The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-01-17
THE ~UNIMPORTANCE OF
IMPORTANT MEN
BY Junius ]. y. Gray.

Inc CITY WAS uulIS puSs, puI IL IL
had not been so l would have been
alarmed, and not at all alone in the
surprise. 1t would be a waste of time
to attempt to describe Just how busy
everybody was, hurrying to and fro,
on foot and in cabs.
I had been talking-principally ask
ing questions-and walking. l did not
take to the cabs readily, because of a
feeling that there ] would be shut off
somewhat from the rush and o of
the much alive metropolis. Just for
the novelty of it occasionally l rode
the horse cars, but not for long, for
| had 10 G since learned to hurry as
did the native New Workers.. Like the
busy throngs that are hurried here
and there, l sometimes rode the sur
face or trolley cars, but for quicker
transportation, would take an IL" or
Sub" train.
AS has been said, I asked many
questions, not unlike the newspaper
reporters. l knew that questions we're
not popular in the city. If they were
unpopular, the proper answers there
to were more so. l was also sufficient
ly acquainted to know that there was
not much street> manners or polite
ness in vogue in the great city. So
when a gruff voice replied to my
queries: I'm no walking encyclo-
pedia," or See the information bu-
reau at -" I took it all good ma
turedIy and not allowing the express
sions to create thte least insult. l was
aware that many persons really did
not have time to give ~justifiable an
swers; irritable by nature or rendered
so by thousands of too frequent pre-
vious inquiries, would find it easier,
in keeping with their dispositions, to
swear than give the desired informa-
ton; still others were blind to every
thing but the insignificant illumina-
5 tions of their own sphere, and not to
overlook the practical joker. There
fore, the best answers to my questions
] on the street usually came from the
;. lips of boys, who, emitting exceptions,
tell the truth when the interview is
t not p~rearranged..
On this occasion I had been out of
town for several days. Returning,
reached Little Old New York" by way
of the Pennsylvania ferry from the
i Jersey side. Wanting a little extra
ride and especially fond of the Hud
I son breeze, went up to West Twenty
third street. Leaving the ferry
walked over to Broadway, where
stopped on the southwest corner Of
Broadway and T~wenty-third. 1t was
u early in January. AS I stood there a
clock from somewhere behind me an
nounced the noon hour, and the clang
= ing strokes were twelve times heard
above the noises of the streets, which
:, we're filed with persons On foot and il
! the common carriers rushing from
thousand offices and other places o
N business to nearby cafes and homes.
"Noonextrah! Noonuxtrah!" yelle'
a number of boys with as any bundle
lie of papers. 1 bought a journal" iron
one of the boys nearest to me, And a
Is / was wont to do at every opening, be
lie gan asking question::
"How long are you.on duty, my littl
u man." I inquired.
= I'm playing quits, now, boss" wa
- the reply from a boy about II year
~ old.
Then what do you do?"
go t. school till this evenin', the
1 put on another extra till nine"
II. so, you're really a busy boy, eh?
10 What do you do" he asked wit
III true boyish inquiry and less premi
in tured manhood so often found in tn
~ boys of the greater cities, although
d, probably by contact, he had much
the slang accent characteristic of til
to street urchin who also sells papers fc
h, cigarette money and even for sust
?" nance and to keep him war durin
ly the icy winter months with days
cold as the n of which / refer you.
IT am a statistician," 1 replied.
"And your name?" he asked, lookir
up into y face.
~ "Winfeld-Cecil Winfield" was IL
answer.
The boy seemed to be deep
thought then, but soon continued:
he q" don't remember seeing yo'
he name-and l didn't know they had CT
he ored men to take statistics?-say,
re you know that old man, right there
he went on, apparently abruptly chan
ing the subject.
Out in the street near the car tra'
stood a man of about fifty or ffty-fi'
On years. He was short and stout, rat
lc) er corpulent. His face was squa
a with jaws firmly set, and as he turn
III toward the sidewalk | noticed that
NC possessed a set of keen, piercing eye
1h' His face was covered with a stub
ou beard of some two weeks growth, al
his hair streaked with gray. He wo
a SLOUGH hat hat had been long in h
service judging from its appearance
impressed, well worn long black ovt
to coat that showed but little of t
all, black trousers slightly rayeled at t
bottom. His foot covering was a pt
Pa of heavy, flat-heel shoes.
lld mo, who is he?" l asked, centeri
The my attention and interest upon t
les man awaiting the arrival of a dow
town car.
"They say when he first came to t
city he was a statistician of sol
kind. But now he's a millionaire
power in Wall street, my dad says
% How did he make his money!