The Tupelo journal., 1910-08-19

And then the fire chief came in with
a grievance, and the head Of the de-
partment Of water, gas and electricity
and other officials. So the whole day
passed, and SO does the whole year
pass for the mayor Of Skyscraper
City.
"A strange sort of place indeed, this
CITY," you will say. where Is it?"
Skyscraper City, to enlighten you. is
a ubiquitous community located In
every part Of the Uiited States where
land has become SO valuable that, in
stead of capitalists building owe a
large area, they build In a limited
space, and straight toward the clouds.
In plain words, it is lone other than
the great modern skyscraper, with its
population as great, in many cases., as
that of a third class municipality.
"But the mayor" you will say. who
ever heard of a mayor of a building? 2"
Yes, the mayor. You have heard
of a superintendent of a building, and
If the superintendent of a s~kyscraper
housing from five to twelve thousand
people has not as much right to the
title of mayor as the chief executive
of a community Of, say n thousand,
spread along a couple of streets,
where the city limits are marked out
by fence rails and stone walls, then
the United States Is not a democratic
country.
Building operations can't go on with
the spirit of emulation that now holds
between contractors without the Sky.
scraper City of a few years hence
being in sore need of a real munci.
pal administration. with a mayor, al.
dermen and all the other public serv-
ants that make annual elections nee
essary. It has them all now under
| different names.
There are, for instance, the mem
bers of the health department, which
| sanitary body consists Of a corps OF
able bodied women, equipped with
mops and pals and compelling voices
That corps of women alone is spffi'
cient to suggest an analogy between
! Skyscraper City and a representa-
tive American municipality, and should
| give the former a lasting right to the
name Of a thriving city.
| Policemen on Patrol.
Chen there are the members of the
, paiice department, whose main duty
In the suppression of criminality Is to
see that no one walks off with any
part of the building or its contents
These are the watchmen, who patrol
continuously night and day, and the
main differences between them and the
police of your recognized city are that
they are paid less and are, perhaps
not subject to periodical charges ol
graft. Nor do they have to parade fol
composed Of the electricians and as
who stand out in the sun, dofine
their hats and smiling approvingly, the
while patting each other on the bach
in appreciation of the department they
have developed.
What more heroic and picturesque
body is there than the fire depart
ment, with it's red shirted or blue
shirted. or any other color shirted
men, ready and eager to grapple with
flames or anything else, under any
conditions and at every moment? In
Skyscraper City the fire department
consists of an efficient band of men as
well trained as the firemen of a large
municipality and equipped with all the
latest devices for combating flames.
And there is the department oil
water, gas and electricity, the latter
composed of the electricians and as
sistants In the engine room. These
large buildings do not depend upor
outside sources for their electricity
They have thoroughly equipped plants
for manufacturing their own. AS fal
as the water department Is concern
ed. one New York s~kyscraper has
pumping station that is capable Of
supplying sufficient water to furnish
a city of 100000 people.
Now here Is where the similarity
between the skyscraper and the recog
nized city is made strongly apparent
Skyscraper City often has within It's
BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHMENTS WulCu CdL
supply every need of a hungry. thirsty
dirty, naked citizen.
No need to die of starvation were
you to be confined for life in Sky
scraper City while its restaurants are
able to get a dinner together. It's cafe
would Danish all fear of longing fol
something to render the throat and
stomach more comfortable without
hope of receiving it. It's haberdashery
and tailor could clothe you in the lat
est fashion; it's shoe store would at
tend to the task Of keeping your feet
we'll shod. It's baths would be ever
ready to open their arms to you. Your
every want for things ~procurable only
in a confectioner's shop would be fill
ed, while you would merely have tc
go downstairs should you feel that
your happiness might be enhanced by
a fragrant cigar. The fruit stand Is
on the main floor, left.