The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-18
NEW YORK 4 GREAT TOWy.
A Wrinkle With the CITY Directory That
Impressed n Stranger.

New York is the greatest town On this cont
ncnt, ard ! don't know but II will crowd out any
thing on the other sidc,' said a man Of travel.
"ltut You srs a little behind in somo minor mat.
ters. ] was glad on a recent trip here To find that
onclit'lc detail h0d been added. Ihad moi thought
Of il before, bu, your New York man had worked
il out
Il had a friend hcre whose address had slipped
of my mental bump Of locality. OF course, the
City Directory was the only way ont and | went
into n drug store and asked il ! could see the City
Dirrctory. | have done this before, and always
bought y nickel's worth Of something, Just 20
make the npothecary feel that he wasn't paying
the entire amount for his book. This last time,
however. | found that the appthecnry had taken
compassion on such individuals a. myself lie
directed me 10 a box in tn" top Of which was a slot
| told me druggist I didn't wan, any chewing
gum lie informed me that il | dropped n cen,
in ,he slot the city Directory would appear and |
could mud my tr"nd's address,
what . thoughtful man, Only a New York
man could have worked out IN" idea. lhHd henri
that tho New York man was alert when the stran-
ger was around, but hero was a man who had An
arrangement by which ! saved four cents For II
l put in . penny FOR the privilege OF looking into
tho City Directory. Of course | would not be e1-
pnctcd To blow In q nickel for soda or gum or a
Whit Of eau de cologne.
But when | cumplimented the apOthccary on
his clever scheme to accommodate the public he
seemed To m!sconstrue my remarks, for he shut
the box and informed me that | was not expected
TO keep il open for NOR. than two minutes At a
time. However, l had my friends address, and
If the apothecary refused TO accept a compliment
l was not to blame,
AS stepped away from the box | saw a line Of
people headed for II. and | was amused and inter
est-d in the way the thing helped out trade that
day. one man who had the book for nearly thrrc
minutes complained that he couldn't find the
house and address he wanted. The chemist said
he didn't make the book. and the man must stand
back for the next The man insisted on another
look, and then it flashed upon him that he had
been examining the list Of Mes when he should
have looked for Mac. when he said so the chem
list replied:
81 oul have to take your place near the door
and come up again
For the same cent? asked the man.
"Not on your soda water existence" replied the
apothecary You have had ons throw At ii and
missed, and You've got Ia pay for every look
a woman came up and said her child had Just
met with an accident, and she would like to call a
doctor She hit the slo, and found the address,
and then call d up the medlClncman on the tele.
phone, and TINT cost ten cents, Of course. md the
doctor told her what to get and she bought the
article of the chemist, paying 90 cents, II | rrmem-
Der She was "A pretty good customer.
i fingered about the place until the line Of
people disappeared. | then told the chemist that
| hnd studied ~" scheme, and whllr ! appreciated
ali that be had done for the pubic | was afraid
he did not know whnta good thinC be had, and to-
convince him thatl was in earnest | offered 10 buy
a half interest in the box. Then he told me he
only got n commission on the thing, that II was a
patent | suggested 10 him then tina, he give me
thn privilege Of opening n branch in another cor
ncr II the store, offered ~ buy The directory
mysolf and get a box ! was satisfied there was
enough business in II for two. He said he could
not think 81 that
but I'll tell You what III do he said I'll
sell out tie drug store 10 you dirt cheap There's
nothing in II for me; but | have rs god q thing
as shall ever want in running this directory box
i liked the way the man talked. He is tho
up 10 date, high noon New Yorker Those are
the sort II men who are making New York attract
i've to strangers. lie is one II the many. But |
am thinking ut coming TO New YORK myself. |
have an idea am going 10 patent You know
the weather is always topic, My plan is to have
thermometers in public places. on the street cor
rerS and IN the cars, and even on the backs Of
church pewS SO that when q man wants 20
know whether II Is hot enough or cold enough
he can drop in q cent and find out Then the
next thing e. follow will be buying m the town
enybody wanting To know the time can learn by
dropping IN n penny People don't appreciate
tine now, and II they have Ia pay for II. II won't
furit aS much aS il dpes As said 10 Won, New
York IL the Place, only you need a few mor little
things 10 make 1t attractive to strangers"