New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-26
PUZZLES OF NETWORK.
THE DIFFICULTIES OF EXPLORING THE
CITY WITHOUT CHART.

so.iE EXAMPLES TO SHOW HOW EASY 1T Is FOR
A STRANGER TO GO WRONG IL TRYING TO
SEE THE SIGHTS.
For the American who has lived much OF his life
IN books what visions of delight. what ghosts or
old eorles what echoes OF long-sient voices what
memories 4 dreams are conjurcd by such simple
words of magic as "Notre Dame. place de IN
concordc" Inter den Linden "St. Paul's."
Strand" Fleet Street, Yet the dwellers OF
Paris Berlin and London sec al! these daily and
pass on thinking nothing of them ana LOOKING LOT
all their visions elsewhere.
And so does the New-Yorker ever think that
every doy re IL carelessly trcading paths that are
Just as wonderful and sacred TO those to whom they
are Jess familiar? The writer was made TO think OF
this once when an English friend. just arrived on
his first visit TO America, said Il can scarcely De-
,eye that am really in New-York at last that this
,s firmly BROADWAY that that over there Is Fifth
ave that Delmoncos Is only few steps on
And vet the American found afterward that this
same Engshman was wholly unimpressed oy Tue
existence In London OF a tavern which Is mehtoheu
I'm one of Snakespeare's plays by the name which
IL still bears. that he had never peen hsiue IT, anu
did not even know that 1t was there.
To the country boy. also whose youthful fancy
has been stimulated by the stories OF the brilliant
lives ard rapid advancements OF sucn heroes as
lack Hazard and Ragged Dick. the names OF the
Bovery Wall Street. ola Trinity. the Tonos fui-
ton Ferry and Jefferson Market are words TO con-
t,-. Win These are the local habitatons and the
names Of airy nothings that have filed his imag,-
nation for years They airy to him. so long as
he STAYS out ~ NewYorl. as the intrepid boot
hacks dark-vsageI burco men/and invlnciDe oe-
tcctivcs who have peoped them and glorihed them
f,r the firing of his boyish soul. When he comes
10 New-York at last to make his own fortune
usually with $500 in his pocket instead OF the
legendary 50 cents-f he be youth or poe,ical ca
pacltv the streets and the squares and the ouiid-
lugs make for him at first the same SORT Oh iai'y-
land that Rome is to the fanciful Traveller newly
come from a foreign country.
THE COINTRYMAN \ VICTIM OF LIBEL.
But It is the purpose OF this narrative merely 10
relate what befcll a traveller who came Win '"e
desire 10 see the things of which he had read ana
heard so much. In passing, 1t may be remarheu
that the sort of rural visitor TO New-fork Sd
freely pictured the comic papers has no existence
In fact. The creature with the long oVeTcoa' the
woollen comforter the white hat the long, srassF
hair and heard. the carpet-blg and the "ide nat
boots would attract as much attention In the New
yorl streets as a circus. # he ever appeared: Dut
he never does No person not bent on deliberate
suicide has blown ont the gas in New-fork ho'ei
IN years The countrynan OF the cartoonist ana
the paragrapher belongs to the same list OF faDu-
Ions monsters as the scantily dressed bather ana
the champagne-lrnking ballet girl The most OF
the country visitors to New-York are Intelligent
and wel-!nforned persons. unused, IL IL true. 10
many Of the ways of the city. but with habits and
manners no more out OF place In the city than those
OF New-Yo In the country
or such a scrt was this visitor to the metropolis.
but he was also troubled with a certain difldence
.bout aek,n, questions OF strangers. II does not
matter whether the story which ne afterward tod
of some of his adventures was related 10 some
syrnpathctic New Yorker or was poured INTO the
ears Of the grand council on the affairs OF the
world tina; gathered some evening after MS re-
turn AT the village store and pos,oHice' Inc STORY
IS the same. in any case:
II felt as II wanted to stay at the Aston House,
because In the stories that used 10 READ ABOUT
New-York the Aston House always seemed TO be re-
garded as the leading hotel. had heard something
lately of newer and larger hotels. but knew noth-
ing in particular about them, and thought would
rather dapend on the Astor. But | was in no hurry
TO 20 there and when | came ont OF the Grand
Central Station decided to stroll about and see a
little Of the city at once. like wander aimlessly
I'm a strange place and find for myself and recog-
nize spots and objects that have heard or read
about.
THE GREAT FORTY-SECOND-ST. PRISON.
eft was not three minutes before was rewarded.
came to "A big. low. stone building, of rather
Egyptian appearance. as it seemed TO me- recog-
riZed II at once. Tina. the Tombs.' thought,
and stood and gazed at It and remembered with
delight how 1t had figured in the detective stories
that | had read when was a boy. I; answered
the description. nearly as | could remember
them. should have liked to go in but did not
know whether visitors admitted. and I'D not
want TO subject myself rebuff SO walked
back to the Grand Central Station and asked a
Policeman though do not Ike to display ignorance
by asking questions of policemen how could
best get the Astor House. He told me to so risht
upstairs inside the station and take the e!e'ateo
train, and go to the City Han.
f,.o tba aia fpl tr9i
had Only one car and began to read paper.
noticed that the train went backward part oi
the time but | did know how crooked the roau
might be or what connections might De mace. pus
after half an hour CHANGED 10 look OUT VI
the window, and saw the Grand central ota,i,on
Then | asked the guard where THIS tram was COINS
anyway and ne told me that had been ri9hS lot
yard and back between two stations all the tme
and that the next time | got TO the otner one
must Change | did change ard got the wrong |
train after ali and so had the pleasure OF discover
ine the battery, Goverrors Island. the statue OF
for the mistake, and in the end got to the Astor |
II made another little mistake with 4 street
railway. l wanted to 60 to Central Park, ana ]
a