The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02

$50 boys. They would pretty comfortably
crowd Il.
IL Is dih1oult TO realize the extent Of
the enormous daytime population OF the
Wall Street district. II Ia crowded with
great. intricate hives Of Office buildings,
all OF which are deneely populated. The
largest oi1ce buildings In the world are to
be found within a stones throw OF the
Exchange, and many OF them have long
waiting lists Of would-be tenants.
The natural congestion on the surface
Is increased by the unusual narrovness
Of the streets thereabouts. Many Of them,
though lined with twenty-story structures,
are little more than alleywsys.
Should all the inhabitants Of the great
buildings on Wall Street, near Broadway,
chance, for instance, TO leave their Offices
at the same instant there would only be
standing room for about one-fourth OF them.
In other words, the population OF Wall
Street, between Broadway and Broad street,
would be sufficient to n. the street four
times over. The fatal providing Of the
famous Black Hole Of Calcutta seems trifing
by comparison.
The enormous volume OF mail matter
Of all classes which lnds It's way In and
out OF the Wall Street district daily Ia
another striking indication Of it's tremen-
dous activity. Tho average business MAJ
throughout this section receives his mail
every day by eighteen different deliv eries.
A delay Of cay thirty minutes in delivering
a letter is likely TO be a far more serious
matter In tho Street than q similar loss
of n day or two In Amos. any other business
activity.
The efforts Of the postal authorities TO
satisfy this demand are unequalled In any
other part Of the country. In a single
building on Broad street. with a fronta &c OF
less than forty feet, there are, for example,
three letter carriers constantly buaied de-
livering the mail.
And the letter boxes 10 be found at every
corner are absolutely inadequate for hold
ing the mails. Every building Of any pre-
tension, and there are scores Of them. has
one or more mail ohutes extending from
the first to the twentieth floor, or what
ever It may be. which are in constant use.
1t has become something Of an axiom
that men In Wall Street have no time even
to eat. And this Is literally true - far
as the regular business hour Of the day
are concerned. From 10 to Q. while Change
is the centre Of so many revolving dollars.
the great majority Of brokers never eat.
49, Nv ~ n WV a
But the population Of Wall Street u 90
enormou that restaurants are naturally
an important feature Of its daily life. The
financial district Ia so bounded with great
rivers, so far removed from the residence
section that every one Is dependent upon
the public dining rooms.
There are restaurants at every turn, on
the roofs Of sky-sorapers. In cellars far
halou- the afraat Laval or in tha tptaHora ~
great buildings far removed from any pos
sible daylight. There are restaurants to
cater TO every taste and every pocketbook.
The millionaire dimes In restaurants
famous the world over whose very m arc
household words. The man who has lost
practically his last dollar. the ofios boy
or the bootblack are served with dishes
tor a few cents alongside the dining clubs
so crowded is every one for space.
The most picturesque feature Of the
street is the uriou open-air pushcart
restaurants. Nowhere else are they to be
found in such variety.
They are arranged with stoves and boilers
in winter and with ice In summer, and they |
Offer limitations more or less palatable Of |
practically every dish Of the expensive
restaurants and for one or two cents. seldom
more.
It L. the t~ime-honored custom for the
carts 10 assemble In the side streets leading
into Broad street, near the Stock Exchange, |
Just before noon. At the first stroke Of
the clock they all start in one mad rush
TO gain the most advantageous positions. |
Not infrequently a cart is overthrow
In the hurry and a literally free lunch Ia |
scattered about the street.
The menus Of push carts are amazingly
varied. You may enjoy a variety Of sau-
sages, cooked to order and served hot,
FOR a cent. The waffle wagon, from which
this pastry IL served with sugar or eyrup
at a cent a portion, ia one of the oldest
contributors to the bin OF fare.
Other wagons make specialties OF soups, |
still others serve some vegetable, such as
hot corn In the season. The desserts are
offered in even greater variety than the
more stable dishes, and one is simply be-
wildered by such delicacies as Ice cream,
water Ices. pies, cakes and puddings. Hun
dreds are to be seen daily crowded about
the push carts.
Not the least important detail Of the
mechanism Of Wall Street is its elaborate
system of detective protection. A very
effective dead line has been established
at Fulton street for years, beyond which
no crook known TO the police. nor even
suspicious-looking person, Is allowed TO
pass.
As an additional precaution a soore or |
more Of Central Office detectives are con- |
stantly on guard at the principal entrances
10 the financial district. They usually !
congregate near the United States Treasury /
building at Broad and Wall streets.
Millions of dollars are constantly being
carried past this point. The money comes |
in gold, packed in sacks and carried by |
the ton in steel wagons; it is brought down
town in cabs or carried in ordinary travelling |
bags or in tho pockets Of the crowd which
constantly pours into Wall street
Such a thing as a hold-up il unknown.
A cry for help in the financial section would
instantly bring a formidable force Of armed
detectives 20 the spot,
Tic men Who stand guard here can usu-
ally tell from their ne c-perience when