The suburban citizen., 1900-11-10
DOORS OF A GREAT CITY
NEW YORK STREETS CHARACTER
IZED BY DIFFERENT SMELLS.

The smells of New York are much
more distinct than many of its other
characteristics. Some of them are not
altogether unpleaslng, though all Of
them, since they appeal to the most
neglected sense with which man is en-
dowed, are least Of all noticed by those
who take them into their nostrils.
Probably the least mindful person
has noticed that to certain streets a
character is lent by odors. Barclay
street has the sweet luxurious odor Of
perfumery. West Chambers street is
often redolent with sugary fumes of
candy-making establishments. Wash
ington street transports one to the
fruit-lands Of California, and further
down, to the vegetable gardens of
Long Island. West Houston street
smells Of "heef extract West Fulton
street of chickens, and East Fulton
street of fish Water street is Invest
ed in a Cuban perfume of tobacco,
which, below Wall street gives way
to the rank smell of raw sugar,
coffee and tea. Maiden Lane. near the
river, has an aroma Of spices Old
South street smells like the pine for
ests Of the Carolinas with oakum,
pitch and tarpaulin sailor-wear. John
street. near William, is sweet smelling
with sachet powder and soap, Beck
man street smells of leather, and
Newspaper Row of printers ink
The process OF making perfumery
consists in spreading a pure pomade
in layers on glass shelves in a spe-
cially constructed apparatus, in which
are placed masses Of flowers accord
ing TO the perfume desired When the
pomade is saturated, it is sealed and
taken to the laboratory Of the per-
fumer, where the fragrance is dis
TILED. 1t is this process Of distillation
which accounts for the Odor of roses
and jasmine and heliorope Of yiolets
and the bolder perfume of cologne and
amber lavender, which greets one on
entering Barclay street. But not alone
perfumery makes it thus, for the street
is lined on both sides with stores
whose stock-in-trade is imported from
far-off-lands, with the strange, aro-
matte smells Of the tropics clinging
to the cases, and fantastic Oriental
merchandise, with the odor Of sandal
wood and musk about il. And it is
natural, when one has passed these
stores with their cellars full of pun
gent smelling wares, that one comes
into a small district at West Broad
way where spices and the aroma of
coffee swim on the breeze Thousands
Of people walk through Barclay street
daily in going to the Ninth avenue
station of the elevated railroad and
and find it not unpleasant
To one on n hunt for grateful
smells, nothing viii be found more re
freshing and delicious than the fruit
market on Washington street.
The fruit is on the sidewalk, and
everywhere. torn open for the first
time after its long Journey from exotic
climes. Lemons from Sicily, with
clear yellow compilations, and oranges,
Of n darker hue called Valencia" but
grown in California, lend their sharp,
biting smell to foil the smooth SAVIOR
Of the Malagas, Tokays and Muscats,
the red-cheeked Crawford and Sal
way peaches, the luscious ripe Bart
lett pears, and the purple-faced italian
prunes, and Hungarian plums. The
fruit man can give the names of many
apples-greenings and pippins, alex
anders," and Detroit Reds'-and of
the canteloupes, which, perhaps, are
the sweetest smelling Of all.
The wares Of Washington street soon
change into vegetables, and the strid- !
ent smell Of onions and cabbages be- |
gins to smite the nostrlls. Easements |
begin to display signs, whose purport
is that new Dill pickles, sauerkraut |
and tamarlnds may be both smelled
and bought within Not until one
reaches the honest, sticky atmosphere
Of a molasses warehouse opposite the
Washington street school, does one
leave this market garden place.
Water street and Front street tell
their story in a few breaths. The
amount of tobacco handled by COM
mission merchants in these streets is
immense, Up in the lofts sallow-
faced people may be seen rolling the
Cuban weed into cigars and cigarettes
AS one goes south, the tobacco houses
give way to coffee and tea. The roast
ing of the pale-colOred kernels from
Maracaibo, Bogota, and Santos is
done in this district, and all that is
strong goes into them and out of them. |
The fine Java and Sumatra coffees
have gathered strength and color in
the hold Of a sailing vessel since they
were shipped in April. The costly
washed Mexicans" are handled side
by side with the humble Rio, and the
odor which results from their roasting
is strong and omnipresent-in strange
contrast to the coarse, damp smell Of
the sugar. 1t invades the confines Of
other streets, and Overcomes the
piquant insinuating Odor Of spices