Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-12
ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK.
RippIes on the Current OF Life in the
Metropolis.


Metropolis.
The cart-tail orator has become a cam
paign fixture in the crowded sections Of the
city. Efforts were made to dispense with
this form Of electioneering last month, but
the rival parties we're suspicious Of each
other and the oratory plowed on in in
creased volume. Practical politicians do
not value It highly. They have come to re-
gard It as a means Of disburslng money in
a direction where money must 60 in one
form or another. The teamster, the wagon
owner, the four-ply band, the orator and
the torch bearers each get a handout. They
are kept busy night after night and give
some return for the money, besides being
kept out OF reach Of the opposition. The
orators have no easy time, especially when
they turn loose in an opposition district.
Generally the annoyance consists OF harm
less missiles and cat calls, though OCCASION
ally a knock-down argument enlivens the
proceedings. On one occasion a booty inter-
rupter attempted to swipe the speakers
coat.
IF you don't quit your nonsense and get
out OF here" said the speaker to him
sharply, "Tll tell you what you are and
who you are. right in front OF this crowd.
I'll do It anyway he shouted as his tor
menter sneered at him. II call the atten-
ton OF the police to what I am about to
say. / defy this mar TO deny the charges
or to undertake to defend himself from II
In court"
Everybody BY this time was paying at
tention to the speaker. He leveled a long,
lean finger of accusation and yelled:
You are. and I can prove that you are,
a gregarious p~rotoplasm OF inebriety!"
The crowd was silent for a moment. Then
1t yelled with delight as 1t saw that the in
terrupter did not dare to deny the awful
charge. He, conscious, perhaps, of offences
against society which he thought him from
public knowledge, skunk back, lodged the
eye of the police and made for sheltering
darkness, while the orator watched him
with triumphant contempt.
Say, mister" remarked one Of the audi
ence who had been the loudest Of those
who laughed at the insults that the inter-
rupter had thrown at the speaker. you
had him right that time. l know he done
that, an the police oughter have locked
him up fer 1t when he did It, tree years
ago."
1T is the men who commit such I'M
mentionable crimes as that which I have
distantly indicated by the Language he
forced me to use," said the speaker, that
make UP the party opposed to us. And
now, my friends"
And he launched into his harrangue at
full length.
Another class Of orators have appeared
east Of the Bowery this year, according to
the Sun, and these are even more attrac-
tive to the wanderer in search of strange
sights and sounds than are the battalion Of
c~art-tail speakers. These are the boy
| nrafora - IIffIa - 20 n.a &c n,d
the ages between go about dragging with
them as big a box as they can handle. They
set this down and mount 1t wherever the
prospects of an audience seem promising.
Sometimes the orator will have a number
of affectionate satellites who carry along
for him a huge packing box and boost him
to the top when speech making times come.
These boys apparently have been members
Of some Of the many debating clubs which
are fostered by the social settlements Of
the neighborhood.
At any rate, they discuss the most for
midable economic and international ques-
tions with the utmost freedom. They never
lack for words and an opinion and are
ever ready to quote John Stuart Mill and
Herbert Spencer in defense Of their theo-
ries. They seldom descend to mentioning
candidates for Offices. They are content to
Oh 7" III hSli Opihiuh nv SOdl lin
ought to have been settled and how those
who are interested in revising the tariff
ought to proceed.
They have, as a rule. much more atten-
tive and respectful audiences than do the
push-cart men and are regarded with some
thing like superstitlous generation by
fathers and mothers and grandparents, who
listen to them with open-mouthed delight.
A magnificent addition to the educa-
tional facilities Of New York City will be
made when the plans formed by the New
York Historical society shall have been
completed. A building is to be immedi-
ately erected fronting on Central park from
the west and running from Seventy-sixth
to Seventy-seventh streets. This is to be
hsed as a library, museum and headquar-
tiers for this rich, old and useful organi-
zation. The library will have a capacity
Of 1858, 900 volumes and will be adjoined by
a reading room and two large picture gal
leries. There will be an auditorium ca
pable OF seating over 400 people, a smaller
lecture room, reception rooms, ETC.. all
on the first floor. The museum and a
manuscript room will be on the second
floor. Rooms for special study will occupy
the third floor. The cost OF the building
will be 100000.
There are probably no mercantile estab-