Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-11-14
MEN WHO PASS THEIR LIFE ON
THE ONE STREET.
THEIR LOYALTY PECULIAR
Sort of a Poetry About the Good Old
Lane Which Charms and Holds
Varying Moods of the Streets With
the Day and Season-Queer Types
of Men.

which says plainly, for years l
haven't been off the city pavements.'
All Of them will tell you, with no
have not been below Fourteenth street
in years. and, with the exception of
some few principal side streets, they
assert that during that time only
Broadway has known them. Just
what the tie is that binds the con-
frmed citizen of Broadway to his one
thoroughfare only those into whose
blood Broadway has entered may say.
mo, | couldn't tell you just why
love and live or Broadway" said one
Of a fashionable hotel on the Rialto,
''but this much l can say: I get my
living on Broadway. | spend my
money on Broadway All | have my
lodgings right above here. | never
go away for. the summer, and the
men of my set don't either. If the
day is warm there is always a breeze
on Broadway. And the trolley cars
make it Away spOssible to keep cool.
Then most of the people who go to
seaside resorts spend a good portion
of their evenings listening to violent
vaudeville shows which are of the
poorest description. Now, right here
on Broadway, if [ have any time of
that sort to spend, | can get the best
vaudeville, with all the accompani-
ments of cool breeZes and cool drinks
As a summer resort Broadway isn't
bad. Then in the cool of the evenings,
instead of associating with a lot of
strangers, as one is forced to do at
summer place, I merely stroll up the
line. My friends are spread out all
the way to Forty-fourth street. We
know each others habits so well that
it's only a matter of few moments
10 find any given person.
"Of course, the average man with
out imagination who comes but oc-
casionally in contact with the Broad
wager would say that the reason we
like the big, long street is because
we're lazy and the streets so con-
venient, with it's miles of assorted
wares. But there's something more
poetry about the good old lane. To
me Broadway has as many moods as a
woman, only they're not all feminine
moods, by any means, In the morning
when you feel like going out to battle
with the world, there's the rush and
roar of Broadway to set you on. Cars,
cabs and trucks beating their various
noises together make up a symphony
which loses little, even though it's
theme is buy and sell If a man were
totally without ambition, | believe if
he were set out on Broadway in the
morning he would be fired to do and
dare. Everybody is rushing some
where with a very definite purpose, to
judge from the bearing; so the loiterer
fels that it is no place for him, un-
less he has an aim. And if he hasn't
one, he speedily finds one Why,
even I, on a slack day, when | may
chance to stroll out on the old alley.
although l haven't the least bit of
business to attend to in the world,
suddenly find myself rushing off down
the street as though to keep al ap-
pointment with a railroad president.
And sometimes, just to keep in the
swim, [ find out some new bit of bust
ness to attend to, though when I
started l hadn't any idea of so doing
Thus Broadway adds to my susten-
ance.
But Broaway isn't all business. She
a IT. h.
ings she is given over to pleasure.
Smoothly drawn cabs take the place
of the commercial traffic. of the earlier
part Of the day. She is bright with
gay toilets, mems laughter and wo-
mems smiles, Up in the Tenderloin's
the theatergoers take possession for
d few hours. Then their sway is over.
Fiercer and more unrestrained be-
comes the mood of Broadway. From
the side streets float up and down the
alley snatches of coon songs which
originate in the intersecting street re-
sorts. Men in evening dress support
tipsy women to cabs Then the cool
night breeze of Broadway in the early
morning blows up. The loiterers and
pleasure-seekers disappear. Occasion
ally some party Of wellknown Broad !
way comedians lurch up the way to !
their hotels.
The fOrerunners of the days com
merce, the milkmen and newsboys. |
come Gathering around Then the |
days round of moods Is resumed. |
There is one mood, however, that |
comes to Broadway but once a week. !
If Rip Van Wrinkle were to wake up |
from 20-years' cat-nap on Broadway |
of Sunday afternoon, after staring
round a bit, he would exclaim: I don't |
know what this town is or who these |
people are, but it's Sunday afternoon
For on that afternoon Broadway
displays her gentlest mood. There is
no roar of traffic; commercialism, for
gotten, sleeps. Bright sunshine and
quietly moving crowds are the rule
People from the extreme east and west
sides Of the town make the. big wide
street their pleasure ground. OF
course in this town there are those
who prefer to walk upin Fifth avenue,
but the manor woman either for
that matter-with Broadway in his
veins doesn't quit the dear old street
simply because it's Sunday.
''Then there are certain annual
moods of Broadway whose infinite
charm time can not spoil. Election
night, for instance. On that occasion
people don't go to Fifth avenue to
celebrate, even if there are no street
;ar tracks on that thoroughfare. By a