Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-02-07
Ben Bear WRITES
FROM new YORK
Well Known ClOthier is on His SD
Purchasing Trip to the Great
Metropolis.
NEW YORK FULL OF
WAR EXCITEMENT NOW
Much Anxiety Felt as to Results
From Breaking Diplomatic
Relations With Germany.

Hotel Knickerbocker,
New York, Feb. 4, 1917.
My Dear Editor:-
Even though every hotel in the
city is crowded, l managed to get
comfortable place to stay, and am
pleasantly located in the above naEl-
ed hotel. No matter where you go
you find crowd of people, and
don't remember any time in my for
ty years travel, when the city has
been SO filed as at this time. Hotels
are overworked, theatres are crowd
ed, restaurants at meal times are
packed. As to surface cars, sub
ways, elevated trains, as we'll as 9th
er conveyances, they are all taxed to
the limit, and indeed one can truth
fully say, this is an overcrowdei
city. My trip coming was pleasant,
and let me say, it was fast too. as
came on the Century Limited 20
hour train, leaving Chicago at IL: 40
at noon, arriving in New York at
.9:40 the next morning. When l first
made these trips the same distance
took two nights and one day, so you
can see what wonderful advance
forward in forty years. And let me
say also that the New York Central
terminal is far different than it was
when left New York for the west.
This railway depot Is one great ele-
CANT structure, and so arranged that
passengers to and fro can find their
way without any serious difficulty.
want to tell you just word about
this Twentieth Century Limited
train. Every car is of all steel con-
Istruction, and these cars are about
$4,000 pounds heavier than the steel
framed wooden cars. The sleeping
cars weigh 100000 pounds each.
The locomotive and tender weigh oy-
er 100000 pounds, and the electric
engine which pulls the train up to
New York weighs more than 20O,-
900 pounds. The weight of one of
these trains when made up is S25
tons. Every convenience and COM
fort that the human mind could
think of is found here.
You find stenographer, valet, barber
and shower bath, Libraries, ladies
maid; in short, you have the same
accommodations here as in the fin
est hotel in America. And travelling
on one Of these trains is certainly
luxury. Weather conditions were
nice the first few days, but satur-
day it turned severely cold and l,
was almost impossible to cross a
street on account of the strong all
currents. This seems to be the tai
end of the storm out west, which
guess you have all experienced.
The city has been full of excite.
ment since / came, and last Satur.
day when President Wilson recalled
Ambassador Gerard from Berlin
and the German envoy received his
passports, matters were brought to 8
climax, and since then there has
been great anxiety as to events tC
follow. The German note on the un
restricted U-Boat campaign and tht
breaking of the agreement mad,
some time ago by Germany with tn,
IUlited States, seems to be the rea
cause of breaking off relations. For
merly it was understood that pas
lsenger boats and merchant vessel
would be allowed to proceed unmo
Tested, where as now such will b,
attacked. Saturday l witnessed tn,
departure of English and Frenci
ocehn liners, carrying American
passengers, and should any of thes,
vessels be torpedoed and America.
lives lost. conditions will becom,
very critical The whole matter ha,
tcOme about so suddenly that W,
can hardly realize that we are nea,
state of war, as our past experien
ces has been in the exchange o
notes. and it is hoped here that thi.
serious difficulty will be in som.
way solved, and friendly relation,
Twill be restored. Our government
has been striving so hard to main
tain peace and SO far has succeeded
And being the leading nation of tn.
world out OF war. it was thought W.
|could, solve and settle the difRcultie.
|of Europe. And let us still hope a
that Such will take place. Happen
ings Of all kinds may come hour,
and by the time this letter reache.
lyou. conditions may. be entirel,
| Continued on page, 50