The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
UNCERTAIN rHISes nv VIEW roRK.
The Weather, weiehiug Maehines. and
dIocks In RnbIIo Rlnces.


Tho other day q young woman who rode on
the Fifth avenue stage from Flftieth street to
Washington Square passed through n success
sion OF sleet and rain and comparatively fair
weather Arrived at her destination. she spoke
Of the storm. and her friend declared that at tho
square II hadn't rained for an hour. This
brought up the subject OF the variation OF tenn
pernture between different parts OF the city.
Finally the uptown girl began to laugh.
THE Thermometer isn't tho only thing that
VARIES" she said. Have you ever had the Curl
osity to weigh yourself on different penny In
the-slot machines2 Well. YOU ought to try 1t.
II you don't like the weight you get on one
machine. Just try another and you will find 1t
entirely different IL you only keep on long
enouRh-trying different machines, l mean
you will ba sure to be suited In the end. re-
member the last time / went TO Europe The
day before we sailed was out shopping with
friend. and 1t occurred to me that ought to
find out how much l weighed before I started.
We hunted up n machine and got On aud
was weighed. One hundred and nifty poundsl
knew that wasn't right, 80 we tried another
block or two distant 1t gave me 40 pounds.
Then we tried another. and, according to that
weighed l45 pounds. Finally we got inter-
ested in the matter. and when We finished our
shopping we took an " l." train aud then got of
and weighed ourselves at every station.
weighed all the way from 100 pounds down to
1873 pounds When I got down TO that point l
thought II was time to stop.
why ! said, sec herel I've got to quitl II
don't pause In my mad career there won't be
enough left OF me to get on the steamer So We
went homo and l averaged up the different
weights and let 1t 20 at that"
well" said the Washington Square young
woman. that 10 like my experience with
nlA \ - tt,.. ,luD d..
over on the west side. and often had to meet
an engagement downtown. / didn't carry my
watch because it-well, It never goes right for
some reason or other. SO don't bother with It
except when put II on for show. you know |
depend on the street and station clocks. III
was in q particular hurry ! kept watch for all
the clocks. and soon got to know every one
that would DO In sight. too. But those
clocks were SO eIaspcrating. Suppose l
was due at Park place at o'clock. The
station clock at Sixty-siKth street would
say 4:45. That would mean that would be
over aQuarter Of an hour late. Dreadful The
next clock. which is on one of tho car stables,
would say 4:30. Then began to fret because
saw that there was chance OF being on tipio.
Fifth avenue church. also said 1850. / began to
be easier. AT Thirty-fourth street there were
three clocks and they always varied. took the
slowest one. which was pretty likely to be :32
or something Of that sort. Eurekal III could
keep on like this | would be ahead OF time
Il began to be gay, but Kept AN eye for the
clocks Ju.t the same. Twenty street and
4:45! Ths. was Il blow. Fourteenth Ytrsst,
%:4s. hdgeted. Eighth street and the Jetfer-
son Market clock at 1850. on. could make 1t!
But the next timepieee dashed my hopes with
full even o'clock. Then came another church
as we spun down the grade. 1t was only 4 AS
by the clock In the s;eeple. Time turned back.
ward aud forward with the greatest ease on
that trip. Finally came within sight of the
City He'll clock, aud by that decided my fate.
Butthe ups and downs were very wearing. Some
times ] have started from uptown and have
found myself earlier and earlier by every clock
until would reach q timepiece which would
suddenly pull whole quarter OF an hour out
from under me and let me down with duh
thud which must have made tho sands OF limo
trembe. tell you. these clocks ought to no
regulated by law for the benefit Of deserving
women with undeserving watches"