' V -
THE COURIER
fc
J
o '
i
were of most infrequent occurrence. The rescuo society may have
and doubtless has accomplished Borne good; but it can't begin to
keep up with the demands; and it is fast becoming evident, oven to
those peoplo who clamored for tho kind of a policy Mayor Weir has
followed, that the result of the so-called reform is not only discourag
ing, but in some respects, alarming.
Town Topics says: "That great and good philanthropist, Mr. Geo.
M. Pullman, is. I understand, the object of a good deal of commis
eration in Chicago just now, owing to tho tendency of certain un
thinking -and misguided people to heap obloquy upon him by rea
sonof the Pullman company's alleged intention to evict such of
his tenants, or former employees, as may be in arrears with their
rent. How people of intelligence can regard tho matter in any
light save one I can not for the life of ma parceivn. Mr. Pullman,
as every one knows, owns the town of Pullman. The houses in it
are his. The peoplo who livo in the houses are not doing so for
love, but on tho understanding that they pay rent. They have
not paid the rent, because they have not the money to pay it. If
they wished for tho money to pay Mr. Pullman his rent they
could obtain it by resuming their work in Mr. (Pullman's car
shops for exactly the wages that Mr. Pullman chooses to pay them
and no more. Nothing could be simpler. It is Mr. Pullman's un
questionable right as a landlord, to turn all his non-rent-paying
tenants, together with such invalid wives and sickly, half-fed
children as they may have had tho stupidity to collect about
them, into the street. The luxury of living under a roof is re
served for peoplo who can pay rent. Mr. Pullman's non-rcnt-pay-irg
tenants should remember this. Their lot after all is not a
hard one. The air of the town of Pullman is soft and balmy.
The sand of the surrounding desert is soft enough to sleep on com
fortably. There is plenty of water in Calumet Lake to drink. The
grass is good to eat. Nobody need complain. Lot there bo a truce
to the silly carping."
"I met a man the other day enjoying ideal contentment,'' said
an occasional contributor to The Courier. "He had been a cow
boy, and enjoyed the experience. He could bury a dead man with
the same serenity with which ho would rope a Texas steer. To him
life had been, and was, a constant comfort. His wants were few and
simple, and supplied with only tho slightest exertion. He had never
married, though ho never missed a ranch dance, and was popular
with the girls who wero there. Ho had ranged over miles and miles
of canons, in summer, and in winter, an 1 knew what hardship was.
The morrow had no cares for him. He said distinctly that all he
needed was Iward and clothes, and ho was not over choice about
either. His team had been turned out to pasture with a kind of
mental reservation that if feed continued to become scarcer and
higher and horses of less and less value no attempt would bo made
at recapture. If an opportunity offered to use the team, and his
necessities really demanded that some workshould be done he might
look them up. What did he care for money and tho luxuries of
civilization? Assured of a weeks' Ioard, no trouble iiitted across
his brain, and he could spend days and days idly listening to the
tales of village or country. Frank and apparently honest he did not
hesitate to tell any one all the scrapes he had had, and to take satis
faction in the rude code of morals he had set up. One winterscason
he and some companions lived in a lonely dug out and had a royal
time. Tho ponies found their own living. They slaughtered and
cured thei- own pork and beef, did their own culinary work, and
fared sumptuously every day. They had money and bought many
things they could have had without objection. If time hung a little
heavy they looked up the claim of some non-resident, and
either filed a contest themselves or procured some one to contest.
Then at once they became important witnesses. It was immaterial
on which side. If the party having tho claim was sharp enough to
seo them ho could hold on without difficulty. If the other
man saw them, good-bye claim. While doing the witness act
they were boarded at a good hotel aud received S2 a day for their
time. Nothing could have been more agreeaole. The weak were
sure to have their friendship. Some horrid man attempted to con
test the claim of a poor girl who was working to secure a homestead.
She had no witnesses, and little money to defend. Our hero assumed
the role of detective. He made the acquaintance of the horrid
man and finally offered to give him 840 if he would dismiss the con
test The bargain was made. Our detective made out a check for
the amount and had an accomplice identify him andcortify that the
check was good. Tho next morning ho went upon tho witness stand
and exposed the wholo deal, which, under tho laws, forfeited all
right of contest. Ho then explained that tho check was drawn on a
bank which had failed months before. This transaction was entire
ly meritorious from his standpoint. It was really quite refreshing
in these troubled times to find a man so contented, and so constitut
ed that tariff laws and currency questions could not rutllo his feel
ings in the slightest degree."
So Mrs. James Brown Potter and Kyrle Bellow aro coming to Lin
coln again after an absence of several years. When this precious
pair wero last in this city they wero objects of far greater curiosity
than now. Then Mrs. Potter was in, what might be culled tho first
blush of hor notoriety, and about Bellow there centered enough
scandal to mako him an interesting figure. But both have ceased
to attract the attention they once did. They havo beon away for a
long time, and in this country not much has been heard of them
beyond an occasional bit of salacious gossip that would somohow
find its way from India whore they enjoyed, according to report, a
profitable season. People have ceased to comment on tho relations
of these two picturesquo persons who have made their own charac
ter a marketable commodity. Things aro taken for granted.
President Cleveland's first administration is responsible for Mre.
Pottar's appearance on tho stage. Mrs. Potter had gone in for reci
tations and amateur theatricals and all that sort of thing, and in
Washington she was taken up by Mrs. Whitney, wife of Mr. Clove
land's secretary for the navy. This lady, with immense wealth at
her command, had immense facilities for showing off her protege,
and she made tho most of her opportunities. For one winter undei
Mrs. Whitney's patronage, Mrs. Potter was an important personago
in Washington society. No swell entertainment was complete with
out a recitation by Mrs. Potter, and these recitations were, by the
way, sometimes risque enough to interest tho most blase devotee of
society. Finally, as many will doubtless remember, Mrs. Potter
made an immense sensation by reciting Sim's "Ostler Joo" at a re
ception or entertainment given by Mrs. Whitney. This selection
was considered extremely outre, and tho beauty, as she was then
called, was severely criticised for offending tho delicate sensibilities
of Washingtonians with s:ch a coarse and suggestive selection.
There no was no end of talk, and Mrs. Potter became a central
figure almost immediately, and it wasn't long after tho "Ostler Joo"
episode that she went on the stage.
She went to London to study and buy gowns, and she was shrewd
enough to take advantage of tho wanning glory of Mrs. Langtry as a
professional beauty. She found her way easily enough to the Prince
of Wales and succeeded in awakening sufficient interest in that
quarter to greatly perturb the Jersey Lily, who ina now historic in
terview, quoted the Prince as having said that Mrs. Potter's arm was
not pretty. Mr. Potter, meanwhile, was left in New York, and it was
said that the domestic relations of the Potters, which were apparent
ly felicitious up to this time, would be uudisturbed by Mrs. Potters
appearance on the stage. It was going to be a model arrangement.
She was going to act but she was going to remain faithful to James
Brown and they were going to show the pu blic like Mr. and Mrs. Sidney
Drew, to whom reference was made last week, that a stage career
isn't incompatible with conjugal bliss. But it was'nt long before it,
was evident that Mrs. James Brown was getting a little swift for
James Brown. Bishop .Potter, of New York, James Brown's brother
who has a great regard for the conventionalities, went to London to
reason with the woman who would be an actress and, if possible,
disuade her from her purpose. But the Bishop returned unsuccess
ful. Mrs. Potter persisted in her determination, and she has been on
the stage almost continuously for the past five or six years.
f
Notice to Taxpayers.
All city taxes of any kind now due and delinquent should be paid
by September 1, or the same must be reported to the county treas
urer for advertisement and sale.
E. B. STEPHENSON, City Treasurer.
Fresh country milk at Central MHk Depot, 134, south 11.
