The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-30
CONFESSIONS OF A MAN WHO
BUTTED IN
By burgess JOHNSON

W Z ! nrst came to the city I had an
~ overlooking love for my fellow men
and a deep interest In their welfare.
Even my first few failures to right obvious
wrongs did little to check this exuberant humani-
tarianism.
I recall that Oh my second day In an East
Side boarding house I saw from the window .
serious fight between two small boys. badly
matched as to size. | hurried out aud pushing
my way through the surrounding crowd pried
them apart.
The two pugilists promptly turned upon me
and as l was fighting them OF q policeman ar.
rested the three Of us. Only the Intervention Of
my landlady saved me from the station house. aud
her interest was plainly due to the fact that !
owed her for two days board and lodging. For
the following week or two I could see that she
regarded me with suspicion as a riotous person.
In this way more than In any other New York
city differs from n country village. In the village
1t is your business tn interest yourself in the az
fairs ~ your neighlors. In New York city 1t il
your business not To. So far a the country viii
lagc is concerned this is right aud proper. II no
one cared what any one else was about it would
he II dreadfully dull and also n cold blooded spot.
On the other hand. | suppose the metropolitan
attitude is all rhythm the metropolis. These
miscellaneous crowds seem to get along better il
each individual attends to his own affairs.
Trouble comes when you mix the two COM
munity points OF view. Picture the New Yorker
taking n house In Hahkville. VI. Mrs. Jones hur-
ries In from next door. Ostensibly to offer her
services. but In reality In find out whether Mrs.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES keeps servants. aud
whether she does IN her own preserves or buys
them NJ The grocery store. Mrs. Higgins comes
In from the other side. ostcnsibly to offer her
services. hut really to find out whether Mrs.
Cholmondeley-S mythe Uses linen or cotton sheets.
ON the other haul. picture the native 81 Hank.
Vile as n newcomer In New York. I do not have
Ia use imagination. I just rcmemlcr myself.
Once. In those early days Of residence my wrath
was reused 10y a conductor on n street car who
spoke In brutal tones Ia an old lady; she merely
insisted that she had already paid her fare. I
even followed him Ia the rear PLATFORM. where I
argued him into a grumbling silence. ON re-
turning to my place with the expectation NJ rc-
cciving well merited thanks. or az least n crate
ful smile. I found that she had left the car hy
III" front door. leaving three transfer tickets in
the seat she had occupied.
Drunken men alw as seemed To me- to I've do
serving "f pity and assistance in the crowded
city thoronghfares. l learned all too late that II
oil" lends All arm to n lnrching ,Irunkar,l the
lurches communicate themselves To tho inherent
party-and was cMt coldly by the ~l,rctticst ~
m! fellow honr,lers. VIII" met me- Keeling M Fourth
avenue nrm In arm with n sep,ly companions. I
had rescued him from nm impending ,axicah. and
he said he was looking for his grandmother
h"u>" NJ the corner " Fifth and sixth avenues.
II IL were not for hGbriiHe> I think my faith
In hui.an nature and my desire. I" IN. of aid To-
helpless fellow beings might hav. kept warm Il
little longer. Adm. them was almost nm nI,s.s-
sion with mo In those early days.
I recall that once ! pushed through n sidewalks
"i'strncting crowd t" the side ~ u ~>waying. bleary