The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-15
FIJI NEW o r IDEA.
S%warthmoro Grieves for Our Architects
ana MOtOruen.

To THE Eplron OF THE SuN-SI: 4
resident of New York city for a twenty
year term now lapsed. I return thither
frequently, and always with hope that
I shall find I'm sorry l left. But ! was
over last week. My business took me
to two loci. Thirty-fourth street and
Forty-second street at Fifth avenue
and Fourth avenue respectively It will
he granted. New York city at Its mean.
And 7 attained, walking east on Thirty
fourth street, TO a state Of large luxury
through following with the eye the
austere lines of that most fine store
building that occupies the north block
from avenue to avenue. Alas. mad !
but withdrawn my sense dwelling o
fraction earlier! Suddenly I perceived
at the Madison avenue end that clear
cornice fouled by a small pile OF three
or four stories grated on tho noble
wholc-nay. smeared on Il! The cornice
was not even broken: had II been the
vandalism had seemed less. But here
was this shocking banal unitarian
packing box Uplifting a lucid and elo-
quent structure into insanity and denial.
And II may be New York has wept
itself to emptiness. but II seemed to me
New York sauntered. empty OF any
sense OF atrocity. emptily b..
Commenting. q Bit sourly perhaps. on
what appeared to me very typical OF New
York's drive to Its efficient" effects over
and at the cost Of even its own art,
swung down the steps at Thirty.fourth
street and boarded a n~orthbound car.
Now this is a mere interlude. but II
was a tragedy to me. I've been In
many trans In many cities In the world,
but anything like that start! The
way New York motormen treat their
passengers would only De tolerated By
the only city In the world which rides
only In its own city. This d~isintegrat-
ing Jolt was arraigned by Arnold Ben
nett when over here, to be sure in re-
spect Of the railroads but ] claim his
testimony II only to recall his delicious
converse OF the English conveyance
starting rs unobtr usively AZ a bad habit
SO I was sprung of at the Belmont cor.
ner. my second locus, and paused to take
a look after several months interval al
another architectural rampant. the
Grand Central station.
! do not purpose q reaction to the
architecture Of this temple. but here's
what I saw finally. and you sec I am
confessing that I brought my eyes ex.
plicitly to little things. a series OF
| frames stretched t~ransversely or the
esplanade to an uncertain height. These
had held originally gunny or some sucr
fabric which had been rent by weather
and wind and Haunted now. an incredi'
bly, filthy yet OF streamers. at the cardi'
nal aesthetic point Of n OF the show
facades OF America You will say the
esplsnade IL unfinished that such I'm
! pedimenta, &c. You will more likely
say there's no such thing there at all
But whichever you say-and neithei
would he pertinent even II granted
this is what 7 say: First. typical New
York has not seen and never Will see
these excresccn,ial nodules OF ugiiness
second. II wouldn't care ~ IL did SEE
them third. lastly and ~cl!nchingly. !
wouldn't care that Il didn't care! II
that isn't the New York idea to a pir
point I'd like 20 know what Is.
Have you ever gone away from 9
friend In poor health whom you hac
viewed complacently for years as Jus
a little pale. q return aghast at tbs
rava-es Of a disease that had grown
actually no worse? s. Il. WILSON.
~WARTHMo Pa. MarCh IA.