The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-24
ED HOWE'S NOTES.
AtchisOn Editors First COntri.
button ON His Trip.
Taken for a Confidence Man in
New York.
BIG CITY SCARES HIM.
Doesn't Feel at Ease Until He
Is in a Hotel.
His Impressions of the American
Metropolis.
BIG CITY SCARES HIM
Wednesday. January 10. 1910.

I arrived in New York this morning,
and, being a stranger, the city seems
admirable to me. The New York news
papers tell how inefficient the police
and street railways are, but 1 have no
occasion to find fault with either AT
the station. four OF us entered an au-
tomobile, which found its way to the
Waldorf without difficulty, although
there was a terrific crush on the streets.
Occasionally our driver was held up by
a policeman standing in the middle OF
the street, who seemed to have charge
of the street traffic. When our turn
came, we were permitted to proceed.
The Waldorf is II or Is blocks from the
station. One dollar for four passen-
gers was the charge. That seems rea-
sonable enough; 1 have often paid a
hackman as much to carry me home
from the union station in Atchison.
A big city scares me, and I never
feel at ease until 1 am located in a
room at a hotel. Then 1 can look out
the window, and feel more at home.
After awhile, I venture down stairs,
and become familiar with the hotel
lobby, and maybe 1 venture a block
away, knowing 1 have a room to re-
turn to. By degrees, I become holder,
and finally venture into the Roar, and
go down town, or up town.
This morning while L was in my room
at the Waldorf, looking down on the
busy scene in the street below, / saw
a man who interested me. Evidently
he had just arrived from the country,
and was bewildered, although he was
trying to look careless and unconcern-
ed. He carried a little grip he had
probably borrowed from his wife, and
was smoking a cigar but I could see
the Roar of New York was too much
for him, as it always is for me.
roted kat his sack coat was too short
a trouble 1 often have, although when
/ try to get my coat made long enough,
the tailor usually makes 1t too long.
The man amused me so much, and
felt so much al home in my room, that
I determined to go down and become
acquainte ed with him. So 1 went out
to the elevator had learned how to
get up and down-passed through the
crowded lobby of the hotel, crossed the
street with some difficulty. and over to
N here the man from the west was still
standing. He saw me coming, and
watched me with good deal OF IN
terest.
GOOD morning" I said, conscious
that / wasn't doing very well, ARE
you from the west? am from Kan
sas'' ''-@
The man backed away from he, and
regarded me with suspicion ;, 10
Never mind where I'm from, ne
replied. in answer to my friendly over
lures, 1--WE heard of you New York
fellows who claim to be from Kansas,
and if you don't go on away, ana let
me alone, I'll call a policeman
1 was tremendously embarrassed, ana
no doubt 1 acted like the confidence
man the stranger believed me to be.
20, I'm all right I said: I'm
stranger myself in New York. 1 can
show you letters to prove I'm all
right"
Il don't want to see your letters, he
said, starting toward a street car
which was approaching, but looking
back as though he expected me TO grao 0
him. He swung onto the platform OF
the car, while 1 was still looking fool
lsh. and disappeared. No doubt, When
n real Hungry Joe found him, he told
of being accosted on the street by
dangerous looking man; and no doupt
the real Hungry Joe told him MS eau
tion was greatly to has credit.
I don't seem to be g, good mixer, al
though nv intentions are right. When
advance a good political idea IN the
Globe, the real Hungry Joes OF Kan
sas make the people believe l am try
ing to deceive them, although L am only
pleading for common sense ana tne
hest interests of all. I am convinced
that I lack all the qualities necessary
in a leader. Old Bill White can utter
clarion note in the Emporla Gazette'
and, by the time it has appeared IN
the Kansas lily Quar-, tAlO 'tSNSS
aroused, but 1 can't do 1t.
This morning 1 enjoyed the novelty of
being shaved on railroad train run
ming so miles an hour. There is oil
ference: the barber takes short, quick
strokes. and lifts the razor away lronl
YOUR FACE after every stroke. Tralnmen
who passed through the shop called the
barber joe and Joe was easily the au-
tocrat of all the train employees. I was
shaved while running down the HUDSON
river and Joe pointed out objects of in
terest The train stenographer came in
while L was being shaved, and Joe
spoke quite sharply to him, 1 thought.
Joe also bossed the ladies' maid, and
the Pullman conductor. Joe says it is
1uite difficult to learn to become
train barber; that some men are never
able to learn the art, and quit in dis
The New York Central has four
tracks between Buffalo and Albany;
two between Albany and New York
city. and they are almost perfect. Joe
says the rails weigh one hundred and
pounds per (whatever the
standard is for telling about the weight
If rails). Faithful as 1 am to the Cen
trail Branch, I am compelled to ac-
knowledge that it has no such track as
the New York Central has. Joe says
that the ocean tide reaches a point
hundred miles above New York city;
hat at a point fifty miles above the
city, the tide rises and falls six feet in
he Hudson river. Ice cutters were at
work along the upper part of the river;
thousands of them, and the view is al
most ruined by ice houses. which are
always ugly.
At places, the Hudson river is no
more picturesque than the Missouri, but
at others, mountains are seen in the
distance. Joe says these ice houses got
Banker Morse into the Atlanta peni-
tertiary for fifteen years; Banker
Morse was connected with the New
FORK ice trust. Joe is of the opinion
that the judge hit Banker Morse pretty
hard, and think SO, too, since his Of
tense was only a technical one. War