The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-23
HUHAY NATURE IN NEW YORK.
neanse.s the Rare Exception aud Kind Gen
erosity ChAra cite ristic.

crosby ChAracteristic.
To THE EDIroR or THE SUN-St: A few
days ago. walking on lower Broadway. was
witness 10 Ascene that was new to me, although
a soJourner In the 10 er city for the past seven
teen years. A bluecoat was making hs Gus
tomary onslaught on a Greek fruiterer AID tbs
latter, hurriedly obeying the oommsnos TO get
a move on" spilled a quantity OF nne Georgia
peaches. which the Ramins gathered IN
promptly.
In the face OF the threatening advance OF the
policeman the push-carter made no delay ~
recover his lost property, but maintained MS
portion at the helm Of his craft.
What was my surprise, whil' tho urchins were
gathcrirg UP the fallen fruit, TO see a NUMBER
Of wrll-clothcd men, "a they passed other way
help themselves liberaRy Of tho fruit stu upon
the retreating cart,
Now, | have been "A witness 10 HUNDREDS OF
typical New York street scenes, but l nm glad
10 state that | never saw tho like OF this In this
great city. l have seen many street CROWDS
that wers very sympathetic and helpful TO all
sorts and conditions Of people In distress. and 1
have often seen street arabs snatch fruit from
a pedlcr's cart, but never before did ! see
grown-up men-wel-d dressed men-deliberately
raid a poor wretch who falls into trouble by the
wayside. The amazement and indignation
which | felt was mingled with the hope That
these mean-spirited creatures were not oltnons
OF the metropolis, but strangers from NOWHERE
where they grow things without souls.
But / hasten TO assure you that this incident
did not convert me to the theory that man
originated In mud and ooze, and that he VIII
hgrk back TO his Paleozoic slime on the slightest
pretext. / have seen too much OF human life
not 10 believe that ineff able meanness Is eIcep-
tional. and that the natural disposition OF nan
II 10 be generous and helpful TO those overtaken
by misfortune, great or small. How else sre We
70 Interpretive uprising OF our real selves IN
the facs Of such crises as that OF the Chicago
fire, the famine ia India and the Galveston ey-
Clone2
kingdom 10 show that fraternity, good viii ana
kindness are normal and that meanress y de-
generacy. | VIII give a fow tnstanoeso OF what
believ TO be characteristics OF the typical Nsw
Once saw a policeman make a rush for a line
of sidewalk vendors. One untortinate ioI-
Ills haste St To- esc CAPE Stumbled and ifiorI, cutting a
painful cash in hIs knee and scattering his en-
sfIrs stoGs q 6at,oPs over q vide a r. in !, h, he
wound. teeped " realize the lmninence OF 3
Frestsr m isIortnns in The loss Of hi. entire stock
In trade and began Practically TO grope for them.
declaring in hls distress that he had paid out
$40 for his goods. Immediately q score OF
passersby were aiding in the search. ps'slug
smashing the I'm d%.reilcts, and although I
watched narrowly I do not think a butto. was
nurloIned ONCE boys American District Iels11
brought their finds 10 the enptisd tray, and the
bleeding street merchant lfmpsd away oon-
That Is what a long residence among New
Workers has . ught me 70 be their normal at
titude : ,srd their fellows IN distress.
study. TIYissIdd down a Xye-dollsr note. he tlcke,
window Of the city Hall eley,ted sta ion and
change. After Riding ts Harlem / came 0 The cpd
SStrmH. S ana 1Saur r.s&Esea the ssr S@i.sf on, S T.tfns t & ,@e
to The ticket sei or. but before I had hal hnishsd
out came 4 small msnIis envelope naked
;.;S' With nth tHs n ST,c :pS d m NS% SSi3 II Esa Sstn
OF character and bushes, methods, apd i is
typical Of the great city, hecau-e typical OF Its
people IS units 81 the vhci.
One mornlng when the snow vas 20 dep that
the early ~,rivsllsI hurried along IN the car
tracks. and the cold 40 severe that tho spar
rows p.rshed BY tbou:.nd. a citizen picked up
a b:numb.d .psrEcw hutt.ri.. on the Icy rail-
| Before entering he tran he asked on. Of the
and later IN the DAY, when it could ~, l.ii. g!
and tie I s.tu riimp.s ~ the c;'tissn wa. TIE sGSsSt
~ the warm-hsarted rsilrosder. breathing on
the bird in bis olossd hands, and thea stovinR y
away in his bosom 20 warm II back to lie and
That, I say, &, the attitude Of me typical New
| and th. an.ver Witch the merctful rail- oader
gave 10 the arpssl 10 aid and rescue the diving
sparrow New York city has Even with equal or
greater heartinsss 10 the singularly smitten
metropolis Of the lone Star State.
Whosoevsr act. other wise IL Of q type foreign
to this locality, and bis conduct disgraoes the
city which shslter. him.
Yet everv New Yorker reflect, Ike Paul. that
ne is q citizen Of no mesn city. and live M to
our ideal nv scorninr such, acts 2. rId'ns the
meane store Of a fruit pedlor because q
policeman has got after him.
GEoRdE W. D%rTHBIDoR.
NKw YonK, Sept. II.