The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-13
78O,52O CANDLES ON GREAT. WHITE WAY Is the Brightest Night Spot on
 the Earth COLL D BE SEEN FROM MAR Great Dazzling Signs Tell the Story of Pleasures Sought by the Thrones on Broadway, Famous
 Street.
COLL D BE SEEN FROM MAR

From the New York Herald.
 The "Great White Way'-and for this whiteness there, is paid nearly million dollars in twelve months Probably few in the careless, pleasure hunting throngs that hurry or drift nightly from Twen- ty-fifth street to Fiftieth up and down Broadway have ever given a thought to the expense attached to the common effort to turn night into day all along that thor oughfare,
 When the shadows of night fall on the metropolis it sinks into comparative dark ness, the light varying in degree at differ ent points; but in this stretch of one and one quarter miles the light of the present monday sun finds a worthy rival in the sunshine of millions of years ago loosened from the great coal beds where the mighty central orb of our system stored it.
 This White Light district is the city's great attraction, and no wonder, for 1t brghtens the sky of dark night so that 1t may be seen reflected from the clouds from elevated points hundreds of miles away. The astronomer Mars could plainly see it with a telescope equal to ours should be able to face it at night after his own sun set, and the magnetic street-under it's blaze of light-draws to itself the moths of humanity, seeking companionship, amusement and pleasure.
 Light of 78o,52o Candles. Whence this light of the great white district? It comes from the equivalent of 7SO, ,52O candles, the result of the throbbing energy of dynamos that bursts into light in S6, ,990 lamps along both sides of the street. These globes often merely light, but more often form words that tell stories of what ele owners of the tens Of thousands of eyes that look on them are seeking From curb to roof, held above the highest chimneys, are these stories of goods that appeal to appetite and or opportunities for pleasure that ofer relax alton to workaday mortals.
 Along this highway are, at the curb and in the windows and doorways 11S arc lights. some of which individually repre- sent more than 1000 candle power; but most of the light comes from the 36,S'Z ln- candescent bulbs that form the great brilliant advertisements. These are on the walls and oyer the doors of sixteen theatres, telling of the play that IS ex7 Decte0 10 allure IHe toNtl Ol NhN pi they appear where the clicking balls or the billiard table and the rumbling spheres of the bowling alley make their appeal; they are displayed where the soothing to- bacco weed is for sale. where the appetite for food and drink can be satisfied, and where nearly every need of the inner ana outer man can be supplied.
 All of this expenditure of light means heavy cost that now amounts to about 1Iv xrb all the lights Of the great district are considered. This is equal to the amount expended by Manhattan's s Bureau of Highways. It is money well expended for the purpose 1t is intended to accomplish, and there are no regrets quite the contrary, for the district is growing and reaching out and extending its boundaries from day to day. As 1t Is now these 36,S72 glass bulbs would, if placed end to end, make two continuous lines from Twenty third street to Fiftieth street and before another year there promises to be enough for third line.
 Growth of the District.
 This white light district began to grow in Herald square few years ago the electric blinking eyes of the twenty-eight great Herald owls looked on streets com paratively dark after nightfall but those eyes and the huge arct lights that reveal the wondrous nightly workings or the great presses on the Broadway side of the Herald building were an inspiration, ana the result has been the night Broadway of today.
 Slowly at first, then more rapidly, the signs of light began to appear until an eff fulgent bath deluged the street at night. The brightness was alone in the Herald square neighborhood only for a time. It started in at Twenty-third street and at Forty-second street. Building tops and store windows began to blaze. Madison souare tower reached out it's rays to Broadway and soon the theatres and then the stores fell into line Lights that had been extinguished early in the evening were allowed to burn all night to show goods in windows and signs In words be- gan to appear above the doors
 Then new lights sprang into being from day to day until the present conditions were reached. Now it is light! light. light, Not only Is each theatre front blaze of light, but your carriage number is called by the display of electric num- bers: not only do signs of light at saloon and restaurant doors Invite you, but great broad eyes of light shine through the win dows. To more certainly attract the. eyes huge electric letters are made to appear and disappear.
 Then mighty signs In letters of light, reaching fifty fee above buildings and ex-
 
 appeal to you in colors of red, yellow, blue and green, recommending some article Of utility or some beverage. These signs are the most conspicuous and the most ex- pensive in the district, being in some cases visible and readable for miles and costing hundreds of dollars in their construction. One of tn largest of these blazes out with 1872 lights.
 So great has been the recent multfplica- ton of brilliant points in the district that now they are beginning to interfere with each other, one often cutting off the view of it's neghbor. and choice positions for signs are at a high premium. But there is readjustment going on and the bril- liancy will continue to increase, daily add ing to and extending the great attractive white light district of the metropolis.
 New Version of "TWenty-Three.' Victor Smith in New York Press.