The Yale expositor., 1911-02-16
LIFE IN new YORK
How 1t May Run In a Deep Rut
In the Matter of Locality. >
LAMENT OF A MAN WHO MOVED
The Homesickness That Came With
Working Uptown After Twenty
Years of Routine Travel to and From
and In the Downtown District.


There are thousands and thousands
Of men in New York city whose busi-
ness has been confined TO one district
for twenty years or more whose daily
routine seldom fuctuates, who ara
punctual IN travelling by certain
train every day in the week, who reach
their offices, barring tie-ups. at n regu-
lar hour and take up their daily grind
and hold to it until the hour Of closing.
Many of these men unconsciously get
to know and make friends OF people
whose names they never learn. They
become attached to localities In
strange sort Of way and do not realize
how strong is the attachment. Here
is the story Of one of them into whose
life there has come change through
moving that startles and surprises
him and throws quaint light upon
some of the city's people.
I'm the twenty years that L was
downtown" the man said In telling his
experience, 81 was in the habit, wealth
er permitting, Of taking n walk after
the luncheon hour every day In some
street between City Hall and the Bat
terry. l have footed every bit OF un-
built ground In that territory. What
marvellous changes have come IN those
twenty years! How many signs on
buildings have changed I'm that time!
How many houses have been pulled
down. How many new ones have gone
up, some Of them towering skyWard,
TO take the places of the Landmarks?
81 got TO know the lower end OF
town so we'll could shut my eyes and
make n mental picture OF many OF the
blocks and see the names on the build
ings. II / wanted any article. from
shoelaces TO anything elaborate, knew
exactly where to get them. II some
particular dish were desired 1 knew
where 1t could be served and just what
II would cost.
"a great city never stands still II
Is as restless as the great deep. But
the man who becomes a part Of IL
does not think until he gets away from
the part of 1t where he has done bust
ness what the changes are. When
began my strolls there were no tun-
nels under the two rivers. In the
years that have drifted away great
bridges have been constructed be-
tween Manhattan and Long Island.
It does not seem long since 1 used to
hear the restless puff of the coal fed
locomotives of the elevated system,
yet so gradually did the old order pass
that l do not distinctly recall when
the present system was installed
"The changes that took place in
business firms were interesting. Many
many times l have seen the name Of
the man who established trade taken
down and that OF his son or sons take
its place SO frequently were the
same people met in the same place
and at the same hour that we nodded
as we passed, although none of us
knew the name Of the nodder.
~Not long ago the business with
Which l am connected made a jump
uptown. Never until / took my traps
uptown had / any occasion to walk In
the street where our new building
stands. The first day 1 went out to
luncheon l had to search for res
taurant. 1t seemed odd. l saw peo-
pie never saw before. read signs
one of my fool habits-I never read
before. Many Of the vehicles that
passed were quite unlike those 1 used
to see downtown.
Il had to change my hour and route
for coming to business. For awhile I
had to watch the street signs to know
where to get off. How L missed the
familiar call Of the guard of the car
for l always came down in the same
car ir the makeup of the elevatea
train-the one / always boarded az
the same hour.
And that makes me think. 1 came
to know by their faces most OF the
passengers who boarded that train at
my station. / knew where most OF
them got off, Now that l am in new
quarters In n new section / miss all
these people with whom / Travelled for
years. Do they miss me, wonder?
And the many whom / came TO
know downtown-how they will be
missedl There is the old street preach
er who used to stand on soap box
near Wall street or on the stone steps
of the custom house and talk to people
In the summer days and again In the
days that betokened the coming Of au-
tumn. Then there were the Lenten
days when / spent a part of my hour
at Trinity or In old St Paul's. 1 came
to know the regular attendants on
those services so that the strangers
became conspicuous. There are no
street preachers in the new district TO
which / have gone. l wonder why
the middle district of the great city
doesn't need spiritual direction as well
as the downtown districts.
And so Il seems sometimes that 1
am I'm a new town, among new people,
seeing new buildings, reading new
signs, hearing new voices, but all In
the same old New York. And when j
think of the old walks I have taken
downtown, the old buildings that I
passed so often that they became as
familiar 40 tho faceq I mot and naver