Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-20
NEW YORK BY ELECTRIC LIGHT
How the BiR Town shines I'D when
the Current f. Turned On
at Night,

New York by night! Doesn't it bring to
your mind a picture of spluttering, splash
ing, glittering light, spreading the streets
with a brilliant mood Of yellow. glowing
the heavens and filling you. coming upon
IL suddenly. with sort of Jingle of de-
light? The oldest New Yorker surely never
gets over that quick thrill when he comes
upon Broadway in the splendor of its
lights. 1t has all evolved, this glorified
daylight that shines upon New York by
night within the last ten years, and is
largely the effect OF hundreds of great cleo
trio signs, crying out to US in a beautiful
blaze of light Just whore can be had the
best beer or the most satisfactory face
powder, or where we may go to have our
shabby dress that we are Haunting in the
face of Broadways theater throng dyed
to fiaunt as new again If we must be
told where to buy our beer. what face
powder Is best and where TO have our
clothes dyed, then by all means let us be
told in this beautiful way. It is so much
better than the great panoramic pill signs
that shrek at us as we cross the bridge
by daylight, reminding us hideously of all
the Ills we have and of others we might
ny to.
When Dewey came hack to his own to
have all New York. and. incidentally,
America, hold out it's arms to him on his
arrival, the first great display OF cleo
tricity in signs was used and Welcome"
was pricked out in lights so consplcuously
that It must have burned itself into the
heros mind II he had been slow to accept
the cheers and cries as an indication. That
was the first time Father Knickerbocker
ever decied himself to any great extent
cit hut
some four years before that the first cleo
trio sign was displayed on Broadway 1t
was at Broadway and Twenty-third street
on one OF the walls Of the structure where
the Flatiron now rears its towering head
proudly The sign spelled out some Of the
attractions of Manhattan Beach to hot
| New Workers. II seemed huge and con-
spicuous sign In those days before the en-
Hghtenment OF Broadway, but now It would
| be lost In lnsignihcance beside some OF the
great, glittering advertisements that spar
| kle splendidly along the thoroughfare. Lit
| tie by little Father Knickerbocker, Tealis-
! ing the heightening of his attractions
through the DOMINIC OF these gems, and
| not wholly unaware OF their commercial
| value has pinned a new gem here and
there, wound another chain OF Jewels until
he has decked himself like some splendid
oriental potentate.
Il costs a considerable sum to Keep these
gems sparkling night after night, spelling
out commercial advantages to the passers
for some cost the sum OF $l75 or 500 a
| month, and the largest as high as $3.50. Al
first there were only diamonds In these
| great ornaments, but the electric jewellers
soon began adding emeralds and rubies
and sapphires until now the great Father
Kniekerbocker flashes vari-hued gems II
his nightly splendor.
The largest Of these signs. and the lsrg
est in the world, by the way, IL the But
teriek sign that shines like huge beacon
to the water travellers on North river
brilliantly outlined against the dark throa
of the night 1t 10 all white IN its bril-
liancy its great letters towering sixty
eight feet into the air, its smaller letter.
fifty feet, and flashing over l. 400 Jewels il
it's whole, a double row outlining the grea
letter b that starts on the sign. Not loni
ago there came a letter from England iron
someone on whom the big jewel had evi
IDENTIFY impressed itself. the envelope bear
ing the name OF the firm inconspicuousl.
, and the words, "Proprietors Of the Grea
Electric Sign" written large, adding a.
further guide to the postmaster. "Ney
York or Neighborhood."
New York spends thousands and thou
sands OF dollars monthly for electric signi
The little distance on Broadway from tn
Thirties up 90 the F1fties, especially in "a
neighborhood Of Times Square. is the mos
! richly decked spot anywhere in the World
! Dealers In electric jewels come from every
: where TO behold the spiendOr. and tn
! small town merchant. seeing. catches IN
fever OF the gems In his veins and goe
! back to daEEle his home town with sign
I crying out in lights the worth OF his mel
! chandise. The taste for electric gems
( rapidly spreading. ana gradually semi-darh
I ness ia being turned 20 brilliant dayiieh
! In the downtown sections OF most Of on
citiss.-Brooklyn Eagle.