The sun., 1905-12-02
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

One OF the prima donnas at the Metro
| poltan this winter has valet instead of
the customary maid. He is German
blond, curly haired and a lnguist He
accomplshes much more than woman
could according to his employer, and she
expresses great satisfaction with the ex-
! pertinent. or course, a maid comes to
her for few hours every day to perform
| services suited only to woman's deft
fingers, but for all other duties the valet
serves better.
The late Robert Hargous was not born
in this city, but in Richmond IVA, where the
senior Hargotls lived on his arrival from
Mexico before he came to settle perma-
nently in New York The two oldest chill
dren of the family were born in Mexico and
the three youngest in Richmond There
never was such host as Mr.. Hargous He
gave his last entertainment in this city
three years ago in honor of an American
woman married to an Englishman who
was then on visit here. Her souvenir.
which the host presented at supper, was a
diamond ring bought that afternoon for
$1,000.
The india rubber plant has received a
setback from which 1t will probably never
recover. Only its comparative inexpen-
siveness will now save it. Its cousin. the
fiddle plant, has made its appearance in
few shop windows on + fifth avenue Its
large fiddle shaped leaf Is curly and crink-
ley, where the rubber plant is stiff and un-
bending, All that the rubber plant lacks
in gracefulness the fiddle plant possesses
1t is, moreover, just as hardy as its predeces-
sor and requires the same simple care.
But-here comes another difference-it
costs five times as much as rubber plant.
1t is dull week that does not bring
forth some new restaurant fraud that is
practised on suffering victims. 1t usually
happens that they pay high prices even
to be let in for this little imposition Two
thirds of the sweetbreads sold now in
New York restaurants, whether they be
d la tindnciere or in simpler form are
calves brains. This ingredient costs, OF
course, less than one-third what the bill
of fare promises. But chefs rely on their
skill TO make the brains taste like what
they are presumed to be.
Another old Broadway institution has
given up art and gone into trade. This
bakery, which for nearly a third of century
entertained the local celebrities in art and
those that came from abroad, is now wholly
given up to commerce. Men sitting about
its historic tables discuss prices of artificial
flowers, furs and feathers or entertain
VISITING buyers. Women shoppers from
the neighboring towns represent some
what remoter business feature of the res
taurant. The old time art atmosphere is
suggested by nobody more conspicuous
deplore the days of departed bohemianisIn
of the high class that used to prevail there.
1t was beautiful night outside, with just
a ribbon of light clouds across the starlit
sky, and the hosts call for umbrellas was
greeted with derision That's all right;
you may laugh now" he spoke with quiet
certainty. +but you'll be mighty glad to
have 'em before we get home"
The play over, the theatre party found
cold sidewalks and steady drizzle Of cold
rain.
I'm tell you my secret" said the
weather prophet. There is
barometer in everybody's cup. When /
dropped the sugar into my coffee after
dinner the tiny bubbles from it collected
around the edges OF the cup and knew
by that that the barometer was falling
and storm was due. When the barometer
rises for clear weather it indicates an in
crease in atmospheric pressure which is
sufficient to slightly depress the surface
of the liquid in a cup and had such been
the COnUltlOn JO-llRnt tnt DuDDltS III my
coffee would have gravitated toward the
centre of the cup instead Of sliding off the
to the sides.
He was picking out home protector in
a Broadway gun store. The clerk had laid
out shining array OF nickel plated, pearl
handled hardware and new tangled pocket !
machine guns. just then smiling China
man came softly up to the counter and |
silently laid down 1873. The salesman |
handed out cannonlke AS,
black and businesslike, as long as his fore
arm The Chinaman balanced the, gun
with expert fingers, cooked and levelled 1t
once or twice and departed with it slowed |
away under his blouse.
Always know what TO show Chink or !
a Westerner. said the clerk. They stick
to the old frontier single action, knock-a
man-down shooting iron. The cops never
catch Chinaman wearing toy gun The |
customer laid down a pretty 32 he had
been handling. Guess I'll take real gun,
too" he said.