Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-27
GOSSIP AND CHAT OF THE Silly
SEASON THAT REIGNS In NEW YORK

point to the faucet" THAT is the rea-
son a lot Of folks don't drink sarsapa-
rilla," said the soda fountain clerk.
"They like It. but they are afraid they
will get tangled up in the syllables.
Those that do get brave and order it
anyway make a fearful stagger."
What Is Meant7
Certain aspects of New York life
which are perfectly familiar to resi-
dents sometimes strike strangers as
very odd. TO those who appreciate the
nuisance and danger caused by the
practice Of hoodums jumping through
the car windows at the Brooklyn bridge
i'm order to get seats going down to
Coney Island there is nothing out Of
the way in the signs that have been
put up warning passengers against the
short cut. To strangers unfamiliar
with the history behind these signs It
is different. IL have always heard that
New Workers were in a hurry" re-
marked a man as he waited on the
bridge for car the other day, but
l never supposed they were in such
a hurry as that" ''What do YOU
mean ?" inquired his companion, an old
New Yorker, seeing no cause for the
comment. "Why, over there" replied
the stranger as he pointed to one of
the big signs which reads: avoid Ar
rest-Do Not Enter or Leave Cars
Through Windows"
New York Clocks Strike
New Yorkers should blow their pub
lie clocks" said a man today. THE
public timepieces must celebrate all
holidays by going off on terrible sprees.
At any rate, they are unable to get to
work until late on the following day.
I have noticed that an unusually large
number of them were indisposed on
the holidays Of this year, 1906. On the
evening of the day preceding a day of
merrymaking they seem right, but by
o'clock on the afternoon of the day
celebrated they stop and don't get
started until almost noon of the morn
ing after. In the interests of general
morality those clocks ought to reform"
Finance and Sport
why is it," asked the observant
man. that so many men you see in
New York with their faces buried in
the financial pages of the newspapers
are troubled with fringes on their
trousers legs? And then how does it
happen that those most interested in
the sporting pages are well dressed,
dapper young fellows? Does that prove
that finance is Improbable and sport
is profitable?" You can search nv
innermost thoughts and never find the
answer" replied his friend. TOO much
for me- too" said the o. M.
Athletics in the Air
Not far from but far above the mad
ding crowds ignoble strife is an ath-
letic field playground roof garden and
Crn tor, 4I,,4 l..
and unparalleled. 1t is situated in the
very heart of Manhattan's business
district and is at the disposal of more
than 5000 young men and young women
who earn their livelihood in one of the
greatest beehives in the world. This is
the life insurance Company's building
at Twenty-third street and Fourth
avenue, twelve-story structure, with
a roof covering a space of two acres.
On this aerial athletic field is almost
every contrivance and device for ex-
ercise and competitive trials of skill
in physical sports. There are a track
for short or long dashes of speed,
apparatus for standing or running high
jumps, boxing gloves, fois, wrestling
mats, punching bags, health lifts,
dumbbells and Indian clubs. Even
'cross-country' runs may be made,
the uneven surface of the roof in GER
tain directions answering admirably as
a substitute for bitches and hedges.
Naturally all this apparatus is not kept
on the roof, exposed to the elements,
but on the floor Immediately beneath
the roof, and which is styled the gym
nasium. But the gym is in little de-
mand on fine days. for all the portable
articles are carried to the roof by the
more enthusiastic athletes of the 3015
clerks employed in the 11C0 offices of
the building. OF this great clerical
force-enough to populate a good-sized
toWn-1576 are women and girls and
they enjoy the same privileges as the
men and boys in the matter of exercise
During the lunch hour or after the
close of the official day-4:30 D. m.-
scores of girls play games dear to the
feminine heart or indulge in the lighter
forms of sports. On Wednesday after
moons and evenings they have the sole
use of the gymnasium and roof, and
many fiercely contested game of bas-
ketball is waged. 1t is even said that
the boys have occasionally found their
boxing gloves in some place other than
where they left them the day before.
This roof garden athletic field possesses
unusual advantages over those on the
level ground. Not only does it command
a splendid view of New York, but of
points beyond 1t is swept by breezes
from the North and East rivers and
from the bay. On one side Is a view
of the masts and smokestacks of the
North river, with the Jersey hills in the
distance beyond; on the other one can
look over into the farms of Long
IslanG and catch a glimpse of the water
tower in Prospect park, well over into
Brooklyn. From this vantage point the
skyscrapers at the lower end of New
York look like a cluster of needles; TO
the north the big apartment houses and
hotels of upper Manhattan are lost in
haze. The aerial recreation place is
model institution.
Should Dressmakers Talk?
Dressmakers are improving. One
prominent modiste is going about lee
turing before dressmakers' clubs. Aft ar
Gescanting on clothes she makes the
statement that modistes must know
more than other women, and she ear
nestly advises them to study art, mu-
| sic, literature and the drama. When a
customer comes for a fitting she should
/ hear in one breath of chiffon and Chau-
GER shirring and Shaw, Turner and
| tucking. Most modistes are gifted with
( too much garrulity already; so 1t is a
point of conjecture just what effect
would be had by such a conversational
repertoire as that mentioned. There is