Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-08-17
Ben Bear Writes Interesting Letter
From the City of New York.
THE NEW RAILROAD STATIONS
A Visit to the Sea Shore, the Auto
Display Rooms, the Great New
Department Store, and
Other Places in the
Great American
City.
New York Office of Ben Bear,
No. 6S7 Broadway.
August 13, 1910.

NO. 6S7 Broadway.
August 13. 1910.
My dear Editor:
On my arrival at my Office in this
city, / found amongst my mail, an
invitation from a social club, OF
which / was a member 35 years
ago when left New York, asking
me to join them at dinner to
commemorate the 38th anniversary
of the club. The name of this club
has always been known as "The
Boys" 1t is evident there is some
spirit of early boyhood left in U.S.
even If our hairs may be grey, az
we aim to meet once a year, though
personally / cannot always be pres
ent. was especially delighted al
the unique way the invitation read
which was as follows:
"Come. dear old friend, you and
Will steal an hour from days gone
by,
The merry days of long ago,
When you was Bill and / was Joe."
Those of us who are still here,
and there are but few, enjoyed
the evening immensely, talking of
olden days, and we certainly had a
most delightful time, renewing
former good fellowship.
l find in looking about the city,
although there has been some COM
plaint about financial and CONNER
cial business being quiet, it is at
least not in evidence here, as more
buildings are going up than ever
before, and the city surely looks
very prosperous. 1t is not anything
unusual, and in fact common oc-
curence, to see a building outlined
in steel, Illuminated to such an ex-
tent. that the workmen can build
at night, as well as during the day
found the immense Gimbel build
ing completed on the exterior.
whereas when / was here six
months ago, it had just been start
ed, and IL shows how speedily these
big buildings are being constructed
at the present time. To give you an
idea of the immense capacity of the
building, this firm will carry over
$6,000,000 worth of merchandise,
which you will admit will afford
quite selection to their customers.
1t is to be complete department
store. and the largest of it's kind
in the city. 1t might be we'll to
know that Gimbel Bros. are West
erners and have been able to de-
monstrate to the East their superior
ability. The location of this new
store is on 33d street and 9Th ave-
nue., adjoining the new Pennsyl-
vania depot, so it offers very
choice location. This spot ten
years ago was considered of but
little value for retail business. and
property about this section has in
creased beyond all former records.
In fact. property in almost any
part of the city has advanced at
a terrific pace within the last ten
years. This is especially the case
in the section between 25th and
44th streets for business purposes.
In fact, the general trade is moving
up town. SO it will not be many
years before 72d street, which was
considered one of the finest resi-
dent streets, will be converted to
the uses of the retail trade.
Auto sales rooms are occupying
prominent space on Broadway,
from 44th street to 10th street,
and you would be surprised to see
beautiful display rooms, as some of
them are fitted with mosaic floor
ing and marble pillars, in fact, they
are fitted up as fine as money can
do 1t, and one would almost be-
lieve the auto is an ornament for
the parlor instead of outdoor use.
You will remember / mentioned
that the Pennsylvania depot was in
progress when i was here last, and
since then the course of construc-
tion has been very rapid and l was
surprised to find the. station COM
pleted, except the interior. decora-
tions, and the tracks Of which 40
lay side by side. by actual count,
all completed with the latest Of
electric attachments. The build
ing itself Is two blocks in width
and 700 feet long, with immense
restaurants, ladies' parlors and
every possible convenience that one
could conceive of. The tracks are
placed between 80 and 100 feet be-
low the street and steel girders
are being put up. SO that in the
future buildings can be erected
from the level of the streets. The
trains will come to the city directly
under the Hudson river, into the
pennsylvania station, and will save
passengers at least forty minutes
and the trouble of changing from
train to ferry, as the depot is virtu-
ally In the heart OF the city. With
the Pennsylvania station complet-
ed and the new New York Central
depot. now being erected, finished,
New York City will have the great
est railroad construction and faciH