The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-08-26

/ 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 win say. where Is it,"
Skyscraper City, to enllghten you, is
ubiquitous community located in
/ every part of the Uiited States where
/ land has become so valuable that, in
stead of capitalists building over a
large area they build in a limited
space. and straight toward the clouds.
/ In plain words, it is none 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?"
Yes, the mayor You have heard
of a superintendent of a building, and
| if the superintendent of skyscraper
/ 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 one 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 democratic
country.
Building operations can't 90 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 1t 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 sufi-
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.
Then there are the members of the
police department, whose main duty
in the suppression of criminality is to
see that no one walks off with any
part of the building or it's 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 of
graft. Nor do they have TO parade for
composed of the electricians and as
who stand out in the sun, doffing
their hats and smiling approvingly, the
while patting each other on the back
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
we'll trained as the fremen Of large
municipality and equipped with all the
latest devices for combating flames.
And there is the department of
water, gas and electricity, the latter
composed of the elecricians and as
sistants in the engine room. These
large buildings do not depend upon
outside sources for their electricity.
They have thoroughly equipped plants
for manufacturing their own. As far
as the water department is concern
ed, one New York skyscraper has
pumping station that is capable of
supplying sufficient water to furnish
city Of 35O,0O0 people
Now here is where the similarity
betwe the skyscraper and the recog-
nized city is made strongly apparent. |
Skyscraper City often has within its
boundaries establishments which can
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 for
to render the throat and |
more comfortable without
hope of receiving it. Its 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 to
20 downstairs should you feel that
your happiness might be enhanced by
4 fragrant cigar. The fruit stand is
1n the main floor, left