The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
.CRANKS AT THE CITY HALL.
THE RAPID TRt>SIT TINNEI BRINGS
O\ IkISH ~ PPII.
Kound,msn ksnn~ll'- Long Experience N
HANDLING Peculiar People The Hot Air
Propulsion Man The woman who Comes
for the Rent The Queen Of Heaven Walton.

Propulsion Man The woman who Comes
for the Rent The Queen OF Heaven visitor.
tranks of all degrees Of crank ness call Al the
cay Hall every day n the ear, No one except
Roundsman Kennel, who guards the entrance
toi,h" MaNor's office, has any means of compute
ing heir number, and they keep him so busy that
h. has no time 10 count them. Sometimes they
come IN couples and sometimes ~ droves. bue
usually they appear alone ana alwayst IN a hurry.
Since the contract for the construction Of the
rapid transit tunnel wHsnlgned there has been Q
constant stream Of men who want the plans
changed, or Who suggest new and original
method, Of doing the work, or for propelling the
| trains when the tunnel i completed. These
! cranks are easily disposed ut, FOR Contractor
Mcdonald has al on, ~" At the Jerome Park reser.
yoir. where he cant b- found, and all rapid
transit Cranks are told 10 SO ny there.
Long practice has made l;oundsman Kennel
and Policeman Roche, his rDglt hand in dealing
with them expert IN detecting n crank and deal.
ing with him. Only once nJhe last five years
has it been necessary for them 10 use force IN
ej.cling an uuw.lcome visitor. That was dur
ing Mayor Strong's term. The Board Of Ests-
mate and Appor,ionment Uas IN session. and
IA dlgniiied. gra y-bearded man entered The oficv.
NJ. had he outward appearance of a man who
wanted to have the board do something. and
no one questioned ms right Ia enter the
ONCE No sooner had N. go, inside, how
ever. than he announced that Comptrol.
Ter Fitch had defrauded him and had sl,0O. 900
of his money. lie announced this in .
| loud voice and started for the Comptroller
rs though he intended TO shake the money out
Of ms pockets on the spot, Kennel caught
HIM before he reached Mr.. Fitch, and found that
the crank Was strong and determined. The
roundsman bore him 10 the floor, bu, he had TO
have assistance to get him ont Of the office. BY
the time the two reached the corridor the
roundsman was about knocked out, and the
crank was rs lresh as when the fight began.
This man wa locked ny N the insane ward a.
Bellevue Hospital.
The rapid transit Crank- usually carry long
rolls Of blue prints. in which their IDEAS Of how
the work should b. done are set forth at great
length, with many curves and stra ,ght lines.
Most Of these are men well dressed and with
some knowledge Of eng neering. One man,
who wears "A tall hat with the nap brushed tho
wrong way, has called Il dozen times since Feb.
ruary. lie II very Apologize IN his manner.
and ASKS Eoundsnan k"nueil To pardon him
for TAX ny NJ his tine
"lOu see, he usually begins, Il have in
vented a ~ STEM Of hot air propulsion Tor trains
n the proposed tuuupl, winch, as You doubt
les, know. Is now building wish TO
Law il before thr Mayor, aud to explain its
merits to hin. hecau,r am convinced that
hr VIII favor ~ adoption IN the interests of
ECONOMY and ir"e i'l'd transit. J VIII ex-
Then he coc~ on. with figures that run 10
the iilih decimal plac" and computations
that involve ar pressure. atmospheric re-
%.istanue on plane curved and angular surfaces.
kuundsman Kennel has heard This story 20
often that he knows il by heart FMS in
ventor j. ulwav~ told that Nr Mcdonald VIII
see. him al the jerome PHrh Reservoir. and
thank, hs Informant. itc does not remember
the roundsman from On" visit to another and
j. Away polite
who visits CITY Hail ON the last day OF every
month to collect the rents. She has visited
the Hall twelve tunes a year lor I'VE Year,,
makes straight for the Mayors onice. The
roilndsHian il ,eNprrllhs ne, au.u H..
"Good-day is her sniuiaIon Well I've
got IL ready. for need money very much tils
month II seems AZ though all my tenants
were hard ~ aud want time, but I'm always
sure that you will pay. How do you ike the
bullding?'
Nov, madam" ,ay> kenI"ll I'm sorry;
to you this month. The lease, you know;
says we shall pay YOU all that "" don't spend
Tor repairs, and think we've spent all this
month, rent III looh it M
He draw. u long account book from his desk
and runs his Tine ov'r I,.r
Yes. he SAWS, "ih'r". $50 i"r The roof.
II leaked and my new has Wa 'pulled ] got
a new one. II cost s.. llrn We had the win
dows all fixed ny. They needed IT, and that
COS, 81 We got some nrE Ho"r NAV; 700:
"A Navor to wine hs boots OH. They cost 81.
We paid for cleaning Ia" stops too That's
$50. 81. you see. and The rent i only $50. So
YOU owe Us $3.50. But you i'edn I mind pay
INK it now
Then there's nothing du" me-, asks the
rent collector. III does seem AS though you
are awful eNtrayaganr. .Butit', real kind Of
Won not 20 charge the $3.50 10 me. Try to
spend loss next month
She goes away SMILING ~ when she came.
The neyt visitor may hr the Queen Of Heaven.
She lives IN a city on the III dson River, and
al intei walls of about a ,nohlh comes 70 New
: held IN bondage by the MAYER She is gray
haired and not ~ cheerful a, the rent, collector.
She stands in front Of ''t ,t'sk al winch hem
nell sit and tells han all her woes She has
told the story a great many times, and Rounds
man Kennel knows u by hear,
Vow d'ari-, she usually SAYS. Or
begging your pardon. young man, want TO
SEE Ihr Mayor aud To ~ my husband.
and H. a wicked shame rha, the Mayor
me needing his help TO get along which, God
knows. l. hard enough without 4 body : husband
which should be- the b~readwlrner being kept
away nom her for Heaven knows how long.
Iu~i because Of q gTidge that the Mayor has
against ne. though don't know Why, and as de-
cent man Us he - whch all know who know him.
which l. Al many better man Nan nun as has
INN locked w here. il do say Il VITO. perhaps,
shouldn't but ought go know for know all abogs
il, and mean 10 hay" lllil now me lawu
tell me Why. and me- not know tE whether he's
alive or dead or murdered.
Bv The time the recital has ron" thus far,
The woman j. IN tcalN, and houhd'nan hennell
hns taken her bN the arm ana - leading her
down the corridor TO the "%nlrH'l''. II" explains
~ they 80 along that her H1i-lund was set az
liberty that morning aud started ~ once Tor
n> hone
Madam. he ,ays. your husband was. doubt-
less "A pas ru"er ON one at the trains which you
passed coming down b"I", "" MAS more than
An yiou- TO see Won and = now probably sitting
ON the doorstep waiting Your return. advise
Won 10 hurry home and -re Inn
THIS speech usually Gains IN" woman, the
last glimpse Of whom j. caught a. he climbs
HE stairs 10 the Third av"nn" elevated rail-
road OF men and women who b"'ioN" that the
city owe, money to thrm there - continual
stream. | -uRlly they soHNaN "I'i 'h"y are told
hat then cases are iud"i consideration, but
that nothing has been decided ~ Them ye,.
Sometimes a man turns ny Who wants money
and wuitS II without drIt These men ara
told to go to ONE pot ter uptown They grner-
Hllv 40 quietly. uUd n - u rare -lghj To 500 4
policeman escort m" Of them oUl 81 the hul'd-
Iug Most Of he" r"r.nU- who NHut money
20 ID the Finance DEPARTMENT however. and
do not bother ihr Oficials N tlly Hall.
Numerous p.ot- against ~" MAYORS HE are
disclosed TO lia policemen M IN oni," These
ulOtS are grrrralh reported hv lh" mld">t OF
all crauks. IT personal appearances count Tor
a%rvtiiug once Ii Young woman. Who showed
no trace, vi mental v'Hklr l'ld Eouudsman
Kennel n hloud-uurdlug yarn about n plot
~ blow ~ tin rntiG" ttl Hall PaIk She said
INIT size overheard he 'Ou~DIrl'Or- UlinS. and
th.r ~. felt n her dity 90 INFORM the Mayor.
Her manner was a. -Iu""T" ana I%oSitiv" That
the POLICEMAN questioned her about her story.
Where did Won hear thS' h. asked
i heard i a u dane" ~ u church ~'" r"pIled,
and would Won hc,ryc D. Dr pHrkhurst and