New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-28
CHANCES HERE AND THERE.

How is 1t that professional men never think Of
getting up unions ~ said Discontinued architect yes
'erlay, who had been watching strike IN an unfn-
| ished building in Fifiy-nlDh-st "Why should the
| hofny-handed monopolizc the prvilegel My own
profession, for instance. Is absolutely at the mercy
NOT only OF honest and reputable employers, but Of
every shystering contractor and every unprlnciped
shniiint who wants to build. The trckery and de-
cet We encounter would surprise you. Only two or
'nre' weeks ago downtown merchant asked "a 20
''rnsL sketches for hoIsc he .eant to build. which
T'rc 10 he paid ior lily II accepted. They re-
.''-d. bur not until he had had time to steal rac.
ings Of them lie has since broken ground. and the
building IS TO- e. up substantially in The iorn a.
signed Have ans redress Mono whatever. The alter
/ alton OF unimuo iant d, ;al would invaTiGae any
calm might make and VINO would think of going to
law IN such case without witnesses or evidence,
even II he had cash 10 spare Tor ices !"
| 1fc same gentleman tells story of a wealthy and
wel-known Ncw-Yorher. to The truth OF which many
architects are unfortunately only too well able to les
NY Having decided to erect large Office building
downtown, he began schemng to save dollar whcr-
ever dollar could bc properly or improperly saved
The first was OF course TO get good drawings for
nothing So he invited architects by circular to sub
NIT fun plans ard specifications. tie best TO be used
| and paid for at handsome figure Then he managed
| to pick up a clever but drunken draughtsman out Of
| TO copy the plans a. they came IN Every one Of
them was afterward returned to Ills originator As UNI
| suitable Meantime the accomplice had crbbed
their good ideas and combined them In heterogeneous
mass Of brick and stone which is to-day the cycSoie
OF that part of the town The disgust OF me Vcums
who look at It they pass is not wholly aestheuc o
| at Is such experiences that make an architect
| wish he had been bred bartender or brlckayer'
| continued my informant. There IS neither honor
,pt Ia, ha n
TO start with or at least extensive social affiliations
our education IS expensive. We begin, say, to ia
| while at school deludcd parent, with Visions
before him of rem and lingo Jones, decides to ell
tivatc our talent A special college course acquainis
! us with the elements Of perspective ihen we are
| bundled OF TO Paris to the school OF flne Nts ana
| study at other capitals. Perhaps we also Icoel l.
| vatc instruction from some famous foreign are 'l-
| tcct. At the age of, say. twenty two. we return
| Our first conaucst is a seat at a drawine-boad in
some office salary 500 week our employer cheer
fully uses our work. and enjoy seeing our pet de-
signs adjoining face Of the earth and another man
| getting the credit And II We don't happen to have
] powerful friends with mania for bricks and NOR
tar we may occupy that delightful situation Tor the
fu term Of our natural lives. Even then. we have 10
competo with cheap foreign labor. to say nothing Of
| snowy designs which cheap publications give as
| chromos.'
| @In these days when electricity seems b be ap-
| Piled almost everything said weary house
| VITA recently. why doe, not somo Ingenious In
vcntor make an arrangement for opening doors That
Will not require the u-c OF the hand at all. when
| am carrying dishes from my dning-roOm to my
kitchen, could tax" twice many at once II | hal
| not 81 keep ono hand FREE to open the door can
not leave n open. because Of the smell and heat Of
tho cooking that wish 10 exclude. And when carry
the baby 10 bed. how nice u would be II had not 10
wake him up by shifting his position 10 get ono hand
1 - % In "A
| hundred other ways II wouli tighten labor in the
| hou.ohtd. l h.'t always admired tho switch
| arrangement on TIE street lines. by which the
| horse. stepping on an iron plato between the rafls,
-hlfi, them tho desired position by his own weight
| Now Why could not n uoa' niue Tile be inserted ~
The nuor ~ house OF ca % side Of the doors, so al
lustcd that ttc weight " per,sns foot upon It would
throw the door open. provided OF course that 1t was
| not locked y
one Of the most peculiar difficulties encountered by
| the Prison Association Il New York, in IT'S efforts To
| got cx .conyicis started In Me- arises fum the
protcm Of how TO keep them clothed. To provide
meal. and lod.dng, f. comparatively sir.ple, but In
order to sccurc the work they must he decently
clad and the association IS compelled to rly for Thu.
purpo-e upon gifts %, partly clothing. The men
who arc however 10th abb and willing 10 give away
half worn clothes nr not usually Of proportions SINH
lar those Of the who profit by their generosity
and therein lie. the difficulty. Tho association ~
cciycs many ,lk hats Il the finest mako, and showing
scarycly sgu - wear. hut the givcH generally have
| arr h"ads, AID ia many cases their hats would 20
right down TIE ~ the men who are to wear
them on the Other hand. the convict foot IS usually
Of massive proportions while the gentleman who wears
a big ha, generally hls small shoe The result Is
that Mr. Kimha TO- disbuiscr Of the association. fro
ouently nnd, himself With shelves and boxes full Of
shoes nnh never a shoe 10 ~ his friend frum Sing
sing And beside. that be has to face the fact that
10. average convict anatomy I, lean and hungry In iis
outlines while th' vaistbaHd Il the generous and pros
ptfou. II thc Lard &. expanded by much good living
Tho Prison Association g. auAiou,N searching Tor "A
elias of givcr- with small heads. biz feet and slender
waists AMI viii confer IL, h.ftes; honorS upon the cA-
plorer who eau discover tbs Class
The Wardrobe thus collected s put in good repair
hy tallors and shoemahcls selected from among
the cN -cOnyics Themselves any such happen to be
out II work. a,d the beneficiary IS carefully watched
a. long n his outHi holds together one great din
Guilty Is 10 prevent SOM OF the men from pawning
some Of their good clothes for drink appearing after
ward I'm the hahiIlmcnt, sof the vcrcst tramp An
effort is made obviac this by putting the secret
mark Of the association on every garment gvon ont
and reputable pannhrokrrs will not advance money
uuon clofbc, 80 marked Tho clothes supposed 10
be- only lent not given away. moreover and many
an unsnspccting cx convict has been brought up with
short turn when attempting Ia dispose of the property
~ the association. VIII all Is care however, The
association IS always hard pressed for supplies, bnt
want, benefactois with good judgment as well As
~ proper dimension, one cynical doDor recently
.rn Ia the Office n East Fiftccnth-t package con.
,ar,ny , line leather money belt though what II could
10 uscd for unless enable bank burglar to carry
his booty away sahy, no one has yet been able 10
explain
II +, noticed that whenever the sign Boy Wanted'
Is hung out by merchant of this city It Is made ex-
frcmely small and put in as obscure place a. posi-
nc We bave Ia do that In self defence u large
lace iuvorter explained want a boy this MIN
ute and have my sign out, but the chances arc that
you would never sec IT, Why Because you are
not looking for Job. But no boy seeking employ
mcnt would miss It. II is now noon. Since 10
o'clock have turned away ninety applicants Tor the
place. The pay IS only - week. ana u Is 10 easy
task 10 get a trustworthy boy at such salary II
Ind hung ON, a bic sign In front Of my door. whore