The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-30
THE BABEL IN NEW YORK.

From the New York Telegram. r EFT us hope they don't all speak at once.
 A From Harlem Heights to pan handlers beat" at the foot of the Bow cry, across the bridge through Brooklyn and on to Brownsville, there is convinc- ing evidence New York city is a babel of voices, no mistake, speaking a greater number of languages than is heard In any other city In the world. London comes next, but is by no means close second in the race for linguistic cham pionship.
 Here there are the murmurs, mumbles, cries and oratory of all nations. with an allotted section in the city for every indi- vidual language that has strayed in to the harbor from Europe, Asia, Africa and Ellis Island.
 Nearly every colony has its restau rants of "home cooking" it's theatres with home talent" it's merchants with American wares, it's neghborly cafe in tenements, games in streets, corner trag edies or comedies-all enacted or per- formed with a flavor of the native land.
 Even in the Fifth avenue and Broadway restaurants it is not unusual to hear con versations in Armenian, Italian, Hun garian, Finnish, Spanish, Russian. Greek, Dutch and, of course, French and Ger man. A goulish babel in rhetoric with an American metropitan setting
 In Houston and Mott streets, near Sew ard park, Mulberry street, Chatham square, Brooklyn Bridge and all the in- tervening streets one may know that what he is listening to is something of the Arabic, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Croa- tan (both Balkan), Bohemian, Slavonic, Roumanian. Polish, Portuguese, Syrian, Welsh, Chinese. There are few Japanese in this territory, but up town, near Co., lumbia university, there is a most re- spectable little colony, 36 members of which are enrolled as students.
 These colonies have their own indi- vidual festivals and celebrations, with proud marching of the German turn ver- eins, not, however, confined to any one locality in this case, as the Germans are found generously all over Manhattan and the Bronx; there is the jubilee over Gar ibaldi's birth. the trailing Chinese dragon, the Creeks tribute to their immortal he- roes, and frequently the Greek pipes are heard through the long nights of sum- mer.
 There are, too. the eager Slavophiles at Bohemian theatres, the wandering Hun garian musicians and the oratory of the ardent Russians.
 Tbara fo Sunday achooI in fhe Row. cry which absorbs through it's attend ants united Italy, modern Helas, France, Germany, and numbers of Greek Cath olics, Jews and Joss worshipers
 There is the Hungarian quarter, begin ming at Fourth street, Avenue c, extend ing half mile north, with the social life centering in restaurants about Seward park
 The Yiddish section runs from Houston East Broadway.
 The heart of the Italian quarter is at Spring and Mulberry streets.
 Chinatown is off Chatham square and embraces Mott and Doyers streets.
 The Greek assembly of citizens is found in Washington street, near Brook lyn bridge
 The Syrian is close to the Greek.
 The French are mostly found off Wash ington square and in Seventh avenue
 Jews exist all the way over to Will liamsburg, starting a little east of the Bowery, while Roumanians, Russians, Austrians and Germans fill up the vacant spots to Brooklyn and right on to Brownsville. There are any number of Italians around the Navy yard, in Brook yn.
 In the Bronx there are many of the Jewish race, as well as in most streets of the upper west side.
 The Irish hug the North river in the Forties and further up. while there are in addition, many of them in the First ward in Brooklyn.
 .'Where are the Scandinavians and Nor wegians?v I asked of MT. K. P. Heaton, of the Charity Organization society.
 "They scatter naturally, as nearly all are in domestic service in New York city or go west to Minnesota and the Dako- tas, where they think they will find