The sun., 1904-12-06
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The waterproofng and preserving OF the
Fulton street facade Of the National Park
Bank Building, near Broadway, has been
attracting much attention In the last few
days, and many persons have wondered
what the apparent cooking OF the surface
OF the stones was intended to do.
The surface OF the stone Is first brushed
Of and then painted over with melted paraf-
hn. This Is then driven into the pores
OF the stone with charcoal fire contained
in an iron box open on one side. The box
has a long iron handle, and Is held against
the fiat surface Of the stone until the paraf-
treated with a gasolene blow pipe.
This Is done on new buildings to prevent
the oxidization OF the iron in the stone, which
otherwise during the winter would disfgure
the surface Of the building with the ugly
red stains which are sometimes noticed on
buildings not thus treated. The same
treatment has been given to the obelisk
in the Park, which is thus prevented from
chipping, and consequent efacement OF
the ancient Inscriptions II the process 4
properly done it is said, a repetition will
not be necessary for fifteen years.
1t was quiet night at the Tenderloin
police station. For twenty minutes or
more not a prisoner had been brought in.
Suddenly the matron rushed excitedly
from the woman's prison to the desk and
whispered to Sergeant Wall, who was
wondering at the paucity of prisoners and
wishing it was midnight.
-Phew,'' whistled the sergeant at the
matron,s information. You don't say so!'
Yes do, too,' replied the woman
when was it?'
Just now, 1l:2s," referring to her watch
The reporters, half drowsy. pricked up
thair "a 70 ratrh tho Ghianarad CnnvaT-
sation.
'Better call in -"
The rest was lost in the rumble Of a wagon
passing. The smiling sergeants hand
reached for the telephone.
Il guess not, they're doing nicely now.
fixed her up comfortable
The reporters were sing cuffs and wood
work for surrepttious notes.
Look like the mother?" asked the SER
geant.
The eyes Of the scribes bulged at the news.
THE other three are gray and white.
They're just the cutest; just like little rats,
and Tabby's as happy, as she can be-
Guess I'll have a look said the ser
geant, and followed by the reporters, n
arrived family Of kittens belonging to Tab,
the precinct cat.
Most Of the musical stores which make
a speciality OF monographs kept their
doors open and one Of the instruments
going in the summer 10 attract the public.
When the cold weather set in, however.
most OF them found II too cold to leave the
doors open and stopped the practice
dealer uptown devised a scheme to keep
his machine going so that the passersby
can hear il and the doors be shut at the same
time. He bored in the frame OF the
door hole large enough for the peck Of
the horn Of the phonograph to slip through
and with the horn on the outside and the
instrument on the inside he still draws
the crowds to his window.
One Of the most interesting collections
of paintings in the city adorns the late
Asa Coolidge Warren's residence in East
Twenty street. The paintings, e1-
quisitely colored. were all done by Mr.
Warren himself after he had passed his
eightieth birthday and after he had lost
the sight of his right eye. He made three
journeys to Europe In his advanced age
to view historic scenes which he was so
fond Of reproducing.
Although Mr.. Warren's father was one
OF the famous miniature painters OF Boston,
he paid no attention to art until his eve
al Rht prevented him from following his life
long pursuit Of steel engraving and magazine
The free reading room Of Cooper Union
harbors many strange characters, Some
battle with the contents Of the
and periodicals, taking pains
TO write out at some length in the margins
their ideas in rebuttal, or to disfgure articles
with signs of disapprjval Thev are mostly
aged men given to atheistic and socialstio
thinking,