The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-01-11
CLEANING UP HORACE GREELEY
BtTHED ERE HE'S FINALLY
pIT ~ ms OID PIiCE.
Banishcd for Time by the Hulldlng Of
the We \doo Tubes, Hes Restored. hut
Not intii the Accumulated Dust Of
Wan, DAYS Has Bccn Scruhird ar.

Mr Horace Greeley Of Greeley Square,
this city, was bath"d publicly yesterday
afternoon. There was no stirring of the
classic whisker. no lifting of the heavy
eyebrow to indic ate that Mr. Greeley was
in any way perturhcd
II may be said with all due respect for
the permanent genius of Greeley Square
that he sorely needed wha. hc received
yesterday Mr. Greeley's general as
p.ct had been bordering on the secdv
and there were stars on his wide spre adj
ing frock coat which seemed TO hs in
dica,iva of careessncss or abstraction.
But If the truth must he told. these marks
were accumulated in the many months
that Mr. Greeley has been III retirement.
When more than a year ago the Hud-
son and Manhattan Raih Dad sappers
and miners began to worm their way IN
sixth avenue TO a terminus a Greeley
Square the bronze editor in his easy char
viewed with alarm the impending in
stability of his pedestal. His cravest
fears were realized when some engineers
came along with derrick. lifted has char
and himself over TO an unohtrusive posi-
ton in the little triangle of sod and
btlllJ u lluN DON III ulll'dll''l punt a.
about him For many months Mr. Greeley
could only guess what was doing out
where his chair ought 20 be.
Also. and incidentally. much dust aC-
cumulated on his rainent The SCOT
from donkey hoists powdered through
the cracks Of his pine box onto his un-
protected head. Lime and plastc" slit-
iups smearnd his bland ColintenanCr. Tho
urgency Of bath increased from week
to week until when ten days ago the sub
way people unboxed Mr.. Greeley and
hoisted him once more ia his plot over
looking Greeley Square he was FAR from
being fit TO meet old friends
II must have been the traffic policeman
who da-ss dcatt among the automobiles
al Thirtv-third Broadway and Sixth
avenue who caught the flicker OF annoy -
anCc which passed over the Greeley rae"
in moments of embarrassment II must
have been that kind hearted traffic regu-
lator who carried 20 the offices OF m"
Hudson and Manhattan people llttle
tip for the relief of Mr. GrecIeys mortIfl-
cation.
At anv rate young engineer whose
rockets sprouted with tallow candles ana
who wore a pluminet ior WATCH ,Gp
pilotad two Of the subway company :
best Turkish bath rubbers to Greeley
Square nj 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon
They brought pals Of suds. little brushes
and two ladders When the parapher-
nalia was deposited az the feet OF Mr;
Greeley the ready Broadway crowd
gathered
TO add TO what might have been the
irving circumstances Of the bathing,
there were two photographers on hand,
An irreverent person who had paused
between oascs to see what was 10 be seen
on his tourney Of Joy took OF his hat ana
cheered raucousy when the two bath
rubbers placed their ladders IN position
and scaled them with their pals OF s'ids
and their little brushes even to the dome
of Mr. Greeley's head,
With almost rcverent tolch the Two
rubbers applied their brushes 10 Mr.
Greeley's forehead, bringing the bristles
down with soothing gesture. There
was soap in Mr. Greeley's eye, but he
blinked not. there was an inevitable
tickling of his nose, but not for one in
stant did he lose the pleasant expres sion OF
benignity Taxis halted in their wild
careers, a coal wagon blocked traffic Tor
a minute, crowds continued 10 gather
II was a full hour before the washing
of Mr.. Greeley was completed, nor did
he have the benefit of a towel al any
stage OF the process Near the end when
a beam of grateful appreciation shone
from the editorial eye an itinerant boot
black begged OF the traffic cop the honor
Of giving Mr., Greeley shine He was
gently denied