The record-union., 1898-01-15
IN The GREAT CITY.
RURAL POLICEMEN IN THE
EASTERN METROPOLIS.
How the People Live in the Mills
House for a Very Little
Money.

NEW YORK, Jan. 81 took supper
the other evening at the Mills House.
1t was the regular" article, consisted
of four courses, not including the coffee,
and the whole costing fifteen cents. In
itself the food was enjoyable even to
one not especially hungry, and then the
inexpensive luxury of being waited
upon by pert and pretty waitress"
that was really pretty, and the econom-
ical satisfaction of eating in the distin
guished company of such celebrity as
George Francis Train enhanced I'M
speakably. the value of the supper
aforesaid
Here in New York it is not considered
feat to brag of to eat at the Mills
House; this. in spite of the fact that
the regular article of it's dining-room
has been honored by no less perSonageS
than Mr.. and Mrs. Sloane of the upper
crust and their millionaire host, D. O.
Mills Of Sacramento and New York. 1t
is, however, to, be admitted that an ac-
emulation of about thirty millions Of
dollars is not to be found around a
Mills House dining table every day in
the week, and also that it costs only
about 81 per week to be a star guest at
the Mills, while at the Waldorf-Astoria
-ah, we'll, won't make the compari-
son.
At the table where ate was the fol-
lowing assortment Of professional be-
ings: Two young, quick-eyed. we'll
hammered men, who from their CONVEX
sation l concluded were students at the
University of New York, the buildings
of which are in part situated near by;
a middle-aged man, who from his APP
pearance and manner l judged possibly
might be a street-cleaner; the remain
ing individual was apparently clerk,
self-conscious and self-scattered
youth, with an evidently rural origin
and past. This, with the writer, made
up the table, and the assortment was
thoroughly typical of the entire dining
room.
The restaurant, which keeps open all
night, admits ladies" TO it's privileges,
as the hand-bell announces, but the
only ladies that ever appear to be in
evidence are the black gowned and
pert tongued mattresses aforesaid.
The term ladies'" let it be known, is
understood by all parties to be those
usually interpreted as such in the vicin-
ity of Thompson, Sullivan and sundry
other streets in New York City. They
are not necessarily the article general
ly branded as such by universal con-
sent We are democratic in our way
here in New York, and while that ia
nous old Quaker and patriot Of Phila-
delphia wouldn't say Mister to the
French King. we achieve the same re-
suit by clubbing everything in skirts
nothing but ladies. However, let not
the reader suppose that l speak for all
New York, for L have met quite num-
Der who seem to differ with these mod
ern disciples Of Benjamin.
At the Mills after-dinner speeches, or
even remarks between nlouthfuls, are
not considered fashionable; and, in
fact, the troublesome habit of eating is
apparently looked upon with more
grimneSS than pleasure though just
why was unable to discover. Certain
it is that while the viands are not Of
such a character as to make one drunk
or fashionably dyspeptic, an exactly
contrary effect Is never aimed at. Ney-
ertheleSs, everybody seems to eat with
the air of an Empire State express,
and as though they imagined that the
semi annual pension line was waiting
for their place at the table. This is a
phase of restaurant life which l have
not even observed at Dement'S.
Supper over, l strolled up the broad
marble stairway with a heterogeneous
assortment of guests. The restaurant
is in the basement, and one flight up
from the street brings me to the half
dozen cmolxing and reading-rooms. The
walls of these spacious and fully AIDE
quate apartments are tiled, while the
floor is marble. You then look for the
ceiling; as your eyes scale the white,
glistening walls you are startled to find
that the ceiling is the roof ten stories
up from where you stand. The skylight
there furnishes daylight for tier upon
tier of little windows, and each window
marks a room. Just now the light is
furnished by hundreds of electric in
candescents that branch out at regular
intervals up the four sides of this
magnificent abyss, and it is reflected
and beautified by the glistening white
walls.
Ones attention, however, is soon di-
verted from the building to the throng
of men about on all sides-the guests
They are for the most part seated
around little tables in groups and en-
I
are engaged in conversation or porting
over some book or newspaper. One does
not have to observe very closely to be
struck with the apparently high stand
ard; comparatively, of intelligence that
prevails. The clothing, it is true, is
most generally seedy and out of date,
though it also occasionally tells a very
evident tale of better days for its
owner.
1t does not require close study for a
student of human character TO see that
many Of the elderly men before him
were deferred only by dispositions too
rowing or Bohemian perhaps TO make
a financial success of life. Certainly if
facial expression counts for anything;
If demeanor can be at all considered,
then many were and are possessed of
knowledge above the average, both of
the world and of books. There is one
man Of melancholy but strong visage
playing silent game of cards. Those
who have seen portraits of the once ia
nous Frank Forester would be
struck by the close resemblance. An
elderly man, who looks like a Bishop.
is talking near by to bearded individ-
ual strongly resembling our Senator
Platt, and so on indefinitely How much
one is reminded in this place of the trite
sentiment, "A crank is but unsuccessful
genius; genius a successful crank"
AS / strolled, could not help nursing
the possibly pessimistic thought that
many Of these men possessed, or de-
ceived themselves into thinking they
possessed. the subtle source of inspira-
ton. and that attempting to develop ii
under unfayorable or supposed unfa