Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-08
RorNp ApouT sew ronK.
RippIes on the Current OF Life I'm
the Metropolis.

the Metropolis.
The telephone grip appears to be much
stronger than that OF the gas and electric
light companies in New York City. OF
course a vastly greater number Of people
are patrons OF the lighting companies and
the kick against high prices is necessarily
more emphatic. There is a strong prob
ability that the city will go into the light
ing business or force existing companies to
reduce prices. But the telephone grip is
not disturbed by agitation, is equally as
greedy, and even more effective in prevent
ing adverse legislation at the state capitol.
The announced purpose of the parent COM
pany to Increase its capital stock $780,
900, 900 has given rise to the notion among
New York patrons that the rates should
be cut in two. Tn notion Is regarded as
preposterous by holders Of the stock who
know a good thing and cling to Il. 1t Is
interesting as a text for discussion. Listen
to the pleading Of the Financial Age:
AFTER diligent inquiry it has been Inn
possible to find a single holder Of the stock
in New York City, nor has there been, so
far as can be recalled. a single public sale
of IL in any amount made in ten years.
Possibly the ultimate destination Of the
rapidly increasing capital Of the American
Telephone and Telegraph company is to
take up the stock Of the licensed COM
panies increased almost necessarily to alb
sorb profits.
"But in view OF the fact that the tele-
phone is an absolute public necessity, and
that the service must, to be at It's best,
ever be a monopoly, is II not time to con-
slider that the public is entitled to a share
in the profits, to a general curtailment in
the charges made for service? As 1t is, the
service is as necessary to the business class
as coal is to all classes, while the profits
much greater than those Of coal, accrue In
the main to a much more llmfted lumber.
Surely 1t is time to consider in thih
connection a phase of profit sharing which
will include as one Of the parties thereto,
ar addition to the two, those Of employer
and employe, heretofore assumed to be IN
interest, a third party-namely, the con-
sumer-i. e.: the telephone subscribers, of
whom there are about $4,000 in New York
City alone"
OF the 5000 visitors who daily throng the
New York aquarium 80 per cent is made up
Of strangers in the city. New Workers. do
not realize that the aquarium in the old
Castle Garden is already the greatest Of its
kind in the world, although 1t was not es-
tablished until 1896. The old aquarium at
Naples, Italy, and those at Brighton and
Plymouth, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam
and Paris, are all smaller than the one in
New York, and their purpose is more for
biological study than as places Of free pop
ular entertainment. More than 1000 speci-
mems, representing 200 different species,
give a faint idea of the vast and varied life
Of the sea, Of which relatively we know
so little. From the Gulf of st. Lawrence
to the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies,
from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi,
all waters have been laid under contribu-
ton and collectors are constantly searching
for new and interesting varieties.
Managers of big department stores have
been trying harder than ever in the last
year or two to nullify the influence Of bad
weather on their business. They cannot do
this altogether, but they have improved
conditions, they think. A few years ago
a wet day meant positive stagnation IA dry
goods stores. Women kept closely to their
homes, whether they might be suburban
ties or residents of Harlem fats. They
looked on every rainy day as an impossible
one for shopping. Nowadays with cars
running in all directions and the center Of
shopping operations coming up town,
women 60 out on wet days IL they desire
particularly to purchase something as much
as they do on dry ones. Meeting them half
way, merchants provide all kinds Of en-
tertainment for them, In addition to show
ing goods. In one big store there is an art
gallery, with many valuable paintings, a
music hall, a restaurant, a curio depart
ment, where all kinds Of antiques may be
examined. and now, this week, 1t has added
an automobile show. An immense hall on
the top floor has been prepared for the dis
play of autos and there is a track upon
which electric machines are speeded. AS
all this is under cover the management
aaVq ~ hnda that rainy dayu hrfnO q Eorrar
attendance Of women to their establish
ment than ever before In it's history.
A New Yorker of considerable age and
Of real New Amsterdam Dutch descent, wa
speaking Of the restless activity and mad
dog haste Of the metropolis. at always
= rests me-" he said, ito recall an incident
: told me years ago by my grandmother. Of
her grandfather"
The old man was slow and p~hlegmatic,
? He had a neighbor of the same build. Many
an hour would they sit on his vine-cov-
. cred porch, near the Bowery, and smoke
= Their conversation was usually OF the or.
: der described by the old mans wife, az
r overheard one day in June.
1.-THE neighbor came over and sat down
. After each had pulled away for half an
5 hour, the visitor said: IT'S a fine day.
S There was no response. The clock licked
way. The smoke rose. Two hours passed
There was a cloud over the sun. Then
: driZzle. The shower battered on the
leaves Of the morning glory. My ancestor
o looked up; 1t was 2 in the afternoon
Yes he said, but 1t does look like rain.
I wonder II We are any happier In thest
: exciting daysH'
I Mr.. Charles @. Mott, whom District At
torney Jerome has made his first assistant
Is a young man Of distinguished eonnec
tions. He is a son Of Chief Justice Not
OF the United States court OF claims,
9randson NJ .ha late prasIdant EIinboIe