New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-21
East Side Throngs
Watch AS Draft
Numbers Appear
Rumors of Riots Fall Flat
Crowds are Enthusiastic
but Calm
"Six two nine two!"

"Six two nine twol"
An old man standing at the entrance
to Seward Park, on East Broadway,
gasped the words as they appeared on
the bulletin of Yiddish daily paper
late yesterday afternoon. For a mo-
ment he stood as if stunned. Then
he told the crowd of several hundred
men and women who were there for
the same purpose that his son had
been chosen.
81 20 to tell HMM the factory"
the old man said, unable to keep the
tears back. "He will go to fight, but
I would want him to stay by his old
papa"
The old man hobbled off. The crowd
at Seward Park grew greater as the
stream of men and women began to
pour out of the East Side factories.
Boys screamed out that the two thou
sandth number had been reached. The
crowd dug into its pockets and
purchased the extras, eagerly scan
ming the long lists of figures 20 ma
there the fate of some son, husband,
brother or sweetheart. Occasionally
there was a gasp-half of relief, half
Of sorrow. And until late at night the
crowd, swelling continually, waited for
the numbers to appear which would
mean a change of existence for thou
sands Of families.
There were those who had predicted
that riots would occur among the radl-
cal elements of the East Side on Draft
Day. The East Side gave the lie to
such a rumor. Quietly, calmly, enthu-
siastically, the young men of the dis
trict queried at board headquarters for
their red ink numbers from dawn until
dusk Occasionally the number that
applied at a district headquarters was
too great for the small staff to handle
and word Of "riots" reached police pre-
cincts. But the police reserves who
answered the call found nothing to do
but to go back.
Many Extra Clerks Needed
Because OF the great number of
Young men who stormed the Hebrew
Sheltering and Immigrant aid Society,
at 229 East Broadway, for their red ink
serial numbers, i was found necessary
by DR.. Max Hrsdansky, chairman Of
the board to post typewriter lists In
the windows Of an empty store at
Montgomery and Division streets. AT
many Of the public schools which
served as headquarters it was found
imperative TO press into service dozens
of extra clerks to answer the Inquiries
of young men, wives, mothers, sweet
hearts and fathers. Whole families
sometimes accompanied their young
men to the board headquarters, eager
to learn whether their boy" would be
called.
"You can't find out here" was the
information continually su pplied by
the clerks, who by late afternoon
showed signs Of irritation. Read the
newspapers.
One of the men who was drawn I'M
der the first number. 258, was Nicholas
J. Scotellaro, of 1913 Mulberry Street.
When he got his serial number from
his local exemption board Thursday
night he made bet that it would be
the first one chosen. Scotellaro col
lected his wager at IL o'clock yesterday
morning.
"I'm not much of fighter" said the
young man, "but I'll do my bit with
the rest Of them"
"Id go with him II ] WASH: so DID,"
declared his father, Joseph, who keeps
a drygoods store at ITO Mulberry Street.
On the fourth floor Of tenement at
60 Montgomery Street, Mrs. Anna Pas
six, mother Of Rubin Passik, heard
from the lips Of a reporter that her
son had been conscripted. The aged
woman dropped her preparations for
the Sabbath and cried:
"My boy? Oh, I can't can't let him
20 lie must stay at home to take care
OF me. don't want him to go to war.
Please, mister. tell me that he won't
have to 60"
In a much different tone spoke little
Mrs. Israel Mascl, Of 81 Attorney
Street. The woman is bride Of only
three months.
IF my husband wants to CO." she
said, 81 shall not stand in his way and
will try TO find myself some kind Of
work to do"
Many of the men who had been
drawn under the number 258 could not
te found at the East Side addresses
supplied by the board clerks. 1t was
seid that in large part this was due
TO erroneous addresses given by the
men themselves.