The Washington herald., 1919-10-21
NEW YORK CITY
By o. o. McMTYRE

New York. Oct 2o-rhe Manhattan
millionaire used to be an object of
curious giances wherever he went.
Necks craned at the opera. at the the
ater and on the streets. I remember
running three blocks on Broadway to
look into the brilliantly lighted limou-
sine OF the late J. Pierpont Morgan.
But that was before the war! The
other day I passed three millionaires,
known to me by reputation. in q walk
from Columbus Circle to the Waldorf.
Not soul turned to look at them.
Nobody can get q thrill over the mere
look at a millionaire any more.
Conservative estimates based on in
come tax returus show that there are
about 10000 new millionaires since the
war. Many Of them are obscure and
found sudden wealth literally thrust
upon them. The majority live In New
York or. since wealth came to them,
make their headquarters here.
Thus the millionaire passes the Man.
hattanese without the slightest show
Of being recognised. "Of the million
aires created since the war;" says A.
M. Andrews, q prominent investment
banker of New York and Chicago, "it
Is not fair to assume q very great
percentage Of profiteers.
Many men had this wealth literal
ly forced on them. Men who perhaps
had hoped to accumulate $l00, 900 dur
ing their lifetime have gone past this
mark without recognizing 1t or re-
membering they had 1t until they
found themselves In the millionaire
class.
During the past fve years, the
small manufacturer has become equal
in wealth Of his former leaders. We
have seen the small investor make
many thousand per cent on his securi-
ties bought for income purposes. be-
cause he Just happened to own shares
In a small rather than q large corpo-
ration"
The truth is that war has always
meant a redistribution OF wealth-a
new deal all around. The rise of Beth
lehem Steel from 80 to more than 100
per share in less than two years. and
Of General Motors from IS to 800 in
about the same time. has become an
cient history and forgotten in Wall
Street. There are scores Of other
such cases-unheard of by the general
public-which have brought the new
crop of millionaires into their new
and rosy existence.
The park commissioner Of New York
has a sense of fitness Of things He
has placed a number Of benches in OBJ
scure wooded places-near great rocks
and little lakes. He says frankly they
are for people interested in metaphys-
les. astronomy and other subjects
where solitude Is an essential. OF
course the benches lining the Mall
where the lustre OF the neat yellow
lights take the Joy out OF lovemaking
are for the married folk.
William MacHarg. who writes
novels with his brother-in-law. Edwin
Balmer. had an appointment to meet
an editor in the lobby Of the Astor
the other evening at the dinner hour
When he arrived he hunted around
for the editor and in going around q
corner stumbled against him
II beg your pardon" said the man.
II beg your pardon" replied Mr..
MacHarg.
Ten minutes later his watch and
chain were discovered to be missing
This Is happening daily In all Of the
large New York hotels. The police
seem powerless to stop the crime
wave.
On West street there Is a little res
taurant frequented by the marketmen.
Most of the patrons breakfast at 4
o'clock. Giant laborers order twelvs
wheatcakes at a time and drink five
and six cups Of coffee. It is said that
the marketmen are the biggest eaters
In the city. They are the men who
sill chew tobacco-almost a lost art
in New York. Healthy? They al
ways greet the dawn with songs and
jigs. Dyspepsia Is something unknown
to them,