Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-29
MATTERS OF INTEREST AND
MOMENT FROM NEW YORK CITY
Special Correspondent of The Herald.

Special Correspondent of The Herald.
NEW YORK, April 2s.-There Is a
movement afoot to create public park
on the site of New Yorks Chinatown
in order to get rid of the detestable
slums and dens which now characterize
that section of the city. And from what
can be observed the project seems des-
tined of fulfillment There can be no
question as to the Objectionable char
acter of a large part of Chinatown. 1t
is a blot on the map of the city, Tor
which, however, the responsibility rests
not 90 much upon the Chinese residents
as upon the criminal and vicious mem
bers of other races who have made this
quarter place of resort for all man
ner of evil purposes. If the place could
be purified and kept purified or abol-
lshed and kept abolished the gain for
morality and law would be great
However, less than half such an end
would be attained by simply condemn
ing the region and changing 1t into a
park, and it is on this account that
there is noted some objection to the
proposition. 1t is pointed out that un-
less there is a reversal of practically
invariable practice Chinatown would
disappear from Pell street only to reap
pear in time elsewhere in all its old Of
fensiveness That has been the rule
here, according to the objectors to the
present plan. 1t is asserted that thirty
years ago the Mercer street police pre-
cinct, comprising the region just south
of Washington square, was the CHER
scene of vice, and that the names OF
Greene, Wooster, Mercer, Amity and
other streets were synonymous with de-
bauchery
The steady growth of business con-
Germs evicted the vicious establish
ments, but these latter simply moved
uptown along Sixth avenue and the
west side streets from Twenty third
to Thirty-fourth. Now the continued
advance of business, together with the
spasmodic police activity and other
causes, is driving the same vicious ele--
ments still farther uptown to the west
Sixties and even beyond. But vice is
not destroyed. 1t is not lessened. 1t
is simply removed from one neighbor-
hood to another.
Army to the Rescue
When the matinee throngs left the
theaters the other afternoon they had
to surrender to the Salvation army. A
red jerseyed band with it's brass instru-
ments hushed came marching along to
the solemn measured tap of muffled
drums. A man at the head of the pro-
cession held aloft large printed sign
calling for aid for the people of San
Francisco.
while you are amusing yourselves" "
cried the army lassies, men, women
and children are starving in Frisco.
Remember it may be New York's turn
next"
There was quick response every
where. Hands were thrust into pock-
cts and wrist bags and then stretched
forth eagerly to drop bills and coins
into tambourines. The progress of the
the band and the collectors was marked
by a veritable shower of green paper
and coins that ranged from the penny
contributed by children to the $40 bill
given by the men of means.
Hoopskirts Not Success
The young women who wore hoop
skirts at the revived memorial assem-
bly, ball at the Astor house the other
night are not advocating a return to the
fashion. They are wondering how their
grandmothers ever managed the ter
rible things.
All Seek the RiaIto .....
Apart from actors and actresses there
are many interesting sights to be wit
messed daily on the Rialto. There are all
manner of things and persons to be
found there--the things always, the
person often. There is the promenade
best known throughout the country
There so all strangers in New York,
for to have visited the metropolis with
out having seen this part of it would be
nothing short of disgraceful in the
minds of one's friends. The Great
White Way"-so called by the myriads
of electric lights which go to light it up
at night-extend from Thirty-fourth
street along Broadway. When it is not
raining the thoroughfare is crowded.
and it is an ideal place for hero-wor-
shippers. n there appears to be some
thing about the place that warns the
cookies of ones heart. makes him
friend of every person else, no matter
how high your station in life and how
low the other fellows.
Learning to Skate
New York is again learning to skate
The rink in Fifty third street opened
the other night to large crowds. The
ubiquitous small boy was there and
youngster is cosmopolitan in his tastes
Whether it is an auto show, a dog fest
circus, mauling matinee or what not, he
is always on hand to solicit free adj
mission. And some of him got in thai
night The greatest merriment was
caused by the inability of most of the
skaters to keep their feet. AS the throng
swept around many fell by the way
side, Just as do many who have beer
monkeying with different brand Of
skate Women fell as often as men
Roller skates are no respecters of per-
sons, and as a rule, when an unfor-
tunate found himself or herself about
to kiss the floor, he or she let everyone
else know beforehand by going through
all sorts of contortions and making q
loud clatter with their skates. One
naughty dame. forgetting the lesson OF
Lots wife, looked back to gloat ovel
the misfortune of sister skater; ano
she, too, sat down rather suddenly.
Making 1t Pertinent
There is a wealth of suggestion in ar
advertising card that has lately made
it's appearance in the subway and ele-
waited trains. when you were en-
gagged" it reads, your sweetheart re-
ceived a box of Blanks candy almost
daily. How often does your wife get a
present like that?"
Sell Souvenirs in Church