The labor world., 1908-08-08

know-they did not know, how It would go. Would
it be success? Should it be failure Helm? No.
body could say. But now when they know. Why. all
the world will buy up Second Avenue"
With his finger Napoleon drew his rough map on
the counterpane and placed his hand fiat upon por-
tion of 1t. Napoleon sulzberger," he concluded,
'shal buy this here block, by this here subway sta
tion for this here new Big Store:"
Next day Suzherger went two blocks north, to look
over the ground Yes, it was all right. There was
the cross-town horsecar line That was the logical
place. the only place for the subway station For ten
blocks north and south there was no other place.
Il shall buy this block" he whispered to himself
He mused as he stood there ON the corner The de-
velopment in rapid transit reminded him Of his own
career. He had begun not many years ago. selling
soiled cloaks at Schifleins little stand along the
horse-car line. He and Miriam had lived In one room
Then he had bought up little eight-foot Wide cloak
store the avenue and there had been the Elevated
noisy, NUMBERING clumsy, thing that had to be- just
as secondhand cloak-stores had to be. And when
the cables and the trolley-cars had come in on the
avenue, sulzberger had stepped into plate glass
front and had sold new goods.
And now he owned the Big store-a big bunch OF
old buildings, repainted connected together in huge
mass added to- remodeled strengthened coalesced.
Ugly it was but It sulzbergers where you could
buy anything from a. toothpick to portable house.
If this here subway only to me instead OF
my going to this here subway was his daily tnoUgnt
But there was help for it. In week he had Sc
cured options the whole block two streets north.
He paid for them, and he got long options
But Sulzberger, who had been hagglng all his life
didn't haggle now. He wasn't buying real estate a.
real estate; he buying ground on which the New.
Big Store would stand sucking into its open maw the
tens Of thousands who would pass that way when
the Second Avenue Subway had become an accom-
plished fact. He secured his options Their totals
staggered him. But he knew that there was but one
thing to do. He must own that block. Otherwise
somebody else might build big store on that corner
Three months later he opened his newspaper one
morning, and the blood rushed into his face as he
read headline: -" '~'.. =
SUBWAY FOR SECOND AVENUE"
Yes, the public had it now. 1t was every mans
secret And there was rush for Second Avenue prop
erty. sulzberger laughed in glee, and that night
again stepped into his wites room and again found
her sitting up in bed, s. S = 4%$f4 j.. .y4@ j.
II have been offered five prices for my building on
that subway corner" he said. Ct ..><| <zas< "a
Then you should sell :, <-s" ~
Napoleon only laughed WHO offers, do you think1
Yergmann!" ".. ss.E5%.. =. .s.s| ~. 4
Miriam gasped. 'Yerg1nann-of Fourth avenue!"
+ "Ah! He, the biggest Of us an, he would Invade
this here Second Avenue, he and his Btores Sure!"
III he should pay ten prices" !" vsntured Miriam.
Napoleon sulzberger snorted. His blood In hin
@ veins. ''H he should pay twenty prices 4 10 said.
n. che does not set IT.