The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-28
1--we rOPICs ABOUT TOWN.

TOT boVertu Gays tn0 puz20O OInc0 man
aser was wondering why II was that the
clerks should oe gathered about tine electric
fan In the rear Of the office. II was even
more odd that on his entrance they should
suddenly lose their interest In the cooling
breeze.
The other afternoon he was called into
consultation with another firm and remarked
IN the chief clerk that should no not return
1t would be we'll to close up the Office little
earlier than usual on account OF the heat.
1t was half past when he approached the
office. He knew that the place would be
closed. but there were certain papers he
wanted to take home with him. To his sur
prise the office door was open and he could
hear excited voices. just az he reached the
doorway there was the whir Of an electric
fan. The noise Of the fan stopped and there
was an excited argument as to whether the
number was two or three.
He was well into the room before his APP
proach was observed and he discovered that
the chief clerk and his secretary were
using the electric fan as wheel OF fortune.
Inc four blades were numbered and each
took two Of the blades. The fan was per-
mitted to run for moment and when the
top OF the guard won the quarter stakes.
The fan Is out Of commission now.
The proper labelling Of the animals In the
geological park Is a constant puzzle to
Director Hornaday. The label that can
withstand the assaults OF New York's
variegated weather has not been invented.
and as many OF the mammals Hive out Of
doors In mild weather their labels require
frequent renewal. Painted labels grow dim,
printed ones fade and even ealamel on sheet
steel Is not proof against extremes Of heat
and cold. 'fhe latest experiment Is with
the labels for the bears. These are painted
uron sheet st eel-with mans Of geograph ical
distribution. But It IL not expected that
even these labels will last longer than two
Year,.
"You may not be aware Of the fact
said library worker, "but New York Is
already in the first line Of the places to which
those engaged In research work come for
the purpose Of reading up on their special
ties. am not referring now to our public
libraries, for, magnificent as their founda-
ton Is, they lag behind the great public
libraries in Washington. London and Paris.
But there are scores Of lesser libraries of
which few have any knowledge save those
who are interested In the specialtiee to
which they are devoted. OF q semi-publio
class are the libraries Of many societies;
tnS hCttucTly VI FNcSusnLC, tI0 ucHil'tS
Club. the United Engineers. the Historical
Society, the divinity schools and dozen
themselves: Then there. are private
libraries. the treasure Of individual who
have gone far toward obtaining all the
topic. 1t would not be difficult to name
a score such In New York that are known
to scholars the wide world over and through
the favor Of their owners they are opened
freely for. consultation OF such as come
duly introduced
Evidently Central had been to Conev
Island the night before, for when a SUBJ
scriber called up friend on a party line
the girl rang "J' instead Of sR.'
a" was q bachelor who at that moment
had just stepped into the tub, but he climbed
out again and assured the caller that he
was not Mrs. Blank. He had just settled
himself in the tub when the bell rang again.
He stood the noise as well as he could for
few minutes, then, seeing that tho only
way to stop the ringing was to answer,
he went to the instrument again.
For a second time he gave positive as
suranoe that the wrong number had been
given and returned to the tub. This time
bell began ringing again, and at the first
ring he was out OF the tub and at the tele-
phone again.
sThis Is not Mrs. Blank he said saw
agely. She Is r. on this same number
Please tell Central So
sWell, I want Mrs. Blank came the
answer In tart tones, and am going TO
get her."
aAnd want bath, he countered, .and
Il won't, get it II you keep on pulling me
out Of the tub
Everybody knows how crooked Pearl
street is, or at least that IL is crooked. but
few know how it came to form almost a
semicircIe, beginning and ending on the
line OF Broadway. A student Of local his
tory explains it thus:
Soon after the Dutch settled on Man
haitian they built stockade, and that stock
ade followed the line OF what is now Pearl
street. As the settlers prospered they
wanted more substantial houses and built
them Just inside the stockade. When
the need for the stockade ceased to exist
it was removed, and a row Of houses grew
I'D facing those that had been inside the
stookade, thus creating a crooked lane,
that has since become Pearl street.