The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-03
THEY PITY FOREIGNERS
WHO cRiTlclSE THEM
Strangers From 1.-THE Provin-
ces Regarded Good-Natur-
eddy, but With Somewhat
contemptuous liberation.
(ay Ford L. Thorpe.)

Yorker is Of his Broadway. the Great
White Way OF Manhattan literature.
It's brilliancy, its Injuries. even its
vices, he gloats over, even though ne
may never himself come nearer the
luxuries and vices than stroll along
the sidewalk, or ride in surface
car. Many young clerk leaves his
hall bed room at night, attired in his
"happy apparel and with hardly the
price OF a ham sandwich in his peck
ct, to stroll along Broadway and i'm
ngine himself a part of the gay and
swift set which patronizes It's cafes
and restaurants. This Broadway wor-
ship was once habit: now 1t has be-
come . disease.
Strangers Tolerated.
The visitor to New York who won
eers at the sky scrapers is regarded
with good-natured, though somewhat
contemptuous tolerance. The for
eigher may criticize the manner of
New Workers., and they pity him.
Amusement at the general wicked
ness Of the city or its wealth. or at
It's poverty, no longer even interests
the blase New Yorker. But let any
visitor, American or foreigner speak
slightingiy OF Broadway or fail to be
Impressed by it's splendors, and the
New Yorker is filed with righteous
Indignation.
A visitor from abroad may praise
New York's gallery Of art. may praise
It's public Libraries. its parks and phi
lanthropists. and never cause ripple.
But let him go into raptures over the
"Great White Way" and his popu-
larity is securer.
Ferrerro 10 "vVised."
AS they would say on the Bowery,
some one must have "wised" Profess
Bor Guglielmo Ferrero, OF Italy, to
this peculiar condition of the New
York mind, for since the Professors
advent in our midst he has ticlxled
New York almost to death by his full
minating over Broadway. 1t must be
borne in mind that Professor Ferrero
ID an eminent historian and a recog-
nized authority on ancient history.
New Workers went into ecstacies,
therefore, when he told them that the
Injuries of Broadway made the vaunt-
I'd Injuries OF the ancient Romans
look like thirty cents. OF course he
didn't use this slang expression. The
Professors English has that stilted
correctness Of highly educated aliens
who learn to speak the mother tongue
Of old England. But the meaning was
there just the same, and his utter
ances have made New York happier
Than It has been since the Singer
lowers ceased to be the worlds won
der.
Would Amaze Augustus.
Some Of the things Professor Fer
zero said may be Of interest to even
those poor humans whom dire mis-
fortune compels to live elsewhere
than In Little Old New York" 'If
the Emepror Augustus should stroll
down this Broadway of yours this
evening" said the Professor, che
would be astonished by the splendor
Of It all. He could we'll say, Rome
Was never like this Or IL you will
let US imagine one of your men of
Broadway-one OF the thoroughly up-
tO-date gentlemen suddenly trans
ported back over the centuries to the
Rome OF Nero, Of Caligula and Lu-
cullus. He would find it q dun place
Indeed. for there would not be light
a the streets after dark.
Where would he go? Occasionally
be would see flicker OF flame where
bomo citizen was making his way
around with torch, or he might get
q glimpse OF the lights in the home of
some patrician who was making a
feast by night, although such a pro-
cedure would be unusual indeed.
Perhaps he would like supper. He
would md a few little wineshops,
where some of the vintage OF the
country were sold with sausages and
small cakes, and they would be closed
ct night. The old Roman did not 20
10 restaurants. and there would be
none which our friend could FREE
uuent throughout the night. Ten bril-
liant festivals, the great dinners. were
all by day, for there were no facili-
ties for brilliant illumination.
'creat White Way"
Time has exaggerated the splendor
OF these feasts, and the tempting de-
licasies which We read Of would seem
tame indeed to = visitor from the
Great White Way The dwellings, In
which ancient Rome sheltered patric-
hams would hardly be considered good
enough Tor the socalled middle
classes. Life n the days when Rome
was It tho height Of ito luxury would
- considered very slow BY the man
from latter day New York. How early
~ would have 10 got MP. Rome would
~ ast1r by the break Of day. and about
the time the New Yorker would be.
come interested In what was going on
everybody would be going to bed. All
~ thsatsTs had tAslssDse1o<manceeSl