Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07

NEW YORK, oct. 2.--There are thou
sands Of persons IN Gotham who live
swell on a counter jumpers or q tele-
phone operators salary, and this ele-
ment is even sometimes envleC by the
ultra-fashionabtes It is not an un-
common thing to see a saucy custodian
OF ribbon counter struttlng along
Broadway or Fifth avenue In the even
ing, wearing a Persian gown, expen-
slve imported hat and all the acces-
sories Of a belle from gay Paree You
would stop and look twice at some OF
the $40 and SIS a week Chesterfelds
who, after spending an arduous day
behind the fizz counter I'm a drug store,
or chopping tickets at the IL or sub
way stations, lelsurely stroll down the
Great White Way garbed In q suit
Of the latest London cut, wearing kid
gloves of the newest shade and carry
ing walking stick that would do
credit to a Beau Brummel. How do
they got it? It's easy--dead easy, for
you should know that a large percent
age of the population of this city lives
on the secondhand plan. That Is, they
dress secondhand, furnish their home
on the secondhand order and buy al
most everything but their food on the
same method. Almost everybody in
New York is looking for a bargain from
an auto to chlpped china or pair of
seeking class, or the men and women
who always look stunning In second
hand tOggery, are the worst enemy to
the door bell, because when person
inserts one OF the thousands OF ads
that appear In the newspapers every
week offering misfit or secondhand
clothing, 1t Is a natural consequence
that the battery OF the bell will be put
out of commission by constant pressing
before night. You would be astonished
at the number OF cultured and genteel
persons who Keep their eyes open for
bargains in imported clothing. The
women cannot go to Paris for their
gowns and cloaks, and they will not
have anything that isn't good style"
and chic. They dress. almost entirely
oAt of the secondhand stores in Sixth
and Seventh avenues, where anything
from hat to pair of silk stockings
Is offered for sale at one-third of its
original value They prefer to appear
trifle shabby and very effective than
brand new and "shoppy." There are
many women who are noted for their
good style and richness of apparel
who buy all their frocks at secondhand
establishments and then have them
dyed to give them a fresh and new
appearance. Brides who detest that
new look which the average bridal
suite possesses fit out their entire flats
of sales of secondhand furniture by
private parties. Everything, from her
soup tureen to the piano, looks like a
family heirloom.
One Kitchen Per Block
A co-operative kitchen in the middle
of every block to serve all the residents
Of that block is the latest solution Of
fered for the eternal problem that faces
every householder. The plan seems
feasible in view of the fact that the
new Art club studios have kitchen in
common for the use of a small army
of students who occupy bachelor apart
ments. 1t has been suggested by econo-
mists that a large kitchen be estab-
lished in every block, and that the place
be under the direction of chef, with
several assistants. The housewife could
take her food there to be cooked, thus
saving the price of fuel and keeping
the house free from the odor of cookery,
and besides, in many cases. dispensing
with the cost of dyspepsia tablets and
pepsin.
Intensive Farming in City
Few people who own back yards in
New York realize the possibilities of
those small parcels of ground. The
owners think they are doing well if they
sod the space and let some sickly vines
straggle along the fence. An upper
west side owner does better. He has his
fence and his house to the roof covered
with 81 rich, heavy growth of ivy. The
center of the back yard contains a
small flower bed. Around this is a
footpath, and between that and the
fence is a wide space of soil, which is
carefully enriched. Herein are grown
In their seasons lettuce, radishes
Strawberries, crocuses, tulips and what
not. This is what is known in the ir-
,rigated regions of the southwest as
'"intensive farming" The Chinese excel
In 1T. On plot ten feet square al
Chinaman will grow all the vegetables
his family can eat in year, and
enough besides for market to support
the family 1t is seldom that a New
Yorker Is SO thrifty, or realizes the
unique advantage of being able to offer
guest Strawberries from my own
New York garden"
Eating Pie? surel
Talk about your "high noon"
luncheons, there are men in Gotham
who would sit on the damp edge of
cloud while depicting their dinner pals
if given chance. ON Broadway, near
the Battery, every noon hour may be
seen dozen or more men who sit on
the edge Of a seventeen-story Office
building and eat their monday meal.
The other day l saw one chap who had
swung his legs over the coping and
kicked his feet together, presumably in
glee. I wondered at the time If he was
eating pie.
Subway and Colds
Have you noticed the prevalence of
colds this summer?' asked a Lennox
avenue physician. "Yes" replied the
other promptly. "Seems to be a per-
feet epidemic. Germs got loose, II
guess" epidemic! Germs It's the
subway that does it. That's what it is
You go down into that up-to-date
Turkish bath and you sit, and you per-
spirc IN the hot room for thirty min
utes and then you come right outdoors
into Gods own world again and the
perspiratin suddenly cools. and you
feel prickly all over and your blood
leaps down about 40 degrees and,
though you don't know II, what you've
got is chill. No, don't know any
way to help II unless you are willing
to wear sheet in the subway and