The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
TOWNS FULL OF STRANGERS.
NEVER so MANY HERE 50 EARLY
TO SEE THE SIGHTS.

out the 6nOW hestauro"ss HHo 1'"
an Attraction--sO Ia . Great Jewellers
In spite OF the torrid weather Of the
early part Of last week. which made oven
seasoned New Workers. gasp, 1t was noticed
that the city's thoroughfares were never
moro crowded with strangers. They were
here In shoals and they did the town
with an energy worthy Of all admiration.
Undeniably this Is the time Of year when
New York expects and receives crowd OF
visitors. There Is nothing new about that.
Where the surprise comes in Is that tho
crowd should be so much larger than usual,
and that q soaring Thermometer seems
to have no effect whatever on their pro-
gramme
Perhaps the only persons displeased
by the advent OF 80 many strangers are
the trolley conductors, who say they can't
make their trips on schedule time,
"Why. those women from the South want
to keep a car standing while they visit
each other,' growled one conductor
~One OF them told me the other day that
in Washington conductors always waited
for ladies to say good-by to their friends
when alighting from . car. Just think
Of IT.
And be pulled tho bell rope vioiously
twice.
II It wasn't for the strangers In town.
remarked the ticket seller In tho box ONCE
Of Broadway theatre. cycling his willie"
collar ruefully In small side mirror the
theatres would have done pretty slim
business during the last ten days. Asst is,
We have had full houses every night. Even
tr day" land he mopped his browl. Adroves
of people have been coming in to look
seats, including parties Of women who
looked ready to Drop
Judging by their sooent-and ticket
seller soon becomes expert on accents
l should say that most Of the strangers
are from the West and South. But wher-
ever they come from. none grumbles at
the prices, and most OF them accept thank
fully any sort of q seat offered 30 long az
they can see the show. Strangers are the
best supporters the theatres have just
now
Few OF the best known hotels are any
more crowded than is usual at this time OF the
year, for the simple reason that they never
were known to have spare room anywhere
around September. At the same time the
demand for rooms has been brisker than
usual. As one room clerk admitted, visit
ing delegations Of. X. Y. rs and A. B. C.'s,
to say nothing Of the Dressmakers' Con-
vention, which attracted almost as many
women OF leisure as it did dressmakers.
have helped to pack some hostelries which
otherwise might only have been comfortably
full
At Fifth avenue hotel, packed for the
time being with transients, II was said that
the majority Of them are on the way to other
cities from seashore and mountains. Some
are Just back from Europe and are staying
for few days before moving on to other
points.
slow do the strangers amuse them
selves?" the proprietor was asked. Look
ing at skyscrapers and monuments is
hot work on lays like these.
why, bless your heart he replied, Il
never overheard one Of them speak Of
inspecting anything but the stores and
theatres. They seem to spend every min
ute from morning till night shopping, and
after that it's the play. II on the last day
Of their stay they have couple OF hours
to spare. maybe Grants tomb and Central
Park get little attention, but have never
known case where these came first.
I'VE have a good many young Ieonle
staying here now and almost Invariably
they first ask the way to certain not. d
jewelry establishment instead of lnquiring
about the sightseeing automobile
1t was learned that at this particular
+ jewellers there is a steady stream Of noted
sigEtseers among the customers. They want
to gaze first Of all at tiaras. necklaces and
stomachers costing fortunes, and then at
prize winners in silver and china art objects
Incidentally. the visitors leave good deal
| Of money at the store,
| Not In the fifteen years have been here
| have I seen so many strangers around so
early with no particular magnet to draw
them" said the manager Of leading de-
partment store. Last Saturday afternoon
I took a walk from West Nineteenth street
up Broadway to Thirty-fourth street, then
to Fifth avenue ard down again to Four
teenth street, and 1t seemed to me that
every other person I met was a strar ger
seeing the sights. As for this store, doubt
If could find half dozen OF our regular
| CuRtOHeFs III tue Duidihs ii 1 Iduc IIlo
| rounds.
The store folk are all the better pleased
that the strangers come 80 early In the
season As rule, it takes lot more time
to wait on strangers than on New Workers.
The former are curious to see everything
and they take long tiIue to make up their
minds what to buy. They can't see any
reason for hurrying.
OF course, a large proportion Of the
strangers take particular pains to do
the principal restaurants, including those
in out -of-the-way districts. They seem
to feel it duty they owe to themselves
As o result. some Of the restaurant walters
have interesting tales to tell. From time
to time some Of the feminine visitors, un-
escorted by a masculine protector, 20
away from these bitterly disappointed
There are in town just now three pretty
| Southern women who have found out that
although they may lunch to tho limit OF
their pocketbools or their credit at any
restaurant In New York, to dine at the
SWEETEST Of them is quite another story
| unless man escorts them.
A host in themselves are the strangers
who have como to New York to stay-to
earn a living. to study art or the industries,
az the case may be. There are more women
in the number than usual, II the lod giuo
house keepers for women and the woman =
hotel people judg. correctly. As a rule
| Otv NJ nj ,r.l.