The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-23
rorrrn 10 rnE AaExn
A Real Estnte Man Uptown Who IL a walk.
ing Compendium OF Ttls NeiEhborhood.

A Real Estate Man Uptown Who IL n walk
Ing Compendium OF Hts NeiEhbOrhood.
II one never goes above seventy-second
street he docs not know a man who has be-
come indispensable in that part of New York.
He is the walking agent, q sort OF touter,to'the
real estate man. He must know when he aces
one walking or driving whether the latter Is
looking for n house to'buy or %tolease. To come
upon one who thinks no knows what he wants
and engage him in q public highway like
Riverside Drive IL not M easy task. There are
other things to be learned OF this touter than
values and sales and rentals. A stranger In
New York will IND II TO his interest to lead him
on. particularly II the stranger be curious to
know who lives in the ncighborhood and some
other things. Such an one was out for a walk
In one OF the new bits OF the city. He halted in
front Of a house In course OF completion to id
miro some carving in tho stone work. From
somewhere came the toutet, Judging him
from the exterior the touter wns one to BIO
avoided. But he was also q surprise, His nd-
dress and speech were not in harmony with his
clothes. He was rather fetching In his manner
Of inquiry as to whether the stranger would
There were several things In this strangers
mind which would have been considered as
previous questions over, a proposition to look
at a house, with a view of purchasing or rent-
ing: But he had been mistaken for capitalist.
and that prompted him TO inquire the price OF
0tlS " " lNi llh NaN- hiINu
When he went away he knew the price OF every
house In the neighborhool; the price q front
foot OF every vacant lot; the rent for one, two.
or three years OF every house that was so occu-
pied. There was nothing surprising In this,
II was no more than a touter should have been
able to impart. But the thing that interested
and amused the stranger was that he had
learned such things as the followinR:.
Why the man who owned the old-fashioned
frame cottage. vine. covered and lettering,
should live In 1t with his wife and an old SER
want while his son. occupied the modern and
costly mansion on the corner.
Why the son. had at first built a house In an
other part Of, the town and had sold 1t for less
he could not live away from the neiRhberhood
whore he grew VI. As the touter told it, it
was a very pretty story. r-.
Another house on another corner was rented
by the touter to the present lessee. because.
sir. l concluded It was worth something to
have such n man In this community. And to
get him here. sir. in that house. i threw OFF my
commission. l did. and he took the premises
for three years"
The stranger remarked that the house was
unoccupied. The touter replied quickly that
the stranger was correct, and then the touter
explained why. The exnlanation covered a lot
OF family history. in which the stranger got
matrimonial matters. lawsuits, .reconcilia-
address Of the lessee. mixed, although he had
no interest in any OF these things.
The stranger also learned the name of a
church. the name of the rector, the names Of
the. vestry. and a pretty story in connection
with the erection OF the ediIice which was in
teresting to him, but which is old to the New
Yorker. And the touter refused to be tipped.