The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-02-28
A HOUSE IN THE AIR.
What . Wide Awake Reporter Of q New
York Daily Discovered.

York Daily Discovered.
You may think, says the Christian
Union, that the reporters Of the daily
papers need only know how to write,
but that is mistake. They must be
wide awake all the time, see things
that you would not notice. They must
be patient, and willing to take good
deal of trouble for very small things.
The following account given by a re-
porter shows how observant he must
be. This reporter was in the habit OF
going up and down on the elevated
road, and tells Of Il house he discov-
cred:
Il saw this week the Hottest build
ing in New York City. Not that it
stood as high in air as the tall .Trib.
une' tower, or scared a parallelogram
into the clouds like the Potter and
Mills buildings, but its foundations are
seventy feet above the earth, and that's
about as high as any reasonable Great
ure would care to lay the foundations
Of his home rather higher, in fact,
than most Of us relish. II
stands on the highest point of the ele-
waited road, at the northeast corner Of
One Hundred and Tenth street and Man
haitian avenue. does this little brown
house. and is inhabitated by well-to-
do pair Of English sparrows. II you
look closely us you swing round the
second curve on an uptown train, you
can catch just glimpse OF the little
cottage as you run by. Many timid
people would object to putting their
heads out Of the window at this point
and having it brought wildly home to
them that they were swinging by an
iron spider-Web SO many feet above the
rocky earth. 1t isn't easy to. either,
unless you know where it is, for the
little residence is very nearly the color
Of the big iron girder against which it
rests. and the train rattlcs by the
place in great hurry to reach One
Hundred and Sixteenth street. My at
tention wus attracted to it first by no.
ticing the sparrows always wheeling
about that place, no matter what
time of day or year went
by. tried and tried again
to discover what the attrac-
ton was, but in v.tin, for it
seemed as il the train always put on an
extra squirt Of speed just there. and
whirled me by before could quite
solve the puzzle. Finally, my curiosi-
tv was reused TO such an ex-
tent that l counted the blocks to
One Hundred and Sixteenth street,
and, getting off there, walked back to
the place, and, standing underneath,
first saw the airy villa, which COM
mands, think, a fine view Of Central
Park, stretching away south and east
ward, and all Harlem lies ut its feet
for a happy hunting ground for its in
habitants. It seemed such a queer
place for the little bird-house that /
inquired among the trainmen concern
ing it, and was told that a track hand,
who Is English and very patriotic, bit
terly resented the prosecutions and
vituperations of his little fellow-coun-
trymen in feathers. He has always
done his best to shield and help them,
and. his duties OF track inspection
! leading him over this bit Of very ele-
waited road. he conceived the idea OF
erecting an asylum up here
for his reviled compatriots, where
they would be safe from marauders
A great iron rod runs through the mid
die OF the girdcr, and is firmly boltcd
at the end. The bolt protrudes four
or five inches, and the section man
climbed out to the edge Of this dizzy
eminence and dashed the bird house in
its place. 1t is on the south side of
the structure, SO that it is somewhat
protected from tho worst fury OF the
winds, but it must be an awful place
to winter in. yet the sparrows don't
seem to mind it. A hardy couple took
| possession at once, and for two years
have raised three or four brOods an
nually in it. and seem to enjoy railroad
life very we'll. The section man takes
an infinite pride and comfort in the
| success Of his scheme, and as soon as
the snow would permit after the biz
card he went. with great anxiety, to
see whether it and its inhabitants had
weathered the terrible storm, rejoicing
| to find them safe and sound"