The Washington herald., 1918-11-07

New York. Nov. s.-The wind that
whips through the narrow canyons
of Wall Street Ia the coolest in the
world. II bites into the marrow OF
men, empurples their noses and
frosts their ears. talked to a man
the other day who had faced the
bleak winds Of Alaska and he pre-
fers them to the wind that swir,s
through New York's money mart.
At ten o'clock on a wintry morn
ing when Wall Street begins to
seethe with activity for the day a
visit to Wall Street is like visiting
a world apart. A fair haired mes
senger boy. chewing tobacco. with
cherubic innocence hides behind the
great fur coat of a hulking magnate
who can write checks for a milton.
| Out of the mouth of a subway
kiosk comes a square jswed man
with finty eyes and that naughty
way that movie bankers have. Fol-
low him to his lair and IT will be
found that he is Secretary" with
the soul OF a mouse. He keeps pCo-
pie away from The Boss by his look
of frightfulness and yet a stern
word from the boss will send him
pslsied from the presence of the
great
wall Street '"secretaries" are Sc
lected for their ability to look
stern. At night they may be found
around the tables of Washington
Square inns such as the Purple Pup
or the HeliOtrope Heifer damning
the idle rich.
Every half block there is the
shoe-lace merchant Year in and
L.
trays of laces. why they ere so
seems to know. 1t is just Cne Of
the queer twists of metropolitan
life that cannot be explained.
Wall Street clerks are so used 10
rubbing elbows with financial great
ness that Pumping sQusrely into J..
P. Morgan. jr.. Frank Vanderlip.
means no more in their life than
jostIing the old apple woman of
Broad Street.
At noon when the huge sky
scrapers discharge their thousands
the Bishop OF Wall Street takes his
stand on the corner OF Wall and
Broad streets in the shadow Of the
stock exchange. He is a fine figure
of a man in his ecclesiastical cos
tune, his wide hat and silvery hair.
He always has his audience. u"
docs not preach sermons. lie talks
and tries to give a spiritual touch TO
the men who are engrossed in money
making materialism all day long.
That is Wall Street from 10 in the
morning until at night, but after
that il is the most deserted spot in
all New York. Only the lonely night
watchmen guarding the golden boards
are seen. Little steam geysers come
up through the manholes creating a
fog. In the doorways are shirt
J sleeved elevator men pufHnig a,
peaceful pipes. A stranger incites sus-
. picion. Curious eyes follow him as
) necks are craned from doorways
: Three people in Wall Street at mid
night is a crowd. Such a crowd might
} bring the police reserves.
He is a little lean leathery China
man who might be anywhere from a
{ to 100. The sign in front OF his lsun-
dry reads Hop Long. His shop is just
Of the BoweTy, and he works hard
for very little money. The Bowery
does not pay high prices for such
o non-essentials as laundry.
And yet Hop Long wears a Liberty
Bond button. Further inquiry devel-
, , oped that he had drawn out all his
savings from a bank and had pulleC
up money from whatever hiding
places a Chinaman uses-opium car
or slipper toe-Rnd subscribed for $40
worth of bonds. using all his cash
, and pledging himself for the rest
/, And they still refer to Hop Ions
: and his kind as the heather Chinee. q
, As an evidence Of how highly prizec
e is petrol in New York. take the cas-,
OF the theft Of the automobile a doc.
tor left unguarded while he went into
Bellevue Hospital The car was found
two blocks away. The thieves, or
finding the gasoline tank empty, hac
abandoned it.