The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-08
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
Chance to See New York, Sums and All,
In a Book-The Metropolis as Seen from
Four Different Angles, One Of Which
Shows "the Lid Off''-Memoir of George
A. Roardman, Great Naturalist, but
Without Fame,

You can see New York, with many of
It's attractions and much of it's weakness,
wickedness and depravity, from four an
giles by reading Rupert Hughes The Real
New York. You can see it from the angle
of vision Of Miss Myrtle Coils, which
might be called the "Sanfrancisky" an
gle, to use word coined by the author;
you can see it from the angle of A. ].
Joyce of Chicago, who has experienced
pretty nearly, if not quite, all Of Chicago's
sensations, and thinks he will run down
to New York and try something 'milder;'
you can see it from the angle Of Rev. Mr..
Granger from Terre Haute, who has
preached of New York as the home Of
mamron and is now going to the metropo-
lis to verify his sermons; you can see it
from the angle of Calvery, an English
friend of De Peyster.
Miss Coils is on her way from San
Francisco to1Paris to study art; but makes
the acquaintance of Gerald de Peyster,
who volunteers to show her the sights of
/ the American metropolis. In about q week
| they have seen the beauties and the real
ATTRACTIONS of the city, De Peyster being
an admirable guide to the distinguished.
sophisticated, pretty and viyacious" girl
from the Golden Gate, and Cupid casting
a spell over both.
Joyce is seeking vice. and he gets his fill
| of it under the guidance of "Ananias'
Blake, a newspaper man, who. describes
the conditions which Joyce wishes to In
yestigate thus:
ibid you ever see an DID, dead log lying all
l quiet in the grass without sign of life, and
then did you lift 1t up and see the squirm-
ing vermin and the riotous times that, had been
going on all the while? There may be I'D on
New York, but under the lid-well there
something DOING 49,
| There is more of Joyce than one cares
for. II some wish to get down among the
Ivermin under the Sid as he did, the less
said about. them in books the better. Still
he is a type, and the sights he wished
to see are part of real New York anc
for those who wish to go Summing the
: book route is far safer than any other
Some of the shocks are eliminated alto
Igether, others are reduced in severity, al
are presented with due regard for the de-
; cencies. is.
H.; How vastly different from the. New Yorl
that Joyce sees is that which is uncovered
to the view of Rev. Mr.. Granger. He ha
come expecting to find a veritable Sodon
:. and Gomorrah multiplying in vice and siz'
!, lin geometrical ratio, and, as he is start
ling back for Terre Haute, says:
, Wonderful city, New York. 1t seems entire
ly devoted to the works of charity and the cult
walton of all of the virtues. going bacl
! to Terre Haute to do what / can to make m,
city initiate the ways Of New York"
His guide has shown him only the fai
: side of the picture. But in this the au
thor has done an injustice to the clergy
I The exaggeration is far too great. Will
9 almost any clergyman would be impresse
3 by the magnificent charities Of New York
t few, indeed, would be those who woul
g not be painfully aware of the life beneat
the lid"
1t is really somewhat amazing what tn
e author has compressed into his volume
r and in such readable form, too. This
S what Calverly said after an auto ride wit
h De Peyster. Miss Coils and De Peyster
). sister: Va
e 'I'll have to borrow some Of your superlative
e 1--we knocked about the globe bit, but we neve
It seen in all the world so-so-well, so godlike
r. promenade for mortals as this ride thru Centri
:, park and Riverside drive and Morningsid
- heights. The drive about the hills of Florenc
:, overlooking the Arno is very fine, but it is tan
o beside this"
!: The Britisher was bit mixed; still
u his meaning was clear, and one is re
20 minded that there are fine things to Sc
u evensi in America.