The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-26
LIVE TOPICS AMOUR TOWN.

canadian nurses. Though this Ia officially
denied. rivalry OF this sort Is by no means a
new matter at ~. Luke's. where til, proportion
OF Canadians is greater than at any other hos
pital In the city. At times tho Canadians hnvo
~outnumberei the Americans there. Long DO.
forc tho institution moved from It's old
quarters on Firth avenue to Morningside
Heights tho nurses staff was pretty sharply
divided on lines Of nationality. and while the
discipline was too rigid 10 permit OF any
outbreaks OF actual bitterness personal
friendships between the American girls
and tho Canadian girls were very rare.
In spite 81 constant changes OF tho
personnel. this feeling persisted with all tho
iorco Of IA college tradition and at ono time
tale bearing was SO rampant between tho
factiOns-nOt without something very like con-
nivance on the part Of certain Of tho authorities
who could have put a stop to it-that the more
sensible nurses on both sides decided TO send
10 Coventry any girl who should thereafter bear
tales. and this measure shortly stamped out
the practice. hut not before much harm had
bcon done and no little injustice. AS TO tho
respective qualifications OF the two nationals
ties. physicians Of experience say that inc
Canadians are usually moro mature, when, they
| start In and are Therefore more dependable,
tut that the Americans are the more ready and
Hcquisitiye and that. there Ia certainly no
advantage IN general qualifications at the
time OF graduation on the side OF the glrls
cribed TO the superintendent of the, nurses.
who had Just lett ST, Lukc's, that, tho
Canadians como from better families and are
better bred than the American nurses would
probably not stand under investigation. Not
many years AGO there was at ono time and IN
ono ward At 81. luke's the daughter OF Il we'll
Western city. the, niece OF a, prominent and
able publisher in this city, and the daughter OF
Il family which is one Of the Oldest. wealthleSt
and most distinguished Of the early, Dutch
stock that peorled Manhattan Island, she her:
self he ny in the hospital under an assumed
name Tor fear OF yellow journal ensatlohaliSm
These three girls were known a. the hardest
workers ia the institution. Many young Ameri-
can women OF that class take IN hospital train
ing for the love Of il, and many others VINO
take 1t up from necessity are OF equally ROod
Uptown Brooklyn is suffering from It's sea-
sonal scourge Of beggars. This year they are
mostly women and they do their work between
q and 10 O'Clock at night. Many of them carry
babies around with them so many. In fact. as
10 rouse the suspicion that tho little ones are
hired "a indictments to charity. That the bus
mess OF hiring ont children TO beggars by tho
rrorrletors Of baby farms" has been carried
on In this city in past times is a known fact.
but TO obtain proot OF such tranlc il exceed
ingly difficult for the lolico. These women.
with the children tightly wrapped up In an old
shawl. work the residence districts. appealing
for aid withn story Of eviction for non-plymcnt
of rent. a husband out Of work or dead. and
other familiar tales Of want. gibly and mourn
fully told. one II this class recently got a
quarter from a hous"hOiJer upon representa-
ton that the tWo-ypar-O,l boy she held in her
arms was III and needed medicine, A week
later ho encountered her ononother street with
a > hill Af stnLF l.l1 fhA IN ~
IN her arms. a dark haired girl. where
as the alleged sick baby was fatr-haired,
Upon her uccosting him for aid he accused
her Of not being the mother OF the ch!-
dren. hut she was too ready 10 be caught
thus. The children were twins, she said. and
she had left the boy with a klnd-hearted friend
enough food for supper. Another very ingen-
ious haunter If The "Hill' rogion t. middle
aged wuman with an air ot faded. decency that
must he worth a good dea' to her. She does
not ask directly for money but stOpstho passer-
hy-always n. light with a request 10 te III
rccted to a certain address which she has ON a
piece OF paper. The address il always In some
far part Of the town. south BROOKLYN, for in
stance. Uppn learning this she begins TO be-
moan herself quietly upon being inst IN a
strange place without any car fare This COM
monty brings iorth ut least iive cents which she
accepts with mingled protests and thanks, The
police dread those women brsEar- because
they are savage nGhtcrs when arrested,
lie must have little 10 10 who does that"
runs the Scotch saving, and one is constantly
reminded Of II in the action Of the crowds that
gather around "a place where any public core
monial Is 10 occur. Whatever business they
may have seems susceptible Of indefinite post
ponement in favor Of the most trivial matters.
A day or two before the opening ceremonies
Of the Rapid Transit tunnel. a narstonc was
lifted in front Of the City Hall. quito a large
,r,u.I trnthnfal around 10 Untpl. II might
have been supposed thai after the work was
over thoy would 60 away. but one of tho City
Hall officials put up a Machiavellian scheme to
hold them there. In the turning up Of the
stone "A little pile Of dirt had been raised. The
politician went ont there. pushed his way
through the crowd and stuck into that dirt plIa
a fake 500 g;reLha"k one ot the KIND that
is used "a an advertisement " tobacco. II
was obviously Il LOCUS GhI ana nobody
could mistake 1t for anything else;
nevertheless il Immediately became "A centre
Of the most lively interest for that crowd. The
People pushed and prrrri and hustled each
other IN their efforts to get a better view Of il.
The politician went away. IN" wnrkmen who
had been DONG the work went away. bur tho
dirt pie and the bit o;,green paper remained,
and So did the crowd. Evidently the principle
of that crowd wa- IF NOTHING happens wait
until son, thinG does happen" An hour later
The Official came back. ~" crowd was rtil
there not precisely the sane crowd perhaps.
hut ut least the heirs o! the Original crowds
curiosity. brlng lnWi.IllG 10 Keep 'nhil ttert
all niGht and seeing that they wor" unable to-
tear themselves way from the Vaccination. tina
contriyrr Of the schnmo went ont aud rrCpy-
cred hI, fake bill. There was one final push
md hustle. inspired by the belief that at last
something was haI prninR,. aud then the gath
ering llugeringly dl~persed.
In the liycly rivalry for custom among the
Bowery concert hall dives n curious occupation
has sprung up for the Bowcry hahgcr-on who
seeks his livelihood In more or loss dubious
ways about the resorts Of that thoroughfarc.
This is 10 stand on the sidewalk outside tho
resort or st at a front table inside clad in an
Army or avy uniform and act as lure for Uncle
Sans soldier and sailor boys, who spend much
Of their money in that region. Dear to the
heart Of the Bowcry is the American Tommy
Atkins. for he comes not there except when
no Ia, money and SO long rs he has money
will he stand treat with generosity. Hence. to
make the place seem home.like and give It an
air Of comraacship the management hires r
dummy soldier or sailor or both. this em-
p!oycc being known iptthe parlancc of The re-.
ginn a. a friendly. Most ot the friondllrs'
are not such ~ could be- mistaken by any
body who preserved "A respectable DECREE
Of sohri"ty n. having ever been Under
occasionally the fortunate diye-keeper
may get hold 81 an eN-hlgh-p private in hard
luck, in which cas-" h" i. willing to put ny
something above the regular Irice Of EN- plOy-
ment. Asa rule. however. tho friendly" Is Of
the lowest c,ns- 81 men and ia Glad TO serve FOR
the drinks he can pick up and a very small per
the patron. of the place HIS duties are sim.
ulr. lie IL 10 he hail fellow well met with all
soldiers and sailors, aud under the r%rctonce #
friendship 10 iuritr them to the purchase 81
drinks, Also h. has often private contracts Of
an rven less reputable Kind with the women
who frequent th" place. In rlsrn 81 truahl" be-