choice cigars, when the cop nailed
him He only blinked good-naturedly at
the cop when the latter pinched him, and
inquired. dreamly. INSTRUMENTATION?
He wasn't in shape to be worried much,
either when he was arraigned before the
magistrate later on in the morning, and
contented himself with remarking that as
he had had the time of his life. he didn't
care if he got forty years for his.
Good Sense Occasionally.
Once in a great while the corporation
counsel of New York, generally the most
useless and always the most berated func-
tionary of the municipality, surprises all
hands by doing something sensible. One
Of these surprises came the other day. The
corporation counsel wrote a decision to the
effect that over-charging and bulldozing
oabmen can no longer collect their prepos-
ferrous fares by the simple process of driv-
ing those who refuse to be gouged to the
police stations and having them locked up.
This al thing has been irritating
abuse in New York for a good many years.
The police have been as much to blame for
it as the extortionate jehus themselves,
with whom the police stood In.
A man. for example, would unwisely take
cab without first having an express
agreement and stipulation with the cab
man, as to what he intended to charge for
the ride. At the end of the ride the cab
man would name some outrageously alb
surd figure for his services and, upon the
refusal of the fare to pay it, the cabman
would simply whip up his horse and whisk
the fare to a police station
The captains of the precinct would in
every case lock up the passenger who re-
fused to be gouged If he was unable to fur
nish security for his appearance in court
In most cases, however. the passenger
thoroughly coWed when the game had got
that far, would produce the sum demanded
by the extortionate cabman rather than go
to the police court over the matter
The corporation counsel has now decided
that a cabman has no more right to have
the cooperation of the police in the coll
lection of money, fair or eXtortonate, by
such methods than any other creditor. and
the police have been strictly enjoined not
to lock any more men up on the complaint
of cabmen.
The law Of New York as the corporation
counsel points out expressly permits the
drivers of public vehicles to collect their
fares in advance, and he holds that If tl:ey
fail to do sO-as, of course, all of them do,
solely to enable them to work their gouge
at the end of trips-it is their own fault. |
and even the legitimate fare is not collect
able through the Intervention of the police
if the passenger refuses to pay the cab
man al the wind-up of his ride, suen a case
being matter purely for the civil courts.
However. all of these good things such
as the corporation counSeIs ruling, have
their drawbacks. Since it went into effect
several scores of New Workers who refused
to accede to the cabmens eXtortiOnate de-
niaEds have had their heads almost punch |
ed off their shoulders by the raging jchus.
The brow beaten New Yorke: will not
hesitate long when it comes To deciding /
between the alternative of a pair Of black
eyes and broken nose and dig for the |
amount of the eXtortionate demands of the
cabman. c. j.. T..
Woman's Way.