Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-07
ROUND ABOUT NEW YoRK.
RippIes on the Current of Life In the
Metropolis.

Metropolis.
Although there are miles and miles Of
streets In New York. building up on both
sides by magnificent brown stone man
sions-palaces we might say-every one OF
which demands from $4,000 to $4,000 a
year for a subsistence, Fifth avenue is
really, and must be for a few years to
come, the street par excellence, whore
wealth and display find their most genial
rest" writes Joe Howard In the Boston
Globe. "The principal material used in the
construction OF buildings on the avenue is
brown stone. This gives to the street a
sombre look but Of late years white mar
BILE, brick and the lighter -colored stonos
have been used to a great extent and the
upper portion OF the avenue presents
much lighter and more attractive appear
ance than the regions below g. In spite
of the general uniformity OF the street
however, II is a grand sight upon which
the eye rests from any point OF view. The
interior OF the housese Is in keeping with
their external grandeur. They are deco
rated I'm magnificent style by artists Of
ability and taste and are furnished in the
most superb and costly manner. Rare and
valuable works OF art abound. and every
thing that luxury can devise or wealth pro-
vide is here in abundance. The softest and
richest carpets cover the floor and deaden
every football the windows are draped
with curtains the cost Of which would pro-
vide an average family with a home in
other cities and which shut out the bright
daylight and give to the apartments
soft luxurious glow; costly chandeliers
shed a flood of warm light through the ele-
gantly furnished rooms and through the
half-open doors you may catch a view Of
the library, with its rows Of dainty bound
books in elaborate cases, its works of art
scattered about in tasteful negligence, and
its rich and cozy furniture.
"The dwellers In Fifth avenue mansions
represent all the various phases of the
Weather class of New York. You will
find here many persons whose fortunes are
so secure and great that they can amply
afford the style in which they live; and
also many who are sacrificing everything
in order to shine for while in such splen-
dor. A Fifth avenue mansion is either
purchased or rented, and commences life
Of fashion and dissipation TO which neither
they nor their families are accustomed.
Everything is sacrificed to maintain their
rewly gained position; money flows like
water: the recently gotten wealth vanishes,
and in a few years the family disappears
from the avenue TO begin life anew In an
humber sphere The history OF the street
abounds in such cases.
''The avenue mansions contain many
families Of wealth and culture, whose
names have been household words in New
York for generations. These live elegantly
and In proportion to their means, but
avoid show and vulgar display. They are
! courtly In manner, hospitable and warm
hearted. and constitute fine specimens OF
the cultured American. They do not make
up the majority OF the dwellers In the
! ayenue however. These latter represent
mainly the newly rich families that have
| risen 70 afiuence through the lucky ven
tres of the husband and father, and have
come to their new honors without the re-
! enernent or culture necessary to sustain
them with dignltyA You may know them
nv their loud voices vulgar countenances'
| hashv dressing and coarse ways. They
nIupRe headlong into the dissipations OF
! society with recklessness unknown TO
! persons accustomed to such pleasures ana
! their fast life soon tells upon them The
men go to their business heavy ana )aded
IN the morning, after night or fashlon-
J able dissipation, and the women sink INTO
! an Incidence from which nothing can rouse
them save a renewal of the excesses which
! caused their lassitude
| To demonstrate by eNper'enCe 'ih' ''N
tvo-nlatoon system in the fire department.
Is not a workable scheme, Fire Conmls-
sio,er Hayes put the system in operation
| last December and gave It fair trial TOT
three months The commissioner reports
~ the mayor that the experiment demon
strates the two-platoon system to be an
absolute failure" In his report the com
missioner says: 1.-THE trial Of the two
| nIatoon proiect was made in December b.
1904 and ended March 12, 1905. 1t was
found 10 be wholly UNIT for the purposes
OF this department and I directed the aoan-
donment of the trial.
"At the time of taking this action, In
order 10 keep the promises made to the
men. I directed that in addition to the one
day off in every FIVE, the men should have
twelve hours additional leave three times
each month-that is, three leaves OF thirty
six hours each month, and three leaves
of twenty-four hours each month. This
was in addition to the fourteen days va
cation annually"
with the big crops Of the past two years
IN the middle west" said a western banker
quoted by the New York Sun, mot the
least important crop is that OF come-ons.
although that crop finds no place in the
tabulated statistics sent out from Washing
ton But It is no longer green goods that
| thaxy 20 for What thew most want now