The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-31
The Rediscovery Of D'Artagnan.

The Rediscovery Of D'Artagnan.
Took noon train for New York. The
country east Of WashingtOn-the rich
east-looked like a bank of clay and
an expanse Of underbrush to me.
Looking at the city of Baltimore from
the car window. was struck with the
similarity of the buildings. residence
and business houses. AL alike, block
after block of them. Same size, same
design. same everything. Only way a
man could tell his own house would
be to count from the corner and re-
member the number.
Philadelphia is twenty miles long
east and west where the Pennsylvania
road runs through that city. Don't
know how wide it is.
Discussion Of McAlpin Hotel.
Mitchell feeling better. Still kept
on diet by the doc" and me. He and
the doc" put in most Of the after
noon roasting me about my choice OF
the hotel in New York City. picked
the McAlpin as a stopping place on
the advice of a friend. They doubted
If there was such a hotel. Hinted that
it was run down, on a back street,
had a false front. only three stories
high, sagged in one corner, ETC.. and
so on. I stood pat and let them rave
When we walked up Thirty-fourth
blocks to Broadway and came upon
this McAlpin hoste1ry these scoffers
were dumb. 1t lowered up twenty
nine stories and had a front of mar
BILE and inside decorations of white
marble. 1 did not say anything.
But Mitchell is a man who knows not
the uses OF that term. But his little
Queruious figures of speech were gone.
He moved with sOundless lips when
he tried to talk further about that
hotel They yanked us up towards
the clouds in an express elevator Ono
stop for this car below 18th floor'')
and let US of at the 21st floor. 1t
soon had me going-this hotel had
picked SO far in advance. Too far
from our room to the office. I am a
simple resident of a town iD the far
and brindle fringe for me. I would
have traded my interest in that hotel
for a three-story boarding house up
the Hudson river towards Tarrytown.
On Broadway.
We went to a Broadway restaurant
for supper and Mitchell ordered q
lobster. The doc" and held a con-
sulation and barred the crab with the
big pincers from the menu. Mitchell
roared like walrus but we were firm.
We compromised on oysters and Crane
& Co.'S secretary ate a dozen, each as
large as ham.
Went to the Hippodrome that night.
ALI rubes from the country go to the
Hippodrome. But just the same it is
the theatrical spectacle OF this cOun-
try in class alone. Mitchell and
"gawked' and thrilled and enjoyed it
like two kids from the country see
ing their first circus. We are not
proud. my brethering. We marveled
greatly over that show and speculated
\ n1r h d. <xko
| ties helped them to perform.
| Then the Printshops.
| Next moTning-yes, we went to a
printshop first thing. We were work.
ing for the state. The American Book
Co. has q big printing plant in New
York as well as Cincinnati and we
walked on foot through every foot of
1t and sat down on a truck or pile
of paper to rest whenever I had a
chance. Mitchell, who is a fine look
ing man, and has a taking way with
him, engaged the attention of the su-
perintendent and I, who look simple
rather than impressive, talked to the
pressmen and printers.
When we got back to the hotel
there was a pile of telephone calls as
high as a cats back at the clerks
desk waiting for U.S. The machinery
men were again on our trail. Went
to a Broadway show. They had a
nVe-ptece orchestra ana 1t was one OF
their star houses. The Crawfords have
seven pieces at the Grand in little old
lTopeeky.
Went to bed fearing the worst about
those machinery men. Sure enough
they walked us in the morning via the
telephone. Mitchell was rousted out
and went to Jersey City.
They Wanted to See Mitchell
AS said before, Mitchell has a com
manding presence and talks business
like Lombard Jew. These New Yori
machinery men noted these thing!
and it was Mitchell always that they
wanted to see. I would answer 9
phone call and the voice over the wire
would inquire for Mitchell. 1 wOult
reply that Mitchell was out and theY
give my name. But the voice at tht
other end of the wire would invariably
reply: Tell Mitchell I called and
ask him to call me when he comes in.
My name did not interest any of thest
.allers. 1t was the same when mel
anne to the room. They wanted t.
see Mitchell, and my small talk ant
efforts to be polite and entertaining
Came to naught. They evtdentl.
] thought / was Mitchelfs valet. Onl,
once in New York did get machin
!. cry man to talk to me, and then 1t wa
= brought about by strategy. A mai
called and asked for Mitchell. I wa
> desperate by now. SO I answered tina
this was Mitchell talking. The maj
|. then went on to tell me about certain
= | OF his goods and chattels he though
beat adapted for the Kansas printing