davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1908-11-22

SThsrs never has besn such Q rage for
antiques as at present" the antiquarian
goes on to say. 1T 10 undoubtedly due
TO the revival Of tho Directoire styles.
Women are being better educated oil along
the line and don't any longer buy jewels
from one or two we'll known houses for
the pleasure Of saying that they come
from Soandso's without needing the fact
that the piece may be worn In duplicate
by dozens of other women from the At
lantio to the Pacific and only represents
the expenditure Of o certain sum Of money,
without either taste or information.
Il have just completed my seventeenth
trip TO Europe. So far as any real profit
is concerned I consider the last few
Journeys wasted. All the jewels that II
is possible TO get hold Of are now In
America. The rest arc strongly pro-
tected by ownership In private families
and only bankruptcy or other misfortune
will plaoe them on the market. OIL" .
"At a fashionable night st the opera
this W inter there Ia no doubt that the CON-
noisseur might state that every line OF
royal lineage in Europe 10 represented
in the jewel display and would not be far
wrong in his statement. As soon as one
Of the nobility gets stranded he decamps
with his family plate and jewels. and
America offers the safest ss well as the
most lucrative market. But there is a
The sun., 1908-11-22

and blizzard. fearing nothing but warm
rain, which Is bad for their cargo. Each
boat has crew of three men, and when
the load Of Holsters Is piled into tha
bottom the race begins. They tear up
the Sound, and the man with the
speediest boat gets the best prices upon
reaching port.
Down among the newly arrived immi-
grants number of men manage 10
scrape living by selling first lessons in
English to the strangers struggling with
our tongue. These lessons are in the form
Of simple English sentences. followed by
the translation in the tongue OF the for
eigner. Five cents will buy enough
assorted conversation to last new i'm
port several weeks.
Ground squirrel is the name applied
to men who work for bookmakers at the
racetracks. They blossomed forth after
Gov Hughes laid an iron hand over the
betting field. and their work was TO sneak
around, watching big bettors. gathering
bits Of information and whispering 1t to
the man who made the book.
The sun., 1908-11-22

lot of bogus stuff on the market and one
has to know the hallmarks, and even the
most expert Of US get fooled
He takes out of secret drawer q simple
strand of pearls and an oval brooch with
a pearl bouquet as decoration. Both
OF these are Of the Napoleonio era,
Al picked them up in Paris years ago. .
he says. 'and they are the only two pieces
left Of a number / secured at the sale
of the effects of famous Countess who
had them from her grandmother.
Here is a necklace OF jade squares
alternated with gold filigree done by a
French workman at the time of the En-
The sun., 1908-11-22

z q ! @ > . 3
pIrs. when there waa craze Tor 9 skost
time for the Oriental jewels. when Egyp-
tian and Japanese and Indian work -four
ished. A great deal OF the work done
then was merely Initiated from genuine
models, but great deal Of 1t Ii sold now
In good faith by purchasers Of 1t In Paris
or other parts Of Europe who really be-
lieve that it was made In the Orient. I,
"Here is Q tiara that belonged TO q
French Countess who came over Just to
sell II in America. Il 10 q genuine If
teenth century piece and 10 valued at
5000. Like most of the work Of that
time IL is done In silver, not because the
diamonds showed on better. as some
contend, but because silver was more
easily procurable and the setting was
never permitted to be obtrusive.
"The most wonderful gold work was
done by the Italians and 1t IL very hard
to procure. You can search the old shops
Of Italy to-day and find only good irni-
tations; and you can get those here.
Canoes. however, you can get In con-
siderable abundance. and IL the fad to
reestablish them In fashion had suo-
ceeded there were several fine sets, of
authentic history. that might have been
procured by an enterprising expert.
But canoes cannot be made popular for
some reason; you will find few scat
tered specimens which correspond very
The sun., 1908-11-22

very valuable lot. She had this scarab
design made into q necklet set In dull
bands of gold and 1t was very effective
and cost pretty penny.
Another woman who knows great
deal about the value Of designs and his+
tory of Jewels has urged her husband ia
tn lie her to Mexico this winter for no
reason except to browse around the shops
and places there. having learned that
there are no metal workers In the world
to-day that can compare with some Of
those old Mexican gold and silver smitha
and that while the most OF their best
pieces are buried in their hills and mounds
there are ways for the knowing-who
have the price-to get them unearthed.
aWhen you see an old Mexican fire opal
set as q brooch or necklace or piece Of
opal matrix in a bracelet. with their cuns
ming arabesques Of handwrought silver
YOU don't have to look much further
for genuine beauty. There is . lot Of the
old Spanish jewelry there too which
hasn't been gobbled UP yet. They were
clever artifcers and no doubt In time We
will manage to get most Of their jewels
as we'll as those Of Europe.
Awoman on her way to the Horse Show
the other day purchased snuffbox which
she was going to use for q powder puff.
It is very quaint in design and opened
with diamond catch. She 10 quite an
expert and thought at first 1t was an old
Italian piece until pointed out that good
as the old Spanish work was 1t could not
compare with their neighbors' In execu-
ton and showed her some examples Of
both to prove my remark. which did
after she had purchased it, ".'r
The sun., 1908-11-22

we'll with the classic gowns that are worn
now. but they are not light or SNOWY
enough; that is probably one cause why
they do not take. .-.'
There is great call for muf chains
Of antique make and shorter chains to
fasten the boas. sold recently a whole
set Of buttons that were hundreds of
years old to a fashionable woman for a
Directoire coat. and pair Of paste shoe
buckles to the same purchaser. The
buckles were one Of the 800 pairs owned
by Prince George when he was counting
pretty Mrs. Ftzherbert. He had fad
for them and few OF them have been
The sun., 1908-11-22

"' Investigation along this line leads to
an old curiosity shop whore an aoknowl-
edged authority on tho eubject has an
interesting exhibit Of antique jewels.
a great part Of which ID too highly priced
to be placed in the regular, cases but is
drawn out as the talk goes on from secret
recesses. from the interior Of huge safe
and even from ohamois bags In the
owners GOAT pockets. $50
He is in especially good hnnor. for
be has just sold thousand dollar snuff
box of bloodstone l17aS) decorated on
the top with q spray Of diamond flowers
and lined and mounted in duh gold. The
purchase has been made by one Of the few
collectors of this form Of personal chat
tells in the city, who has hesitated long
time between that and a watch Of re-
pouss3 gold set with turquoisss and dia-
fnonds, having an open face with a big
hole in it TO be wound by means of an old
fashioned key. .---,-, .r, .-..'
There are other interesting clients who
are ushered out just before the connois-
seur comes inSto complete his purchase
Of the snuffbox which it has taken him
four days TO accomplish. One couple
are foreign looking and they come from
the inner room. where only the most
important deals are contaminated. They
are conversing in German and q great
deal Of difference 10 shown them by the
antiquarian. who sees them get into a
cab and drive away.
When the shop is cleared he takes
from an old velvet case an exquisite
corsage piece of diamonds about six
inches wide and five long. This is an heir
loom which he has just purchased from
the couple in question. That it is no un-
usual incident for some OF the nobility Of
the Old World TO 60 to him to dispose Of
their only capital he admits.
s@in. this case there is no dickering in
regard to the price. | bad a Western
woman in here only the other day he
says, -who wanted to buy something of
this kind whose authenticity was un-
doubted and who was willing to pay al
most any sum for it. This piece belonged
to one Of the royal house Of Austria and
dates back to the time Of Maris Louise.
The Western woman has purchased a
house in New York, has an opera box and
intends TO start q jewel collection that
will opan the eyes Of her friends.
The sun., 1908-11-22

half way up to heaven. because they say
1t makes them dizzy and they would
prob ably fall Of and be mussed. So the
regular steenleiank Ia called upon. and
when the sixty-ninth story roof needs
a shingle he is the man to put it on.
Speaking Of roofs recalls another curl
GUS occupation. Only In our best circles
can it be found. and It consists of man
standing upon roof watching twenty
clotheslines to see that some hard work.
ing maid doesn't 60 south with my. lady g
lingerie. The big apartment houses
have special roof watchmen and they
work the year round, guarding all the
many lines, These men are highly un-
popular with the Maids Association.
Local Numb er Nine.
Now comes an occupation that deserves
nothing hut hard words and the righteous
denunciation of all honest folk. Boys
pigeons in occupancy, The homing pig
cons. which haven't q shred OF probity
about them. Ay gayly into the streets
and oonsort with strange pigeons. passing
the time Of day and insidiously working
into the good graces of the unsuspecting
strange pigeons.
1t Is notorious that pigeons love COM
pany. Put a pigeon by itself and in time
1t dies Of loneliness. So when the trained
and reprehensible homing pigeon suggests
a little visit up 40 the cots. with a sly
reference TO bit Of choice fodder. out
they start, the homing pigeon followed
BY one or several unsusPeotins fellows;
which is equipped with trapdoors. The
next day the poor. little pigeons are
hanging In the butchers window. taste
fully dressed, the wicked boys are jingling
new coins and the despicable homing
pigeons are sneaking about the streets for
other victims.
Another curious occupation Is that OF
the Office shylock. He Is usually for
eiRner who makes $40 a week and he
carries q roll of bills large enough to burn
a wet dog. When he lends $40 on Monday
morning you pay him back s12 Saturday
night. You always pay it. You have a
disiike you II you don't pay your obliga-
tions. The office shylock generally mas
ouerades as shoe sinner.
People who 60 downtown at night
rarely miss seeing the man who adver-
tises various things through an electric
at intervals and a light flashes. urging
YOU 10 buy a cigar or o stick Of gum or
something else The right thing to say,
because every one says 1t upon passing
This Individual, Is, That's . fine thing
for a grown man TO be doingl'
Down the bay thers Is another industry
ing yenders owning their boats meet
incoming tramp freighters and sell the
crews everything from a pair Of mittenf
to A cough cure, They load their craft
with most things you find In depart
ment store and they drive fine bargains
with the sailors.
Then come the lobster cruisers, A
fotilla OF swift motor boats race into
mort every morning about 4 O'Clock
laden TO the top floor with fresh lobsters
These boats are powerful and speedy
because their owners must sooot around
ali night far down the Sound buying
lobsters from the fishermen, = =
! every night except Saturday. In storm
The sun., 1908-11-22
THE MEN VINO WANT A NICKEL.
Experiences OF q Man With tho Late
NIgnt Park ROW Petitioners.

NIgnt Park ROW Petitioners.
'These men who brace me for the price
Of meal every night are sad trial 10
my nerves. said man whose business
causes him to be out late at night on Park
row. Il can't give to them all and how am
I to choose?
Il waved fellow aside impatiently the
other morning-it was about A, M
when he gave a sob and walled at mel
can't describe 1t any other way-he simply
walled L don't want money. Take me
into restaurant and buy me a meal. I'm
hungry
well. was In hurry and l didn't. /
have suffered for it since. can hear that
hungry voice and wish had bought him
meal But few days earlier l had a
different experience.
"A voluble chap stopped me and swore
he was dy ing OF starvation. think he
said he had only had crust out Of a gar
bage can In forty eight hours. He was so
eager that 1 couldn't resist him, but he
didn't inspire me with complete confidence.
put my hand in my pocket. but drew 1t
out again and steered him across the
street 10 beanery.
Il marched him up to the counter and
slapping down half dollar said, Give
this man anything to eat that this will
buy for him.
Il was turning to tell him that II he
couldn't eat it all up at once he could
come back and get another meal for the
balance when i was dumfounded by a
sort Of choking expression on his face.
-His eyes were fairly bulging and he
clasped his hands in agony as he en-
that money on food Then, as he noticed
my amazement, he whined. You see, /
need bed TO sleep in tonight
1T seemed plausible. i turned to saw
he might have the change after his supper
was paid for. when l caught the cashier 8
eye. II said, Don't you be fooled as
plainly as the droop Of lid could say it.
biandly, you can easily eat half a dollars
worth and it's, hardly worth while going
to bed at this hour Then ambIed out
and as looked over my shoulder / saw
my starving man sitting down at one of
the tables. palpably the worst hobo that
ever sat down TO a square feed.
Il had another queer experience out
side the Post Office lately. 1t was a
chilly, windy night and noticed that a
| low sized, elderly man coming toward
me had no overooat. This made me look
at him. and something very sad in his
expression held my attention. His
clothes were quite respectable and his
gray whiskerB were neatly trimmed.
Just as we passed looked back at
him. He was looking back too and as
he caught me rubbering he hesitated, then
turned and followed me, saying. I wonder
II you'd give little help to an old manp'
Il was In good humor. / answered.
in take chance on you, and tipped him
quarter, all the change 1 had.
You're making no mistake this time.
The sun., 1908-11-22
TAXICAB or HIS OWN.
One Former Hanson Driver VINO Went
IL Alone FrosperousIy.

One fOftncr htnSOm Dftvef VINO went
II Alone ProsperousIy.
The taxicab chauffeurs' strike helped
to call attention to tho many varieties
OF taxicab there are in the city. It helped
also to bring out that there are many
lone taxicabs for hire which do not belong
tc any company at all. There are men In
the city who have gone into the game for
themselves after finding out that auto
mobile hacking has hurt the horse trade
decidedly.
One Of these men bought small auto
mobile. second hand. of type that costs
new only about 5000. He had the touring
body rebuilt. with cover on the lines OF
the familiar taxicab tonneau. Then he
bought himself one of the taxameter de-
vices for indicating distances and fares
and set to work down around the ferries
where he. used to nave his place In the
horse cab ranks.
The taxicab engine Is made so that Il
shall he economical OF gasolene, doing
a great deal Of work for the amount OF
fuel used. This man was lucky enough
TO get an engine that didn't need much
tinkering.
sim making good money now" he
puts it. 'In fact I'm glad they drove me
into this business.ss
The sun., 1908-11-22

lured into accepting nickel for the
| Weighing Of the crowd.
Precisely speaking, the man with the
camera cannot be included In this list OF
people. who make a living out Of curious
jobs Most folks have seen him an
chored on q bright corner Of q Sunday
afternoon taking the pictures Of one and
all for the small sum Of 10 cents.
When you have on your best bib and
tucker you strike dignified pose. with
your smallest sister leaning against you,
and In two jerks Of a lambs tail your like
ness is slipped upon the post card. which
Is kept forever after In the family album,
where In years to come you gaze upon 1t
and wonder how two such spindly legs
supported such large child.
The. man with the telescope doesn't
make q handsome income, and he usually
looks unhappy and Ill at ease. but for a
nickel he will show you the ridges In the
moon and the canals on Mars and II the
buIbous top piece Of the Metropolitan
and your nickel Is lost.
Next comes what Is really q woman g
calling, but strangely enough IL is fol-
low ed by a large man with an extremely
red face and stubby mustaohe. Chill
dren must like him because his business
mamrnas thread their ways through the
aisles Of stores.
He stands at the head Of line of baby
carriages, soothing his round faced
charges and waving a tinkling strapful
Of ragged edged checks. Upon delivery
to him Of the check which he gave you
when you entered the store you may
baby. just as In the Chink's place
You mightn't think that man could
oke out an existence selling catnip One
does. though. He stands at an uptown
corner with b ask etful OF cats delight,
selling IT for two cents a bunch, and the
grimages to his corner When you're
inclined 10 growl about your present
salary, think Of the man selling catnip
for two cents bunch.
Being a dog undertaken might be
classified as curious occupation in New
dog undertaken anywhere else in the
world, hut the one here mentioned make
a fine living out Of IL. He takes charge OF
the departed dog, slicka him up chucks
him into proper coffin and buries him
with pomp. the quality and volume OF
said ,pomp being largely .determin cd
by what you have tn epend upon the
Here's another funny occupation A
man goes around through the sweat.
shop district mending shoes. If yor
are a sweatshop- employee you generally
have one pair OF shoes, and OF necessity
they are on your feet You can't leave
them with the oobbler when the roo
springs leak or the uppers secede frcn
the lowers. You haven't time 70 III
around the shop in your stockings.
So this itinerant cobbler hunts rot
up at your shop. takes OF your shoe.
while you sew and caulks up the seams
taol<s on soles and heels and you pa,
him with a cheerful smile and some snial
change.
Steeplejacks are peculiar in q way
but they have found another occupation
in addition TO crawling up hagstaffs
They tinker the roofs OF downtown sky
scrapers. Ordinary janitors and help
srs refuse to slide around on roof that'l
The sun., 1908-11-22
EFFORT BY PROXY.
Involuntary Attempts to Help Athletes
at Exciting Moments.

Involuntary Attempts TO Help Athletes
at Exciting Moments.
In pictures Of athletic compositions,
chiefly hurdle races and high jumps, an
occasional spectator Is seen caught by
the camera in queer posture.
II it is picture Of an athlete lespins.
ten chances to one the spectator has
involuntarily raised his right leg, twist.
ing his body In automaic expression Of
desire to help the jumper. With hurdle
race photographs this often may be noI
ticed too. and in the case of sprinters
not few men stand with faces twisted
up and holding the breath in correct
imitation Of the athlete.
So too with football views. In one Of
big game recently there was photo
graph Of man on the side line watchinga
tackle who was crouching down In al
most exact imitation Of waiting defence
man who was shown at the moment max.
ing ready for his leap at the runner
Men who follow athletics know how
Involuntary this is, One athletic trainer
has appeared in hundreds on pictures
"a watching some one Of his charges
high jumping. with his leg swung cut
just ds IL le WcI0 Hldhl0H the leap Tilll-
self. There is a sort Of relief for the feel
ing Of trying to help the juu'r-< IN swin0-
ing the leg up so, ana almost any persc
Is likely TO do 1t, ts..
1t may be noticed at prigefights that
some men 20 through the entire battle
punch for punch. crossing and countering
an imaginary opponent as they watch
the struggle before them. Men drive
and ride horses in races from the stand.
making the effort In the stretch along with
the Jockey OF their fancy This Is one
OF the well known features among the
race crowd where there are many sgrand
stand riders In wrestling matches
almost any one will try. purely by instinct,
to help the athlete who'i is down and who
is bridging desperately. -s'
And yet there Is rarely enough tele-
pathic suggestion in the air suroharged
with desire to bring about result differ
ent from what naturally might be ex-
pected at the moment when the greatest
wish for something else Is born That
is TO say the high jumper doesn't neces-
sarily clear the bar. nor the sprinter
squeeze out the inch or 90 that he needs,
nor the jockey whip his mount In for tbs
head that means victory.
The sun., 1908-11-22

same tint, looped together With tiny
gold rings studded With mock pearls. q
At the Horse Show IL was noticed that
az in the Empire time tiny watches were
worn suspended from chains about; the
neck instead of being tucked away in
the gowns or hung on fobs. Some Of
these watches, IL they contained modern
works, were certainly old In model. The
First Consul crosses were outlined with
pearls or diamonds, Were rarely plain,
but were worn In every size. from the
tiniest to those six or seven inches long.
As to the long earrings which fashion
threatened last winter, while they are
by no means popular it may at least be
said that they are holding their own,
the First Empire modes being to . certain
extent responsible for them. One pair
noticed consisted Of two enormous pearls,
from which were suspended dozen
smaller stones forming tiny rope ending
In pearl tassels, each atrand Of the tassel
ending in a diamond, and the earring
itself being about two inches long.
The question arises naturally, Where
does all this old jeWelry come from?
some Of it Is evidently genuine, some
faithfully duplicates, designs and models
Of the late eighteenth and the beginningt
Of the nineteenth century.
This question Is only partly. answered
by the fashionable jewellers Of the city,
who in their private cases have slowed
away sp eciai designs which they have
purchased themselves, possibly to sell
after they have been duplicated, or TO
30 vhn
The sun., 1908-11-22

sold to we'll known collectors here.
@There are some women 30 very original
in their tastes that they simply will not
be led by fashion, but seem to adapt fash
ion to their needs. A client came to me
q short time ago for necklace to wear
with smoke colored evening dress.
Il suggested coral. jade, emeralds and
every other stone could think Of and
showed her some antique models. Moth
ing would do. Finally. and wouldn't
have showed them to her If she had no
been a valued customer. took out from
my safe my collection Of royal scarabs
and she screamed with delight when she
found one of gray jasper, the gem of the
The sun., 1908-11-22

said he; I've fallen low when I have To
ask for 1t. III hurry home to the old
woman with it. And would yoii be-
iieve it, that old mamie can't have been
less than 6S-started on a queer shufifing
trot, and was block OF before I could
glimpse l caught Of him he was still trot-
ting somewhere along the City Hall Park
sidewalk.
"Now I wonder what the truth was.
Was he making the fastest time he could
for the nearest stale beer dive or was he
really making for some poor room where
the chance of him bringing something
home? / prefer to think was cheated
rather than think of that