The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-06
Especial Correspondence.l


tho F'oibles Of It's Inhabitants
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK. Sept. 1t was u west
ern man who came to this city and said
New York was town with ono street
and IL fow alleys running into it. He
was pretty nearly right. To the average
visitor and to thousands of residents
New York has only one thoroughfare-
that is Broadway.
If you arc II stranger you will accent
the first syllable, but if observing and
initiative you will, after weeks So
journ, say Broadway, with considerable
emphasis on the way" This is q very
small matter of course, but you may
want to know how to avoid being taken
for stranger. Any man who says
broadway" is ut once spotted as pro-
vincial, and provincials are at dis
count in this town.
You have all heard how the average
New Yorker feels and shows his su-
periOrity to every one who is SO unfor-
tunate as to hail from the west-and to
the Now Yorker everything beyond
Philadelphia or Albany is the west.
had heard this, too, and didn't believe
it. thought it ono of those accusations
of narrowness of spirit which have their
origin i'll the narrowness of the critic.
But am compelled to admit that it is a
true charge.
From the New York view point there
are two horizons. Tho sun rises in
Paris and London, and sets in Jersey
City. Of the west the New Yorker has
heard, but to him it is terra incognita.
He knows nothing about it, and is proud
of his ignorance. Chicago is the only
western City he admits having any
knowledge of or curiosity about, and |
need not tell you the average Now
Yorker hates and despises and reyiles
Chicago.
He is amazed when he thinks how
Chicago has come up ,.s rival of Now
York in trade. in finance, in everything,
for, with his ideas Of western life and
western people, it is incredible that ever
al imitation Of New York, much less "A
real rival. should be produced in that
region.
There are thousands upon thousands
of western and southern men in this
city, many Of them leaders in law, trade
and journalism. But so strong are local
influences that nearly all of these trans
planted westerners take on tho New
York air sooner or later-the dominant
New York air being an intense localism.
do not mean to say that New York
ers never travel or migrate. They do,
They find it necessary. The develop
ment of the west tho opportunitic,
afforded by ii rising and unfolding region
have drawn many New Workers. away
from their native moorings, though tho
number of Gothamites to be found in
the west is much smaller than the num-
Der of Bostonese. While the blood of
New England flows in streams-good.
red, vigorous, conquering blood =
throughout the west, New York is rep
resented only hero and there.
And the New Yorker in tho west is
disconnected, restless. The country is
not good enough for him; when he gets
back to New York he hcavcs q sigh of
relief, gives grunt Of satisfaction ard
resolves never to go west any more.
a little comedy illustrative of the To-
calism of New York thelocnlisn which
affects New Workers and immigrants
from the west alike-came under nv
notice few days ago in the smoking
room of n Pullman cur. Two young
men had struck up travelling acuuaint-
anco and, as gathered from their con-
versation, had como all the way from
Chicago together.
Though l live in Duluth now" said
one of them, Il am Now Yorker born
and bred. Lived in New York all my
life till two or three years ago. Let me
tell you, there is only one New York
only one New York, sir.
Like it in the west? Only so so. I've
done well out there-good place to mako
money, no place to live. Having been
reared in New York, never could take
kindly to the people out in the west.
They're SO different from us New York
ers. Once iD while | meet a New
York man out there, and it does me
good. Do you know can tell New
Yorker as soon as l see him? Yes, sir;
| never fail. There's only one New
York, and the New York man has
something about him-his clothes, his
talk, his style-I don't know just what
it is that marks him."
"Thats So" said the other young man.
''you can tell 'em wherever you see 'em,
and there's only one New York. 1t does
me good to get back home"
''Do you know" resumed the first
young man, Il knew you were New
Yorker tho minute saw you? Queer,
isn't it? Bat l sized you up the first
glance. That's tho reason took to you,
| guess. We New Workers appear to
have some sort of Freemasonry, don't
WEI"
"Y-yes," replied the other, with the