Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-04

A young man was exhibiting costly watch
to a friend in the reading-room of the Fifth
Avenue hotel the other evening. "Titfany's"
| said his friend, inquiringly. "Not much, "
was the reply in tone of superiority: Il
got that watch down in the lanen' The curl
osity of a reporter was excited. What in TIE
name of common sense meant by ''the
lane?" An explanation was sought and
found.
just as that famous thoroughfare which
runs riverward from the front of old Trinity
church is known in the financial world as
1.-THE street." so another, and by the way a
still Weather thoroughfare, four blocks
north, is known to the jewelry trade as 1.-the
lane" In reality it takes in all those won
derful stores and manufactures which front
upon either side of Maiden lane or John street
for space of two blocks east of Broadway.
1t is remarkable fact and highly illustra-
tive of the general ignorance that exists
among New Workers in regard to New York,
that so little is known among the up-tow n
shoppers of the city in relation to ''the lane "
as described within the aforementioned
geographical limits. Residents of Brooklyn
and Jersey City and thousands of the strang-
ers who are daily arriving in the city from
all parts of the United States are continual
ly reaping the reward of a know ledge of 1.-the
lane" and its bargains and treasures, while
resident New Workers are as continually los
ing the advantage of opportunities of which
they know little or nothing.
1t will doubtless come as a new fact to
multitudes of shoppers in this city to be told
that in Maiden lane and John street there is
larger number of small manufactures than
in any territory of the same dimensions in
the world, and when these shoppers are told.
l,..o 81,
houses in either of these streets which doe.
not retail its goods in addition to doing a
large wholesale business, some idea will be
had of the opportunity which exists in ''the
lane" for the picking up of rare bargains at
bottom prices.
1t has been ascsrtained after careful calcu-
lation that there is more gold--in the form of
watches and jewelry-ln Maiden lane and
John street than there is to day in the pos
session of the United States government
There is scarcely building in either of the
two streets that is not supplied on its upper
floors with steam power, and the manufacture
of jewelry, ornamental brass goods and silver
ware goes on necessarily under a hundred
modest roofs.
Nor is the manufacturing business of -'the
lane" confined to these commodities. Some
body has said that you can get everything in
1.-The lane that man or woman wants except
trousers and crinoines. However this NAV
be- it is an undisputed fact that there is alb
solutely nothing in the line of pretty things
things suitable for Christmas and wedding
presents, for example-whichyou cannot
get there.
To one who visits this neighborhood a
thousand interesting sights are visible
Everywhere above stairs is the whirr of ma
chinery, and everywhere on the ground floors
the glitter of beautiful and costly articles
You cannot make tour of ''the lane" with
out faneying that here of all places in the
world is the favori.e trading ground of old
Santa Claus. You can almost imagine, so
multiform are the gems and beautiful things
and ingenious nicknacks on all sides, that
the genial old gift bestower is a silent part
ner in all the manufacturing that is going on
upon every side.
In addition to the manufacturers of the ar
ticles that have been mentioned ''the lane" lie
peopled with dealers in and makers of leather
goods, stationers, engravers, bullion dealers,
diamond merchants, cane makers, toy max
ers, dealers in optical instruments-in Short
with . hundred pretty trades.
That the wealth of Maiden lane and John
street is fully appreciated by the authorities