The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-02

wondering at his stupidity, but now a 4
beginning to understand what big
world in itself is Broadway.
Bowling along up the street I peered
through the car window and tried to de-
cipher the names on the fast-hying
house fronts. It seemed a long time be-
fore we sped past q building on which
I could catch only the word "hotel." I
got off at the next corner, walked back
half a block and entered the Broadway
Central. The Office was crowded with
men, who politely pushed aside as I
made my way to the desk.
VERY sorry but we have not a room
left" was the more than decisive an
swer that I received to my question.
do you know Of any place whereI
| could find a room? 81 I asked.
you might try next door" was the
! Indifferent reply, but next door, at the
/ Bay State hotel, heard the same story
/ about being all filed UP and so on. once
more was turned out into the steret.
1t was now / o'clock in the morning,
and Broadway, at least that part of it,
was quite deserted There was no police
man anywhere in sight Every once in a
while a cab ratified along, some Of them
empty, some filed with people. The few
minutes that stood on the curb waiting
for a car seemed hours. I asked the con-
ductor to let me of at the next hotel.
This was the sinclaire and was not far
away.
Here, too. they were filed to overflow
ing, the night clerk assured me. Couldn't
they give me some place to sleep in the
peE1or, I begged. sofa would do, 7 as
sured them. For was by this time
ready to drop with fatigue. But no;
there was not one single place where
they could store away little body ike
me who did not weigh quite a hundred
pounds.
The next place 7 tried for admission
was the st. Denis, some distance further
up Broadway. They were all very polite.
I told long story here; how I came in
on late train. The clerk asked me
why had not tried to get a train into
New York earlier IN the evening, and
told him about riding to the station on
the pedler wREon and how the pedler
wagon had been overloaded. He directed
me to the Young Women's Christian As
soeiadoAs on East Fifteenth street, to
which I walked
until I WAS tired, and then suddenly re-
membered that even II they did come to
the door I would not be able to get in
there, as my pastors letter was packed
away IN my trunk at the station. Any
how, couldn't raise anybody at that
hour, and walked back to Broadway
and down across Union Square to the
Morton house.
But here again they were filed to over
flowing, and here again I explained my
situation, but to no purpose. They recon- |
mended that I try the st. Denis or the
St. Clair and when told that those places |
were filed to overlooking they recon-
mended that I should continue my way
further up town.
The next place where simply begged (
for shelter was the Fifth avenue hotel /
BY this time I was not only very tired |
and sleepy. but was nervous and faint. |
I had a terror of sinking down in the |
street, and I was afraid to ride in a /
cab, as we country girls associate those !
with all manner of terrible |
crimes. Besides, I could not afford such |
an extravaganza.
There wasn't so much as a cot or sofa |
for me at the Fifth Avenue, and they did /
not know where 7 could even get a. cup |
Of coffee at that hour of the night. 7 |
walked in next door to the Hotel Abe
marie. BY that time it seemed the most /
natural thing in the world to walk up /
to bland, smiling gentleman behind a /
counter and ask him for a place to sleep. |
I did it mechanically, just like after a |
few weeks get to call the roll at school. /
I was so weary that ] could not remem-
Der any time in my whole life when I
hand not been begging a. place to sleep.
I had reached that point Of exhaustion
when I would have gladly laid my head
down on stone had I only the stone.
But it was here as elsewhere-no room.
At the Hoffman House my story was
told all over again, and the same old
story was told me in reply. I was di-
rected to the Gilsey House; from there
to the Imperial; thence to the Sturde-
want; to the Metropolitan. was walking
now-wollng because it was the only
way I could keep awake. I stopped a
man on the street and asked him if he
knew where there was any place could
find a room to sleep. He stared at me in
blank amusement. believe now that he
thought I was either crazy or intoxi-
Gated.
AT last 7 reached the junction Of
Broadway and Sixth avenue at Thirty
fourth street. Ny satchel now weighed
a ton. and dropped it on the pavement
beside me so as to rest for a few minutes.
These few minutes were the first oppor-
tunity I had had of taking a survey
Of New York, and it was here that I
first caught glimpse Of the elevated
railroad. How surprised and how dis
appointed I was nobody knows. 1t
seemed so low. SO near the ground, and
had always pictured the elevated iail-
road as a structure of almost unmeas-
urable height. I had expected to see ali
OF nearly all the houses at least ffteen
stories high. and the elevated road. had
been led to believe from all I had read
ran on a level with the top stories OF
these buildings
rs that your bag madame?" a gruf
voice demanded, and looking up i cav
policeman surveying me. you want to
watch out or you'll be robbed. What
are you doing here anyway. out at this
time Of night?" are you waiting for a
carp
Although his voice was stern. his man
1er was kind. repeated my story 10
him at great length, but at the finish he
shook his head.
I'm afraid I cannot do anything for
YOU. except TO send YOU around to the
Tenderloin police station. The matron
there might be able to fix You UP for
the night"
At the mention Of the word Tenderloin
my heart almost stopped beating. A sort
IF nameless terror seized me. No. of the
two, preferred to walk the streets all
the remainder Of the night rather than