The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-02
MAIN STREET AN
ABYSS OF SHADOW,
BUILDINGS DARK

incidence TO the fuel conservation or
t gtrs mere is practically universal. Al
enoush lmperfectly understood, with no
authorized agent to interpret or enforce
ne regulations Of the regional fuel com
ulttee OF Atlanta and with only the
newspaper account OF the rulings as a
pass OF information, the citizens Of
memphis followed the letter and spirit
~ ~ ne orders as strictly as II an officer
Oh the law was patroling every block
IN me city. When in doubt as to the
meaning OF The orders the general rule
was to accept the maximum restrictions,
rather than risk doing an Injustice to
| a competitor.
| The wartime restrictions nj the win.
yer OF 1918 were generally accepted as
me rule for interpreting the orders. Ev-
! eryone was familiar with those orders
| winch were never more strictly enforced
man they were accepted Monday night
MAIN MAIN street was one long streak Of
gloom, defined only by the single lights
burning at the top OF the lamp posts
| me display windows were all dark ex-
| cept Tor an occasional streak of light
| through the doorway Of a drug store,
theater or hotel, The darkness on Main
street was even more noticeable than
on the side streets, because of the alb
sence OF its usual brilliant Illumination
and scores of beautiful electric signs
Elevators Stop.
+ Many former soldiers who we're
! over there" for the last two winters,
got their first taste of the war time re-
strIcttons enforced in this country dur
ing their pbsence, when they ventured
| uptown Monday and tried In vain to
purchase a package Of clEarets after
O'Clock. An even more vivid impression
OF those restrictions was enforced on
one former soldier employed on the six |
teenth floor OF the Exchange building
When he rang for an elevator about |
o'clock Monday, onl yto read a sign |
| posted in the center Of the lobby-"No !
pm. TO 8 am"
Following an Interpretation Of William
d. kyser, United States district attor- |
/ ney, the building managers Of the prin- ,
cipal office buildings banked the fires
IN the furnaces at o'clock and cut off
all elevator service, and In some in
stances all electric current. Although
| railway offices and doctors offices were
exempt from the restrictions, the build |
Ing managers could think OF no plan |
OF serving these offices and denying ser
closed at o'clock
=, The street car company failed to an
ticipate the rush that followed the early |
closing order and as q result there was
great crowding of cars and long waits
at the corners until o'clock schedules |
could be applied to the early rush. The |
modified to meet the new conditions.
People Shop Early.
The early shopping slogan needed
little urging, for Tuesday morning |
there was hardly a store in which there
were. not numbers OF people waiting at |
the door to get in at the o'clock open |
ing hour The lobbys OF the office |
buildings were also crowded awaiting |
the resumption of elevator service at |
nine |
Only one man demanded elevator ser |
vice before that hour and got 1t. He |
was the mail carrier. Arrangements |
had been made for his accommoda ton |
where the regular delivery was made |
before the opening hour.
There was great disappointment for |
many In the theater crowds when they |
entered the dimly lighted drug stores
after the show for their drinks at the |
soda fountain. The confectionery stores |
were all closed, and as for buying any |
thing at the soda fountain or getting |
cigarets or tobacco, the drug stores
might as vel have been closed
The restaurants, using only half their |
lights, were open as usual, but only for I
serving food. Although there may have |
been exceptions, the rule was that |
man could not even buy cigar with |
question as to whether the coke" fiend |
could be sold bottle of the famous
beverage II he included sandwich |
with the order.
The department stores were crowded |
when the closing hour came, but all
ing customers had to continue their
shopping until another day Only the
grocery and meat markets remained
open until o'clock, In order to accom-
modate customers employed until 4
o'clock. On account Of the enforced
short hours 1t was thought that such
persons should not be compelled to
loose any additional time by leave still
earlier to buy their food supplies.
There were of course few viola
lions OF the spirit Of the order, usually
through a misunderstanding OF the or
ders. but in the absence OF any author
alive Interpretation such instances were
bound to occur.