The sun., 1908-12-06
The LOSS or A RAINY sDEE
BUSINESS SUFFERS MUCH, TIE
AMERICAN SPIRIT MORE.


He Can't Abide-Appetites AfSetsd.
II London's smoky fogs and drizzl2
were to come TO New York as permanent
visitors 1t would possibly revohtioni.l
our entire system Of living. for one bad
rainy day results in heavy business losses
and drives away the optirnistio spirit foS
which Americans are famous Ia-.
New Yorkers In London are often heard
TO say that one week Of the typical weather
there would drive Americans insane. Ger
talnIy II would never be as patiently lived
through as by the Britishers. who are
90 accustomed to the gloomy skies and
dampness that when the sun does shine
In May and June on few rare days they
do not know what to make Of it.
Such q day in London streets makes
every one look shabby. for Londoners
have the habit of dressing for sudden
showers and damp conditions generally.
They always carry umbrellas, never
neatly rolled on account Of the frequency
with which they are used and the cloth
made I'D In cloaks. coats and clothes for
both men and women Is OF q rough tex
ture. not adapted for pressing. as good after
the rain as before 1t.
even when skies are lowering and the
result is that hundreds OF dollars worth
Of clothing, feathers, wells, boaS and
laces are ruined, while as much more must
be spent in renovating.
Cabmen and cafes profit on wet days
and there is a boom in clairvoyance and
fortune telling. for many Of the idle, III
and depressed. affected by the dark skies.
will seek visionary comfort
The big department stores are nearly
empty on a day of set, steady rain. while
beauty parlors, hairdressers. tailors and
dressmakers experience q stagnaton IN
ing engagements and everything is put
on till tomorrow.
Hospitals are buster, for patients grow
restive, the psyobopathic wards fill up and
sick people lingering on the borderiand
between life and death are likely to pass
over the boundary on such days. Sui
cides too are plenty. :.
But while the rain has it's tragedies IL
also has it's humors, for IL the average
New Yorker believes it best to stay In
doors when ii rains there are those whom
it drives out to seek conpanionship,
adventure and experiences. Motormen
and car drivers who are unapproached
in fair weather find men lettering at their
elbows in the rain, inquiring as to the
hardships of the life, pressing cigars on
them and sometimes promises OF over
coats and storm hats. r-..L
Restaurants suffer most in bad weather.
Persons with homes are anxious to reach
them. Nowadays restaurants and hotels
are so well provided with the newest
processes in refrigeration that there is
little or no loss in the way OF food, but the
trade lost in one night OF bad weather
never comes back.
The tips which count up so Handsomely
in some OF the popular places are gone
forever; and il there is one time when
an amateur philanthropist can select a
noble deed which is not hard to do IL Is
to give his special waiter an extra tip
when he sees the empty tables that oon-
front him on a bad night. .,,s
1T means q loss of at least $40 to each
man in this room tonight" said such q
waiter at 7 o'clock on rainy night -lf
il had cleared for just this hour the people
would have come out as usual for dinner
here, and II 1t was pouring when they
started for home they would take a CAP
or a car and not mind it.
But il it is wet from to 7:30 IL is good
by to the dinner trade. I'm sure don't
know what they do for food. for lot OF
my regular dinner people live in apart
ment hotels where there is no restaurant,
but suppose they cook over the gasjets
and in chatting dishes and get stuff from
the delicatessen stores.
they'll do most anything before they
will leave a comfortable room with a
radiator going and start out in the wet
even il it's only block or two to walk.
don't think they dread the walk so much.
but simply because people don't seem to
have the same sociabie spirit after DART.
dismal day.
Nov. the rainy weather. on tho con-
trary, is sure to bring in few regular wet
weather birds that never show up on other
nights. The reason Is that their own
favorite eating place is a little too far 10
travel to on a wet night. but of course
boz Ipf-'f fRl fhsax-
came in because they knew II would be
quiet and cosey. A-.s
sOthera are imbued with friendly
spirit on q rainy night and will start In To
talk to q waiter and tell Of all the blocks
and the accidents that happened on &C
anything. The truth is they have been
alone in a shop or an Office all day and
they want some one to listen to them.
II there is one of these chaps that makes
us tireder than another it's the fellow that
is always most cheerful when it's rainy.
1t never occurs to him that It ls not cheer
full for the waiter.
"Of course the night crowd comes In
about IL, no matter what the weather is,
in a place like this, but let me tell you it's
a different crowd altogether from the fine
night people. They are apt to be either
grouchy or else they are finicky about
things and send back orders.
-You see a rainy day doesn't make the
temper any sweeter as it gets late, and a
man will be thinking Of his losses or some
thing Of that kind when on another night
he'll have another view OF life altogether.
You can even tell how the weather is out
side by what the orders are.
"A clear cold night with snow on the
ground, for instance, win send customers
in in a fine glow and with good appetite.
A man will call for terrapin or game and
oysters and champagne, for that's the way
he feels. His blood Is warm and he Is
full Of plans for big business deals next
day. II he has a lady with him he will
get all kinds Of sweets and then he'll
order something special done up for her
in a box to take home. He will give the
waiter generous tip and 60 out to his cab
oT his motor feeling like prince.
watch the same man on one Of these
mean. damp nasty nights. he comes in
cross as a bear and his disposition 10 so
apparent that IL he asks the waiter what's
good on the bill of fare a man who knows
his business will not suggest anything.
Just as sure as he does it proves failure,
even II it's .Ls finest there is.
On rainy night l just mention oysters
and see that get good fresh ones, and then
| put all the sauces near at hand and just
stand around looking sympathetic and let
them tempt their appetites by ordering
one thing at time. IL the oysters are
good soup will occur to them, and when
they get that far they will go on 10
else.
spitf ~ un,, eort ~ axnnot m rnan IN