Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-06
ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK.
RippIes on the Current OF Life in the
Metropolis.
JOHN KNIGHT.

metropolis
One of Brooklyn's ferocious small boys,
after studying the poster art OF the wild
west show, tipped his thumb to his nose
and declared that Buffalo Bill was a Coney
Island Jay In the desperate business. "Tll
show him how to do the trick" exclaimed
the blooming kid, who thereupon scooted
home for the necessary artillery. Return
ing with a double bsrreled shotgun, the
weight OF which staggered him, he came
upon a crowd of youngsters playing in a
vacant lot. Pointing the gun at the crowd
lie yelled; Hey. you ~fellers. throw up your
hands and be quick about 1t. I'm Buffalo
BILL" The youngsters jeered and the kid
pulled the trigger. He was knocked Town
by the recoil and one OF the youngsters fell
screaming, his arm and neck peppered with
buckshot. The wounded boy was carried to
a hospital and Billy the Kid was shingled
on the spot. 81 didn't know 1t was loaded"
he yelled between smacks.
All but the ultra righteous will feel a
pang at the decision of the authorities that
Coney Island has got to be good this sum
mer. Nobody expects It to be good, and 1t
is hardly too much to say that nobody
wants 1t to be good. Things are permitted
AT SOu6y lblh0Q ludJ WOuiu De out OF
place in New York City. and yet aren't par
ticularly harmful, after all. There are
more outrageous, open-gauge fakes on that
strip Of sand than in any equal area of the
world, but nobody minds, because every
body expects to fAd little trickeries and
frauds there and the most you can lose at
them is an occasional dime. Then there
are the innocuous gambling games where
you throw rings in the futile hope OF en-
sharing a cane, or base balls at a live
darky's head for impossible cigars. or slash
at a mark for a reward that you might get
II your rifle barrel weren't modelled after a
rams horn. The repressive eye OF the law
is on them all. And the concert hall ladies.
No more may they gracefully amble down
from the stage in pride and beauty OF their
ffty-odd years and invite themselves to
drink beer or more expensive beverages (f
they think they can get 'em) at the expense
OF the celebrating stranger and to the pront
Of the house. This has been adjudged 10
be immoral, and the soubrette must hence
forth spend her old age behind the scenes
when she is not doing her song and dance.
There are even dread rumors that the excise
law is to be enforced. II all these things
are done 1t needs no gift of prophecy to see
huge summer crowds fleeing to Jersey and
the uppermost ends OF Staten island and TO
predicate the decadence and fall OF Coney.
They may destroy the island. but they can't
make 1t good.
Sitting in a hotel restaurant with a
friend, writes a New York correspondent,
we noticed a state Of suppressed excite
ment among the walters. It was so great
that two men managed to get out untip-
ping. A slip of paper was being passed
from hand to hand.
What is it, Murphy" asked my com-
panion. IAN order for a strike"
Worse than that, Mr.. Fuller" he said.
Far worse than that. I'll get It for
you"
In a few minutes he handed US q bit of
paper, that he handled as Though It were
dynamite.
1t was a clipping from q cookery trade
journal. There was a picture Of q woman
sitting at a restaurant counter. In front
Of her was a small electric railway. On
that railway was a table, which had Just
been shot from the kitchen by electric
power, and on the table was a full meal,
including coffee and dessert, also a nap
kin. q menu card. a glass OF water and a
bunch Of toothpicks. In fact, everything
that a waiter could supply, except a re-
ceptacle for tips.
The arrangement was intended to do