Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-12-29
LIFE IN new YORK
How It May Fun In a Deep Rui
In the Matter of Locality.
LAMENT OF A MAN WHO MOVED
Tho Homesickness That Came With
Working Uptown After Twenty
Years of Routine Travel to and From
and In tho Downtown District.

There are thousands and thousands
Of men in New York city whose bust.
ness has been confined to one district
for twenty years or more, whose daily
rout inc seldom 1uctuatcs, who are
punctual iii travelling by certain
train every day in the week, who reach
their offices. barring tie-ups, ut n regu.
lar hour and take up their daily grind
and hold to it until the hour of closing.
Many Of these men uHconsciously get
to know and make friends Of people
whose names they never learn. They
become attached to localities In a
strang sort Of way and do not realize
how strong IS the attachment. Here
Is the story of one OF them into whose
life there has come a change through
him and throws Il quaint light upon
some Of the city's people.
in the twenty years that was
downtown" the man said III telling his
experience, Il was in the habit, wealth
er permitting, Of taking n walk after
the luncheon hour every day in some
street between City Hall and the Bat
terry. / have footed every bit Of I'M
built ground in that territory. What
marvellous changes have come in those
twenty years! How many signs on
buildings have changed in that time!
How many houses have been pulled
down! How many new ones have gone
up, some OF them towering skyward,
to take the places Of the landmarks?
Il got to know the lower end Of
town SO we'll could shut my eyes md
make a mental picture Of many Of the
blocks and see the M mes ON the build
ings. If | wanted any article, from
shoelaccs to anything elaborate, knew
exactly where to get them. II some
particular dish were desired l knew
where it could be served and just what
1t would cost.
"a great city meyer stands still. 1t
Is as restless as the great deep. But
the man who becomes part Of it
does not think until he gets away from
the part Of it where he has done bust
ness what the changes are. When
began my Strolls there were no tun
ncS under the two rivers. In the
years that have drftcd away great
bridges have hccn constructed be-
tween Manhattan and Long Island.
1t does not seem long since l used to
hear the restless puff Of the coal fed
locomotives Of the elevated system.
yet so gradually did the Old order pass
that l do not iSinctly recall when
the present system was installed.
'rThe changes that took place In
business firms were interesting. Many,
many times l have seen the name of
the man who established a trade taken
down and that Of his son or SONS take
its pa G. so Frequently were the
same people met in the same place
and ut the same hour that we nodded
as we passed, although none Of us
know the name Of the nodder.
mot long ago the business with
Which l am connected made jump
uptown. Never until took my traps
nptoT''n had l any occasion to walk in
the street where our new building
stands. The first day went out tc
luncheon had to search for res.
taurant 1t seemed odd. I saw pee
pie l never saw before. read signs
one Of my fool habits-1 never read
before. Many Of The vehicles that
passed were quite unlike those l used
to sec 1nWntOWn
II had to change my hour and route
for coming to business. For awhile |
had to watch the street signs to know
where to get Off How I missed the
familiar call Of the guard of the car
for l always came down in the same
car in the makeup Of the elevated
(rain-the one l always boarded ut
the same hour.
And that makes me think. came
to know by their faces most of the
passengers who boarded that train at
my station. I knew where most Of
them got off. Now that am in new
quarters in new section l miss all
Will W uJlll tIuNcltu
years. DO they miss me, l wonder?
"And the many whom l came to
know downtown-how they will be
missed! There is the old street preach.
er who uscl to stand on a soap box
near Wall street or on the stone steps
Of the custom house and talk to people
in the summer days and again in the
days that betokened the coming of au-
tumn. Then there were the Lenten
days when l spent part of my hour
at Trinity or in old st. Paul's. came
to know the regular attendants on
these services so that the strangers
became conspicuous. There are no
street preachers in the new district to
which / have gone. wonder why
the middle district Of the great city
doesn't need spiritual direction as well
rs the downtown districts.
"AnI so it seems sometimes that I |
am in a new town, among new people,
seeing new buildings, reading new
signs. bearing new voices, but all in
tho same old New York And when l |
think of the old walks I have taken |
downtown, the old buildings that l /