Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-20

Canada and Mexico and most of South
America, what the Place de la Concorde
is to Europe, the center of a continent.
Ling Acre square is not very long; It
is more than an acre and it Is not square,
yet that is its name, beloved. by its habi-
tues, and no laws of the state or ordi-
nances' of aldermen can change 1t. The
space to which the name applies is that
irregular widening of Broadway as that
t~horoughfare make its slow crossing Of
Seventh avenue, where the two combine
at Forty-third street. to their separation
at Forty-seventh street, only four blocks
in length, and at no point much wider
than many broad village streets.
But Long Acre district, as distinguished
from the square, is more extensive, begin
ming at Broadway and hirty-eighth street
and spreading for about half a mile to
Fifth avenue on the east and Eighth ave-
nue. on the west. Within that compact
little patch of Manhattan there are, to be
exact, twenty-one first-class theaters, about
the same number OF clubs, among them
some of the finest and most exclusive in
the city; Americas most famous restau-
rants, including Delmonico's, Sherry's,
Shanley's, Rector's, ChurchilIs, Harvey's
and the restaurants OF the Hotel Aston
and Knickerbocker
Hotels by the Dozen.
There are not less than a dozen hotels,
such as the Algonquin, Iroquois, Seymour,
Royalton, Woodstock, any of which twenty
years ago would be observed for It's great
size and elegance. There are literally hun
dreds of apartment houses of every grade
of excellence; there are artist studios where
artists paint and studios where people of
no visible means Of support seem to exist
in comfort and even luxury, and there are
furnished room houses where people some
times go hungry. II is even said that there
are gambling establishments and resorts OF
other kinds whereof nearly all who know
the Acre are familiar-except the police.
But one mentions such sorts for the value
of contrast; the characteristic of the Acre
is gayety. light, laughter. good dressing.
feeding. drinking and good fellowship. and
If people will crawl into its corners and
starve there they fail to diminish the gen.
eral tone of the Acre, which is exceedingly
llvely-nOt deadly at all.
Before consideration is given to the &C
tivities OF the Acre which have I'm so short
a time made it the best known spot in
America, the most written about, the
Mecca not only of the stranger in New
York. but of all New York as well. a bill
of a stroll about the district will help tc
an understanding of the mighty forces
social, professional and business, whicl
converge in the Acre itself. Take, first
the two short blocks running east from
the center Of the Acre. Forty-fourth street
Some Features of the Square.
Az the corner of the Acre is the Criterion
theater and a few steps toward Fifth ave
nue. one comes to two little French restau
rants as unlike anything on the Acre it
self as may be, yet of the Acre, too. An,
then some little hotels, such as the Hotc
Royal, nome of notably prosperous show
girls, and OF ZONE who nave been, as. 70
instance, Mrs. Harry Thaw.
A little further is that surprising Walters
club, in size and appointment equal I
many of the old and aristocratic clubs. A
most opposite is the fine club house OF tn
Alpha Delta Phi society, and a few step
further the Lambs. oldest of America
players clubs and an offspring of a stl
older Lambs Of London. Opposite that
the Hudson theater and Just beyond tn
Hotel Gerard, built when that block wa
almost out in the country and surprised
find itself now in such lively company.
Then. on the same side of the street,
Belasco's Stuyvesant theater, where b.
~lasco's fellow San Franciscan, David Wa
field. has made fame and fortune. Beyon
that, but stul west of Sixth aven0e, is n
street entrance C. Bu-ns'. with It's sma
paned windows. its coy lace curtained VIII
dow seats, looking like some old Englii
Inn OF the q~uietest and sedatest class. o
Burns!
Opposite you see an empty brown-stor
raahaanna ana a.. -, =, hY4NaIun A., 81
Acre district is q novelty. you inquiI