The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-08


Say, I've been wanting to lend you My
Lady Nicotine but can't find it, +"
Names that lie behind other names, ii
appears, also constitute an entertaining
department of human interest
1.-The rest of you can call
''Thad this street what you please"
Avenue" said a burly. intelligent
faced man overseeing a band
Of laborers who were patching a block of
asphalt on prominent Indianapolis thor
oughfare, but call it Thad avenue
whats that for?" asked the other man.
who was loafing the corner few min
utes to watch the men work and to enjoy
the good smell of tar.
when asphalt pavement was first put
down here" explained the head man, there
was little old one-room office on GER
tain block owned and occupied by unique
professional man whose given name was
Thaddeus-everybody called him 'Thad.
Thad pretty well-to-do, but he cut up
like everything because he had to pay for
the street Improvement: 1t nearly killed
him. For long time Thad couldn't talk
at all without abusing the city for having
asphalt laid in front of his office. In time,
however, that subject was worn thread
bare. Thad got tired of it himself, and he
then turned his attention to the people who
Really, he neglected his work to sit at his
door and keep tab on the vehicles going by.
1 used to go out of my way to stop and
hear Thad abuse the public for wearing
out what he considered his private block
of asphalt.
"Look at that, now Thad would say,
, pointing to a carriage load of well-dressed
people. 81 know those folks, and they don't
live anywhere near here; they Invent any
business driving on this asphalt. They just
come along here for spite; they want to
wear this good pavement out-mad because
they haven't got asphalt on their part of
town. I'd just like to tell them what
think Of them Then Thad's eyes would
fall on heavy old farm wagon, with
sprubby horses, dragging along over the
good street.
Jimmy gracious he would break out,
every old hayseed In the county thinks he
has paid for the pavement. Look at those
old plug horses; just look at that shackly
old wagon. They ought to be ashamed to
be seen on such nice street, and I'll bet
they go miles out of their way just to drive
over this asphalt, that they never paid a
cent on, and couldn't if they had to. They
! make me redhot they do
"Old Thad's gone out West" the street.
member concluded; maybe he is dead by
this time, but wherever he is, I'll bet he is
still getting off talk about the asphalt
pavement on Thad avenue"
A long and amusing chapter could be COM
piled of the droll mental comments made
| by persons who meet after many years
absence from each other.
The Reformed Only the other day
Hustler. very much broken little
old entleman came
back to this city on his first visit for fifteen
years. 1t did not seem to disturb him that
few persons recognized him, but he was
visibly upset concerning the general ap-
pearance of the residents whom he had
recognized He confided frankly to several
acquaintances that it made him sad to see
| Indianapolis again. Everybody has got SO
| DID," said the gray-haired and much
| wrinkled former citizen. Now and then,
| however, an old Indianapolis man returns
who views matters with different eye, and
mere physical impairment.
How humanity does improve" remarked
| man from the far West whose face has
| bronzed and scanned since he went away
from this city twelve years ago. IT notice
| that all the men and women whom l have
| not seen for a dozen years have changed in
| a way 1 can hardly express; they seem to
have grown fner-older, too, of course-but
not to their detriment. Years have brought
out character-lines which were not visible
when L went away, and, with each new-old
| friend / meet, l take pleasure in noticing
and interpreting these changes-added
| thougntfulness to the brow, gentler and
sweeter lines around the eyes and mouth
Time does good work on US ALL if we only
| give him a chance.
Eyes, I've changed a lot, too" the man
went on. I'm a reformed hustler. AS
recall myself when l left Indianapolis,
had no personal ambition except to be a
great, loud, noisy, jumping business man,
and think filed the role. Really, must
| have been a nuisance to all who came in
| contact with me. / remember l used to
| slap other men on the back and poke them
| in the ribs-horrible conduct, horrible Out
West L hustled so hard and hustled so much
| that at last l broke down and got on my
own nerves. The dreadfulness of hustling
kept me awake at night, and when 1 met
| another hustler in the daytime 1t made me
feel as If a redhot needle had pierced my
| eye. Several other wild hustlers were in
my neighborhood, and for my own cure
studied them. 1t made me see myself, and
| quit gesticulating. and walking fast, and
| talking loud, and acting eager in business
life. All this worked like a charm on my
| health and 1 did not have to pay a big
doctors BILL either. I'm now toned down.
/ hope, for good and all. OF course, l told
my wife my views, and she has helped me
| to work out my personal salvation; she says
| l am mild and lovely compared with what
| used to be.
"All this has improved my appearance,
my wife says" the man smilingly con-
| cluded! land 1 think so. too. A serious.
| thoughtful composed expression, even with
| few crow s-feet thrown in, makes a man
| look more interesting, to himself"
Chinese Become Voters.
Boston Transcript.
There is much interest at the City Hall in