New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-10
NETWORK AS 1T WAS.
THE "REMINISCENCES OF Mr.. FELIX OLD
BOY

A ToUR AROUND NETWORK AND MY SUMNER
ACRE Being the recreaons OF NJ Hen1 "a
boy By John tiavel Mines, IL. d. ILLUSTRATED
PIP xviii 513. Harper a Brothers.
Genial Felix Oldboy has dedicated his sketches OF
New York TO his son. Felix OldbOy, IT,, with the
hope expressed that the iotte fey years hence may
review the intervening history of the town III
similar fashion. New York Will undoubtedly be worth
all that can said Of IL half century in the uthre
No man within the corporation lines can guess Wha
the reality will be I'm 1880 1910 one thihe
may be predicted with some certainty from stuuS
Of human nature. The love OF the porn new ioiN.'
for his town will be increased This country IS
certain to bepardon the paradox-a country OF cies'
Already begin to see clearly that tne clN'0
pride In each Of the great centres Of life has taken
a certain definite tendency 10 some degree di'eiten
from that Of the rural life by which 1t is surrouhueu
and that the great towns developing spirit
which will make them different from each o'her' rs
human beings differ from each other, Ill ways 'n"'
are obvious but hard to define. The uihe l. pas
when TIE superficial foreigner could geheTdhNc WIN
certainty respecting American life when ne colo e@
pect the democratic customs OF cohuIen'aI to
nubic IN turn out a race all individuals of which
should be a, like each other peas from the same
pod If he Is an intelligent foreigner ne VIII uVHle
that the American ideal Is international as ooihpeu
with his narrow conceptions Of what hatloh ls' anu
that here the solution has at least been outlined OIL
a problem which Asia and Europe have labored with
while perpctuating the unity of mankind
Now as compared with other great towns OF Norm
America the fact that New York is the biggest Is not
the most important fact 10 consider 1t might happen
the contingency Is remote, but not beyond the horizon
Of specuation-that other towns might otstr1p u III
numbers But even II that happened New orA
would not lose it, quality city to love ana 10
love the more the more intimately one studied It's
great streets and Its byways ITS houses and s h'ory
No other city anywhere has a better reason 70 III
wife the lifelong inhaOitant and the casual Vlsor 10
study Its paceshe separate yet Harmonious Interests
Of the parts which have gradually been taken INTO
ma gnifcent entity. No other city in America can
saw with equal truth. that Il Is greater than the
generation though II number miiGns-which now
nhabits 1t. The greatest personal fame is Tiny in
fuence In New-YOrk outside OF the particular circle
which it is familiar. This Is 10 be read not In so
many words but In effect, throughout Colonel Mine>s
delightful papers. lie mentions the names Of In
hviduas-hundrods Of Them. perhais-but II never
occurs 70 him that the Influence Of any Of them
casts perceptibe shadow over the civic organism Of
which they were part. They lived and worked, they
contributed their share 10 the progress Of the city,
but not one OF them could feel that the city would
have been other than 1t is II he had existed
1t Is New York and not the people who inhabit II
for the time being that is Of absorbing interest Who
is there who will not linger with delight over the
authors description Of C1e ga Village. that rose
garden OF the past ? Yet who world wish Il hack
II is part of "A romance trait in the character Of
unique but infinite pers0naaty-the personality q
great city. But, while the people individuals pass
and are forgotten collective human traits remain.
They are as much features Of the town as its streets
and dwelllnghoIseS and public buildings. The staid
KncherbOckcr OF Colonel Miness pages is not merely
an Individual. RE is type. His individuality Is his
own. He buttons his coat II and shuts Ii within
doors in the decoros house which he inhabits but his
typical character is obvious. Ills bearing tells II and
of
secret OF course II will be said that New York has
changed greatly in the last few years. But that
chicago after ALL If II be- hOlchtfuy studied, VIII be
found 10 be more superficial than Otherwise. Send
the obscurest New Yorker 20 another city and see
how quietly he will be spotted as the saying IS be
cause he has carried with him some atmosphere vi e
town IN which he lives.
In Mr. Besant's recent book London there Is
resonant paragraph about the belrgng OF old tunes.
The memory Of church bells is nearer in NewlorR
1t Is indeed, within the past OF an ordinary ienme'
In the "Nile Notes of Howadji." Curtis describes
how the clutch bells echoed in his memory unoer
tropical sky. Colonel Mines has memories Of Them
too ITO me-" says he "as the city grows larger,
buster and more cosmopolitan. ono OF the things
most miss is the sound OF the I'D familiar church Del.
The city was drenched with silence on sundays, when
i boy, and there was no SOUND 10 bieah ue
stiffness except the clangor OF the bells AT y
and at they summoned 10 sunday-school; at
half past 10 and at they called the people 10 church
suppose they ring usual now but the rumble OF
streei-cats the continual rush Of other vehicles the
rattle and OF the elevated lines and all the
modern combination Of noises comes between taer
music ard my ear, and sometimes the Sunday Of my
boyhood seems altogether LOST They do ring still,
as any one can testify who lives in a quiet street;
but their clangor has been absorbed in the multitude
Of sounds Characteristic Of great town. SO With
many other traits OF the older Nelv-Yorl-a little
attention reveals them Just they were years ago
This book Is n loving tribute TO the tame Of
city every way worthy Of the affection OF Is nhsb-
tants 1t is also the seli-reveation % thoughtful,
Kindly man. Almost every page shows not obtru-
sively but naturally and clearly something OF the
author himself Tho Illustrations arc suggestive.
They convey In themselves more than an outline OF
the history Of the city.