davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
Vignettes of An Inland City

the Syrians nearly all the male popula-
ton sellers of cheap jewelry, hand
kerchiefs and plaster of paris statuettes.
These dark-skinned husbands and fathers
are away from home most of the time.
for they rely almost wholly upon country
people in plying their trade, and when
they start forth on business trip on Mon
day it is usually to tramp over country
roads from farmhouse to farmhouse and
not to return to their wives and children
until late on the following Saturday night.
The rag pickers and junk men find ready
markets for their collections of cast-on
clothes, bottles and old iron among the
many junk shops on South Illinois and Mer-
rill streets, although whenever the oppor-
tunity presents itself they sell their goods
to the housekeepers in the alley or in other
near by homes. The other day one of the
junk dealers held n little auction sale of
his own. He had bought up" lot Of old
dresses and bed clothes from a woman who
was preparing to move to another city and
these things he offered for sale to the high
est bidders he sat on fruit box in his
wagon. 1t was a great event for the
women of the alley They issued forth from
the mysterious recesses of their kitchens,
and, surrounding the wagon, began to ex-
anime with practiced eyes the various arti-
cles of wearing apparel and bed coverings
that had been brought from another part of
town to be submitted for their approval.
There was not much bargaining over the
bed clothes The secondhand man, who
had transformed himself into an auctioneer
for the time being. had scarcely any
trouble in disposing of them without delay
at prices that ranged from z cents for a
quilt to "a cents for a couple of pillows,
with the slips on EN- 1t was when the
dresses were placed on sale that feverish
excitement began to assert itself. Poor,
soiled dresses they were-a dozen of them
in all-but what a sensation they created
that afternoon in Sunhower alley.
The man in the wagon held up for inspec-
ton, first of ALL a shabby velveteen waist
that was so shiny with wear and grease
that it would have been hard to determine
its original color.
you got der bed clothes cheap-almost
for nodding,' he said, 'but elegant silks
und velvets will cost you money. Now
some Won gif me bid on der handsome
velvet waist. Its almos' too fine for any
Won Of you, but maybe you will hat we'd
din yet to go to-ain't it?''
Its no goot," interrupted a woman of
his own nationality, dem sleefs is old
style-so tight und short-und der buttons
is cut off. / wouldn't hat Tits no goot.''
A bargain with an Israelite at each end
of it is a hard one.
"Oh, my gracious. listen to dis voman.''
exclaimed the auctioneer, rolling his eyes
heavenward in an ecstacy of pity for one so
benighted. Listen to dis woman, I beg
of you, und den look at der waist vonce
more. She says it is tight und short. So is
any waist on 4 woman vot has no figger.
But. ladies, you hat goot figgers! She says
it amt got no buttons. Der latest style is
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

very outset. In the first place Mrs. Isaac
stein-that is not the lady's name, by the
way. but il is so near like the original that
il will answer just as well-was not all In
sympathy with the Saturday night must
Gales that took place with admirablee regu-
larity in the home of her neighbor, bux-
ON Irish woman. Now these musicales
have been a distinctive feature Of life in
the alley for the last two months, and what
right had Mrs. Isaacstein, a newcomer
and rank outsider, TO express an uncom-
plmentary opinion of them? Mrs. Isaac
stein had come to Indianapolis from Gin
cinnati-so she claimed-where she had kept
little secondhand clothing store. She
had lost everything by fire and had con-
cluded 10 start up in business in new
field. In the meantime she was renting
one of the small shanties in the alley and
looking about for good location in which
to start up her diminutive motion estab-
lishment," as she called it.
All would have gone well had she not
antagonized the musical entertainments at
Mrs. O'Briens She announced, with start
ling holiness. after the first Saturday night
musicale to which she was compelled to
listen. that she had never enjoyed melody
as is to be extracted from haircomb with
sheet of tissue paper over it and had
always heartily detested Jewsharp, de-
spite the name of the instrument What
was more, she went on to assert, she had
never heard either of these instruments
played villainously before in all of her
life. She did not make this criticism to
Mrs. O'Brien in person, but it did not take
long for the news to reach Mrs. o Brien's
cars.
The commotion that followed the general
circulation OF this neighborhood gossip was
distressing TO say the least Mrs. OBrien
started things a-going by coming out on
her front doorstep and shouting at the
top of her voice that her Mickey and Patsy
could play their music list as much as
they pleased. an, begorra, no Dago nor
Sheeny in all the worruld could stop EN-"
Mrs. Isaacstein, full OF bitterness. and not
TO be outdone in bravery, forthwith APP
peared on her doorstep and proclaimed to
all hearers that Mrs. O'Brien and her boys
should be arrested for disturbing the peace
at a time when decent people wanted to
go to sleep. In an instant every other front
door in the alley had an occupant and every
occupant had something to say-and in
her own tongue 1t seemed that Mrs. Isaac
stein was not alone in her disapproval OF
the Saturday night musicales, after all.
Neighbors who had never dared to voice
their opinions before spoke up now with
somebody to lead the way. Others sided
vigorously with Mrs. o Brien and the boys.
Talk about the tower of Babel and its
confusion. According to old colored rag
man who witnessed the scene, and who
told the writer about il. there was never
such a clash of languages in all the world
before. AN l don't think, boss-hones' to
goodness" he added, dat deyll ebber be
anodder like it agin." But the war was
only battle of words, and, although it
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
w. Sunfower Alley

not to wear any buttons on a waist. A leetle
lace und silk in der sleefs is all dat's nee
essary 10 make dis garment as elegant und
beautiful as any vot you viii see in der big
stores"
The woman who had expressed her con-
tempt for the waist laughed derisively and
began 10 examine another garment which
she picked out of the stock. But the auc-
tioneer had caught sight of that calculat-
ing CLEAN in the eyes of two or three other
women in his audience and knew that the
waist was not without its admirers after
all.
iii give you 10 cents for it, one of the
women ventured finally.
The man in the cart closed his eyes and
gave vent to a deep respondent sigh. as
if to suggest that life was not worth the
living.
Fifteen cents for dot splepdit ardicle!'
he groaned; ''und look-look-der vale-bone
The meant whalebone) in der Innings is
alone worth more dan dot. s'help me! Fiji
teen cents for such goots, oh, it makes
me seek! A leetle sponging will make it
like new. Und you offer Is cents"
But a second woman made a slightly bet
ter bid at this point, which encouraged
others to take a hand in the bargaining,
and at last the garment was sold for IS
cents" frightful sacrifice" as the old
dealer lamented
But dispite the fact that he seemed down.
hearted over the outcome of his first tran
saction, in reality he was not in the least
discouraged, for the moment he had re-
ceived the purchase price the trouble went
out of his face and he was all ready for
the next act--for your true secondhand man
is actor from top TO toe. He held
up this time a faded calico dress that was
only waiting for the next Mondays wash
before falling to shreds. 1t seemed to APP
peal strongly to one of the women, how
ever, who told her peighbor that lit was
just the thing for grandmother"
This prospective buyer was spotted at
once by the man in the wagon. Like some
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

dreadful spider setting his trap for an in
nocent insect, he enticed her on and on in
her bidding until. before she knew that she
had been ensnared by the artful speeches
and remarkable arguments which he had
twined all around her like a silken web, she
found herself caught at last. He darted
at her with the worthless old dress and
seized the silver piece which she held up
to him-"an outrageous sum-" as her wiser
companions complained.
And SO the auction continued for an hour
or more and at last the secondhand man
pocketful of nickels and dimes. leaving be-
old clothes and bed coverings aud a COM
pany of chattering housewives.
Sunfower alley has its wars of words and
its scraps" but wlthal there is as much
kindness of heart and neighborly charity
there as in any little community uptown.
1t has its standards and it's customs, which
may be somewhat different from the stand
ards and the customs of settlements COM
posed of people who are higher UP in the
social scale, but underneath all, and not
very far down. either, is a human fellow
ship that is capable of sacrifice 20 help
friend in need. When the young peddier
in the "yaller house. got drunk and kicked
up a row on South Illinois street and then
landed in the police station, charged with
breaking shopkeeper's show window,
purse was raised among the good folks OF
the alley with which TO pay his fine and get
him out of his trouble. For the residents OF
this miniature world knew that he was not
a bad fellow-that he treated his wife de-
cent like, and that he wouldn't never done
nothin' wrong If he hadn't been drunk"
And when the young peddler was back
again on his own doorstep he was the
soberest man in all the alley-and the most
remorseful transgressor in all the town.
He hung his head as he promised his young
wife never to do il no more" and he gave
her a little breastpin, made of gold plate
and little red stones like holly berries-and
the boy who lives next door saw him kiss
her and told everybody in the alley all
about it LOUIS w. JONES
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

puzzling over curious bits of conversation
that fall upon his ears-conversations in
which the words OF many languages are
thrown together in a-nappy-go-lucky fash
ion.
OF the children in this quarter she most
picturesque are the little Italian wood gath
erers-boys and girls who industriously
search the streets in nearby neighborhoods
and in the big railroad freight yards,
short distance away. for pieces OF wood.
boxes, barrels and any infiammable material
that can be used in the home stove. AS
their ancestors once collected fagots in the
Italian forests, so, In the labyrinth of the
Indianapolis streets and byways. these I'M
wearying little woodmen collect fuel for
the supper fire in the poor little kitchen at
home. They stagger along beneath burdens
suited to the backs of grown men, so that
under a huge approaching bundle or bag of
sticks you can scarcely catch sight of the lit
tie bare brown legs and dirty little bare feet.
To the English-speaking inhabitants of
the surrounding neighborhood the Italian.
Syrian and few French inhabitants of Sun
flower alley and it's adjacent territory
all of the same cult-they are all "dagOs"-
and to give them any other name is to affect
a superior knowledge of things. So accus-
toned, too. are these people from over the
sea to being called by this belttling sobri-
quet that they no longer take offense at 1t.
but accept it as the inevitable with stolid
indifference.
The writer, in the capacity of explorer,
has stroled through Sunfiower alley good
deal of late, and has found much there
that is interesting and amusing, as well
many things that play In a minor key upon
ones heartstrings. The locality is little
world of its own, with all of the joys, the
SORROWS. the sunshine and the shadow that
characterize the big outside world-and. no
doubt. all the other worlds. if there are any.
The arrival of Mrs. Isaacstein in the al
ley, and the subsequent happenings which
followed it, proved to be of such historical
Importance that the present chronicler feels
called upon to record the matter at the
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

T YOU looked for "Sun1ower
alley" on a map of the city
you wouldn't find it. But If
~ you stroll down South Capitol
avenue one II these bright
49, September days. across the
bridge that spans the slovenly
little stream known as Pogues run and
then surn 10 the east on Henry street and
then south when you come TO Willard
street-well. just look out for the suniowers
and you'll reach your chosen destination.
The children OF the vicinity have given the
tiny thoroughfare its nickname. From early
spring until the first nipping frost of the
autumn time the big plants. undaunted by
the poor soil through which they are COM
PEELED to fight their way. grow up bravely
alongside broken-down fences and rambling
little one-story houses silently wOrshiping.
with upturned faces. the brilliant orb of
day. For
THE sunfiower turns on her god. when he
sets
The same look that she gave when he
rose.
And no matter what the environment may
be-whether in the midst of a luxurious
garden of the rich or in the barren little
dooryard OF the poor. the sunfiower is still
the same religious enthusiast.
Sunfower alley and its immediate neigh
borhood is the most cosmopolitan section
of all indianapolis. 1t is a miniature town
where people of many races abide. The
children that you will see playing together
there in the evenings twilight are the OFF,
springs of parents from many different
chimes and quarters of the globe. Flaxen-
haired little Germans. ruddy-cheeked little
1rish-Americans. lOng-lashed little Italians.
liquid-eyed little Syrians from the adjoin-
ing Oriental colony and few vivacious lit
tie productions of the Gallo blood often
join together in a game of hide-and-seek
or indulge in the merry Dastime of ring
around-the-rosy.
From the mixture of these diverse races
peculiar mingling OF the tongues has
sprung. and the explorer in the alley and
its offshoots will now and then find himself
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

parte. je suis toujours votre
service So we started from Drives, lit
tie town in the Department of Correze, took
the train to Terrasson. where we hired a
carriage and drove down the valley of the
Vezere.
At length we reached our destination at
Les Eyzies. There we put up our carriage,
lunched. and then boated across the river
by ferry, a tall, handsome woman with a
brown face and black hair managing the
barque.
Now at this place the Vezere flows be-
tween cliffs of chalk, and these cliffs are
not perpendicular, but overhang in places
as much as fifty feet. Probably the river.
swollen with MEETINGS from the central
glaciers, and sweeping down masses of ice,
had scooped out the bases of these cliffs.
Then came man upon the scene and found
habitations ready for him. All he had to do
was to hang up screens Of skins from the
roof of rock and light fire behind it. That
was in the age when the hairy mammOths
and the reindeer ranged over France and
were hunted by these primeval men.
When they killed beasts they squatted
round their fires behind the hide screens,
ate the meat they roasted. broke the bones
to get at the marrow, amused themselves
with fashioning needles or harpoons out of
the bones, and with scratching drawings OF
the chase on the smooth large bones. II
they broke a tool or weapon, they threw it
aside After a meal, and when the fires
were choked with ashes, they brushed all
away, and so, little by little, year after
year, they raised the soil.
Then they were obliged to make a fresh
fireplace on the top of the refuse of past
years, and still the same process went on
century after century. Moreover, as ages
passed, they improved in their skill i'm
drawing and carving and in fabricatiHg
weapons out of flint.
Perhaps a great flood came and gravel
and pebbles were swept over the old
hearths Then they had 10 reconstruct
their fireplaces on top OF what had been
deposited by the river. Sometimes masses
of the overhanging rock fell, occasionally
with fatal consequences TO themselves, as
We shall see. Then they had to accommo-
date themselves to the new conditions of
the floor with broken stones lying about
it.
But STILL century after century, age after
age, the work went on. Then metal was
discovered. and the reindeer hunter left the
country, following the reindeer 10 northern
regions, and a new race of men came there;
they also took fancy TO these wonderful
rock shelters. settled in them, and for cen
fury after century and age after age occu-
pied them, and strewed the soil with their
relics, bits of rude pottery. molds for cast
ing bronze tools, etc.
Then came the Gauls with iron weapons,
and subjugated the workers In bronze. And
now we arrive in the historic age. NJ. Mas
senat led me along the riverside under the
overhanging rocks, and showed me houses
still built ~ under them, consisting of a
wall constructed. where formerly had been
a screen of hide, and with the ends filed
in with stones.
We entered one. There were two windows
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
FIsHERMAN's PARADISE.

roof and gossiped about us loudly, evinc-
ing great displeasure at our encroachment
on the home of the wild things.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20
,casional Correspondence of the Journal.

Occasional Correspondence or the Journal
ACoMA. Wash. Sept. Is
l"I Thursday morning we came to
Quatsino sound. the most
northern inlet on the islands
coast, and far the most beau
HsUs1 tifuI. The shore is quite pre-
cipitate in most places, and
the foliage grows differently farther south.
The boat made one or two stops before
snchoring at the Yreka mines. which was
to be our headquarters for month.
At one OF the first stops we met an
Englishman and his wife who came out
from London for her health. fitted up
sloop i'm Victoria and sailed up to Quatsino
for year or so. They are charming peo-
pie and the out-of-door life with healthy
sport has entirely cured her. In winter
and bad weather they occupy a log cabin
I'm Coal Fanbar. sixteen miles from the
Yreka which belongs to a coal company
which formerly worked a mine there; but
I'm fine weather the sloop is their home.
They cruise around. fishing and hunting
There is great opportunity for both sports.
as the country is filed with deer. elk
bear. wolves and panthers. the latter on
the order of the cougar. All the streams
teen with Dolly Warden and speckled
trout. and any time you can stroll mile
or so and bring in a string of deep-sea bass.
than which no fresh salt water fish is
better Salmon. too. are thick. and of
course gamey TO catch. but the meat
doesn't compare with either the bass or
cod OF these waters. TO add excitement
there are many black fish. a species Of
whale. thirty OF forty feet long. that swim
fne Grfc Nv
above the water sometimes. These are
dangerous to small boats, though don't
attack generally unless provoked. We
saw them many times, but always gave
them a wide berth. as they desired.
IN A MINERS CABIN.
our cabin at the mine was only few
hundred feet from the wharf and our
bunkers. and with the miners We ate at
the cooiShouse. a hundred yards away. In
front. but a little ways of, was the store
belonging to this mine, which is copper
property or great value. Behind the cabin
the mountains rise steep and high. with
patches OF snow on them all during sum-
mer- Nearby comes rushing, cold and
clear over the fall two hundred feet high.
n beautiful mountain stream. On one side
+ the skid road winding up to the upper
camp. where the work is being done. There
Is a tramway completed now. but then the
freight was hauled a wooden sled by
four or six stalwart horses The blasting
IN the mine frightened the deer away from
the neIghborhood at first. but they have
come back, probably thinking IL was
thunder. We found they did not mind a
loud noise as much as the swapping OF a
twig or a whisper, their enemies always
having been stealthy.
Even I'm this remote place we found peo-
pie with whom We had mutual aequaint-
anees. The storekeeper. highly educated
and refined man. Is younger son OF an
ari-tocratic English family. claiming as
owe cousin the present hero OF the British
empire. The boat went back after a stay
of several hours unloading. thereby cut
ting of ou- means OF communication with
the onr~idc world for five weeks. How
evsgs go Ettis cabin looked very coy,
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

was fierce beyond description while it last
ed, no actual casualties resulted. Mrs.
Isaacstein moved away the following week
and not until her departure did the alley
resume entirely the even tenor of it's way.
There are not many men to be seen In
the alley during the daytime. Whatever its
faults, Sunflower alley is not refuge Of
idlers, and the heads of the families are all
hard workers who start away from their
homes early in the morning TO earn all
they can before nightfali. Most of the men
are either peddlers or rag-pickers. Among
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

ONE with me-" said my good
friend, NJ. Massenat, of Drives,
one day to me, land 1 will
show you a sight such as you
have not seen before.
"Allons," I replied, "pour ma
The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-19
WAYCROSS NEWS NOTES.

Waycross, Ca, Nov. 1S.-Mr. b.
Frank Moore is the first Waycross
citizen to purchase an automobile.
Several days ago when Mr.. Moore was
in Savannah he purchased one.
Mr.. Arthur Givens, the expert in
charge of the government experiment
station, had a narrow escape from a
horrible death this morning. Mr..
Givens' coat caught in a cogwheel,
and but for the quick stopping of the
machinery he would have been crush
ed to death. Fortunately, however,
he was not injured in the least.
Jan. 80 has been selected by the
County Commissioners for the cleo
ton on the question of bonding the
county in the sum of $4,000 for the
improvement of the public roads of
Ware county.
Mr. S. V. Jeffords, a well-known cit
izen, announces as a candidate for
tax assessor of Ware coutnpy. Mr..
Jeffords has as opponents the present
assessor, c. J. Mcdonald, and Mr.. w.
r. Hardin.