Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-11

MAJ safe to say, has decided convic-
wv lions on the subject; Chicago isl
equally convinced to the con-
trary while the country at large
has decided the question according to its
geographical grouping.
The attraction Of either city as a place Of
business or OF residence is a question
apart. Interest in a city depends upon
character or temperament qualities which
do not lend themselves to absolute COM
parison But the question Of relative &C
tfvity, the number OF persons or vehicles
in the streets and the exact rate at which
they move form basis for accurate COM
parlson. The various measurements used
in the following comparis between New
York and Chicago have been made in al
spirit OF absolute fairness. In making the
comparison only such streets were selected
correspond in the interests they repre-
sent, and the readings were taken at the
same hour of the day In both cities. I'M
timing the movement on the various
streets a stop watch was used and the tig
ures finally accepted were in each case the
mean of many readings taken under
similar conditions.
The problem is far MORE complicated
than might be supposed Each city hasl
certain points Of superiority over its rival.
New York presents the most remarkably
group OF very high buildings to be found
anywhere In the world. Chicago depends
for its effect upon a succession of wide
streets within limited area, with fewer
very high buildings, but better sustained
sky line. The crowds in Chicago seem
to NIL the broad regular sidewalks In every
direction, and since che streets are all att
right angles one encounters endless vistasl
of crowded streets. In New York, on thel
other hand, many OF the streets are ir-
regular and narrow, 30 that the crowd
constantly overfiows the pavements and
fills the asphalted streets. All this of
n -
most concentrated localities, OF both cities.
The remarkable geographical formation
OF Manhattan Island and the ingenious
grouping of Chicago's centres OF popula-
ton must be taken into consideration in my
comparison. In New York the great BUSH
ness centres are grouped in or near Broad
way between the Battery and Forty-ss c.
ond street, a distance of nearly four miles,
forming a continuous. unbroken line Of
crowded streets. The financial section, the
newspaper offices, or many OF them; the
wholesale district; next the retail district.
and, finally, the hotel and theatre sections
are distinctly marked. Each, moreover,
has its Characteristic crowd. In Chicago
all these sections, with their crowds are
concentrated into comparatively limited
area They are within the loop. The
convenience of such an arrangement is. of
course. obvious The general atmo sphere of
activity which results has scarcely its
equal anywhere else in the world. Blu. start
from the centre OF the loop and traverse
any one of these busy streets for half a
mile and the street crowds quickly thin,
the skyline falls abruptly and Chicago
looks like any ordinary city.
EACH IS IN ERROR.
II might be well IN this connection to
correct curious misapprehension com
mon TO both cities. New York men who
have never seen Chicago are likely TO
picture II as a breezy new edition Of their
own city The Chicago man who has never
visited New York Is likely to picture 1t as
n much older city, in appearance at least,
and somewhat less up to date Both estl-
mates are wrong so far as surface cond'-
lions go. Chicago within the loop at
least. appears a much older city than New
York The soft coal smoke has toned down
the many abrupt lines and lent an appear
ance OF age out Of all accord with the his
tories Many OF Chcagos streets appear
far older than any of the newer sections
of London The Art Institute, on the lake
front. with It's beautiful lines, looks as old
as Westminster Abbey.
A comparison OF the crowds in the cen
tres OF the retail sections OF the two cities
would Indicate at first glance that New
York had a slight advantage in the size OF
the sidewalk crowd while In Chicago ths
movement was slightly faster. The stree
taken for comparison were State street IN
ChlEagO ana twenty tNliu street IN new
York. The photographs Of Characteristic
sections OF the two streets serve TO show
how evenly matched are the tYo crowds
At three o'clock on the afternoon OF a hnC
dav Il was found that some 100 person,
will pass a fixed point going in both dlrec
lions every minute. similar reading il
Twanty-third street showed that 30 passet
10 the minute To the casual observer the
crowds we're about the same.
The question as to movement OF New
York and Chicago street crowds Is one OF
long standing. Opinions diner widely al
20 which walks the faster A fruitful
source Of discussion, II Is 10 be hoped, vii
be set asde by the scientific observation
which follow. After making scores q.
readings on different streets and compar
ing them with similar Observa uOns takeT
In New York Il was found that Chicagoani
do not walk faster than New Workers Tn,
hrst impression OF a New Yorker In Chi
cage Is deceptive. In walking about Chi
cago streets one constantly encounter
crowds of similar proportions crossing on,
another In New York the cross streets
are less crowded and they merge into tn
great thoroughfares with less confusion
The width OF the side walks on the group.
OF streets within the loop Is also mislead
inE.