New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-20
WAYS OF THE SILLWARMER&.
ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF A CURIOUS RACE
EVOLVED FROM THE CONDITIONS OF FLAT.
HOUSE LIFE-REFINEMENTs OF THE ART.


HOUSE LIFE-REFINEMENTs OF THE ART
Tho "sI,lwar.ners, are an outgrowth OF a condt |
ton and not Of theory They are Of both sexes, but
Tho fomoIes predomnate because extensive leisure
necessary to the practice OF sillwaFming, and tie
female members OF those classes OF PEOPLE who are
most devoted 10 this form OF dissipation have 10
most leisure Sillwarmlng can only be inculSed In
persons of adult or sdolescent growth Children MY
sit or stand upon n fre-escape balcony md view the
proceedings In the street below. but they lack the
necessary length Of body conveniently dnd safely
warm the sill OF y window uDguarded b. some fora
OF balcony.
The sillwarmers are indigenous in NewYork Oty
There seems TO be no reason why they should not exist
I'm other great cities where the houses IN the f'emen'
districts are tall and the streets populous with NOISY
children and busy adults. and doubtless rs time ga
on the cult will be propagated In all the ls're to"a
throu ghout the country where the conditions are a'
orable but so far as investigation and observation
at present the metropolis al e contains the "eh "
veloped type Of sillwarmeIS.
The practice OF siIlwarmlng arises nom the sane |
instinct that teaches the village housewife - stand
behind the curtains and count the number OF Tina
the doctors Gig stops at he front door OF her oor
across the way, TO size up the amount Oh ench
steak the butchers boy carries to the back door, AID
90 on throughout the meagre programme Of the Village
div When the village becomes city. when the
cottage becomes a ten-story fathOusc and the line
OF view TO the street and its donS becomes perpen
d,cuar instead OF horizontal. the 'shronaea
busybody OF the country becomes the bTaLenace1 sii
warmer OF the city.
The habits OF the silwarmer can best he studied
In the summer and the late afternoon or earF evening
Of a hot July day Is the most favorable period 'O'
observation traveller along one of the narrow
architectural canyons OF the city can then see HOUSINGS
OF heads CT the cliff jewellers OF that region proridDs
from the terraces OF windows either side. few
OF the faces are evidently intent on the eNanlhauca
OF their ncyh across :he way or In adjacent As'
but the majority giving their undivided a'tehuoa
10 the transactions in the great artery OF tTahc De-
low them. The sinuous progress Of inc ocA"lAi
drunken man Is sharply outlined on honzOlaH
plane beneath them. The wars OF the street asO''
with every onslaught and retreat. every flank move
ment and ambush. laid before them tn bruSese
view as clearly were the movements oil u'
prssIan army before the occupants OF the obscr'a'
ton balloons that were sent up from beeaglerea
Paris Cr \ rcd-letter day there is perhaps iuhs
way or flaming ilreenginc thunders In ni''on'
course along the street. In ordinary seasons 'he
clang of tho ambulance gong the descent Of 1000
um gang upon a defenceless Chinaman FURNISHES 'As
most exciting features OF the display.
But on the duest day the teemins thorouehi1re OF
district which has It's two three hundred Thousand
people 10 the square mile furnishes enough 10 amuse
the idle thousands who hang ont their windo"s ~
the towering tenement houses. The house HE oehn@
them Is bare and devoid o. interest There are hehes
books 70 read pictures 10 look at III the DARK nun
rooms which bound their lives. There is no siimuah'
for the Imagination, store OF Renaissance III tos'
blank surroundings No wonder they turn their bacAs
upon Il aud gaze at the ever-yaryng panorama OF tns
street until the observer on the passing elevated Tram
can tell by the shifting focus OF hundred aces Ius'
where the centre OF Interest Is at that moment III US
street which is LelDw and hidden from nim
By the familiar process OF evolution theIe ns''
crown ND certain reiinements In the practice OF ''
warming When In It's hare and primitive condIoa
the average window-sll Is little hard upon ths
elbows TO prevent the bones wearing through .'a'
flesh IL has occurred to some brighter deseeMap'
of the aboriginal sillwarmer to rad TIE sls AT IN.
an ordinary pillow was USED iHti SOhe M"It wa
10 do members VI the craft began 10 have special pl
lows made soon the sttsuS instinct deye"ped az az
many highly ornamental sliipads nnSnSa Ia ~
most costly calicO-s can be seen along inc a'ehu'
OF the east and west side On any varin d.N M
The deyeiopment OF the art has not stcopsu WIN
that, howeves. In prolonged Si!lwarmng II bec1ass
necessary 10 have support ior the abdomen ~ Wen -
for the elbows. Recently 1t occurred To an inSenio,
West side Sillwarmer that beard about thres sSs
long and two feet wide, padded on the upper sSe
ana ald across the window-sill, would furnish me
necessary support and yield heretofore Unknown eao
and comfort to the v,tareS OF The art These ooaSs
provided with oeats on the under side 10 "eep 'neai
from slipping. are row rapidly coming mo ns'
Nth these the most shnn, or the most cJrpui'ns
woman follow the most intricate iheehouss suIss
drama from ninthst0ry window ana wai'h t.
course OF every nying biick. without SUFFERING 'sI
fatsne or cramps. Soon there will he elaborate up
hoistcred supports put the market. nirely sapeS
70 the person Of the and hinged to the Sill ~
they can be- swung back when not In use han
There Is Just further point thnt should DE- lah
I'D before this review If the origin and progress
sillwarming is left for the future historian 81 IN
I'm dc steele" civilization. No Unitarian Ai'i,sss
can view the touching spectacle OF tie good WIG VII" -
her hair freshly crimped and the good man WIN LUZ
evening pipe In mouth resting side by side uIoh
their comfortable sill cushions and calmly conempnn
ING the scene beneath them without iecnng 'nae A.
some way these hours OF leisure and receptive inoo
should be Improved. II seems ply that thelt SUN
cannot some how or other be soothed with "catchup,
literature and their senses STEPPED In the mysteries VI
see that hump conuncrums. -, ,,0,.
"A suggestion In the right direction mas peeh 'nsse
by an enter prsing Young advertising man VINO pa
poses to rent the roofs Of street ana ee'ateu "a. s,
the tops OF covered delivery wagons In order 10 cas'
TO the leisure hours OF the slwarmeS Win ener t
ing rccitas OF the merits OF various oasng p'rli
n Is IN be hoped that this suggestion VIII b. carries
ont and that in other ways the eoa33s OF ns S9 and
tastes OF This important and growing class of siI-
Even though the next celebration may with
caIoused elbows and inerOwng ribs resulting irVn.