Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-06-23
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Rain Record In the Metropolitan Dis.
trtct Business and tho War Spir.
tt-A Touching accident.
Especial Corresponoence.l

The two WIS have knocked business
silly" said an acquaintance of the
writer the other day. 1.-THE war and
the weather have thrown us behind so
far that it will be impossible for us to
catch up this year. Building, except In
side finishing and outside repairs, has
been suspended or postponed until after
the summer, and orders placed in March
and April have been countermanded by
the dozens in our business. He Is
wholesaler and jobber of paints and
painters supplies, and it is undoubted-
ly true that his trade amounted to al
most nothing, in the Atlantic coast ter
r1tory at any rate, during the month OF
May. Added to the feeling engendered
by the war the unusually rainy weather
has simply paralyzed his business and
has seriously damaged others. All wealth
er records have been smashed as COM
pletely as Dewey smashed the Spanish
fleet at Manila. The rainy days out
numbered the fair ones in May by more
than three to one, and of 80 days, be-
ginning with March 1, we had in the
metropolitan district 70 rainy days.
Everything in the city excepting the
peoples patriotism has been under
cloud for weeks.
The War Spirit.
The war spirit has been too strong for
the dampening influences of even such
deluges Of rain as we have had. The de-
lay in bringing things to a head in Cuba
has been its wettest blanket and 1t
would be an error to say that the people
have not perspired and steamed under
that. But they have lined the streets
and crowded to the piers by thousands,
notwithstanding the downpour of rain
on several occasions, to bid the soldier
boys EN- route from Camp Black and
Peekskill for Florida and Chickamauga
an enthusiastic farewell and good speed.
Wet and bedraggled flags have slapped
and dripped in the saturated wind, and
the sidewalk merchant who deals just
now in pins, buttons and other en-
blems has shown his contempt for an
aged adage and has been making hay
when the sun refused to shine. The
rainy season may be bad for carrying
on war in Cuba, but it would take an
old time flood to make the biggest part
of New York haul in its horns.
Big Demand For "Uncle Sans"
Any very tall, thin man with an an
gular cast of countenance now acting as
volunteer in the army Of the unem-
ployed can get "a more lucrative job in
any one of hundred places, provided
he be well over six feet in height. AL
most any of the small clothing firms
will take him, dress him up as Uncle
Sam, affix a chin beard to his lower
jaw and start him out in business as
walking advertisement. According to
his natural physical adaptability to the
part. he can make from s to SO day,
and there is one personifcation of the
national type now parading the streets
who is said to get So day, and he GER
tainly earns it if suitability for the part
is the criterion. Although clothing
firms chiefly affect this style of adver-
Using, other lines of business have re-
Gently adopted it, and one nationally
Respondent Yankee carries fireworks
advertising banner, another bears aloft
the announcement Of a bargain sale in
flags, while others parade for soap, pat
ent foods and sporting goods. 1t is even
said that one firm has runners out along
the Bowery and Eighth avenue in the
lodging house districts with orders to
capture and convoy to port any and all
persons of the proper build, holding
them up with broadsides of inducements
If necessary.