The New York herald., 1920-01-18
Bv EZRA KNOX,
a Herald Writer of Long Ago.


future I will call our city. Perhaps
there should be little clear-up on the
word absence" for the impression that
residence in Sing Sing, Dannemora or any
other resort of that kind had exiled me
from New York would be erroneous. have
been back to the city from two to . dozen
times every year since left. but on those
occasions have only been visiting. Take
1t from, one who has done both. there 10
as much difference between visiting and
living in New York as there is-well, as
there is between the wood alcohol decoc-
ton and rare old Burgundy. Excuse US.
but we are bound to use those liquid fig
ures Of speech Just for memory's sake for
the next few years.
Don't get the idea I have ever suffered
from newyorkitis. that not uncommon at
Fiction which makes men think they
would rather be the Broadway lamp posts
than the whole electric light works in any
other city. These men take issue with
the late j. Caesar. who declared he would
rather be first in a small Iberian village
than second in Rome. My favortte poet
In those days was Byron r. Newton. and
the only poem which / ever knew him
to write was entitled Manhattan" He
called 1t ''delirium" and said some other
things about US. This poem has recently
been revived by the Anti-Saloon League
and presented as evidence that we are
bad. In my more mature years I am
bound to say that as a poet Mr.. Newton
is great Collector of the Port OF New
York. In my youthful days ] used to re-
cite that poem with enthusiasm, and with
all the reverence which in those olden.
golden days a half-drunken man would
recite Kipling. To digress for the mo-
ment. no one has ever explained why Kip
ling Is. or rather was, the poet of the
souse. but l venture to say he has been
quoted more over high ball glasses than
any other man who has ever flirted with
ink. 1t has always been mystery to me
hat the Anti-Saloon League has not tried
to suppress his works.
He Went Away.
Thinking | did not care for New York.
when good chance came for me to leave
The city left. You will realize some Of
the changes II you will let your mind go
back ten years. Mayor Gaynor had just
been inducted into office and Charles F.
Murphy had paid his first visit to the City
Hall. William Howard Taft was. Presi-
dent and the Peary-Cook controversy was
raging. In those ten years I lived in San
Francisco and Los Angeles and some bush
league and tank towns in the East which
| will not mention for fear Of arousng the
ire Of the secretaries Of the local cham
bers Of commerce. A short time ago a
corporation came along and made me an
offer to return to New York. The offer,
was so attractive / had no excuse for re-
fusing it, and. anyway. I wanted to come
back.
The change more than all others In New
York of today and of a decade ago which
has Impressed me is not the increase In
the cost of living, but the almost impossi-
blity to get any place to. live at the
present time at anything like a decent
price. A visitor never knows about this
hing. did not know about II and. In
act. lived here a month before realized
I. ! was living at one Of the large new
hotels. leaving every week. and. knowing
Of the demand for hotel rooms, used to
reserve mine we'll in advance. About the
middle Of December I left at the office
reservation for December %. December %
and January 4. The clerk said he would
accept the December reservations. but he
could do nothing for me on the one in
January. was a trifle piqued. for ]
thought ] was permanent fixture In the
hotel. but refused to worry and started
out to find a place to Live. And then the
fun began.
Mind you, had more than two weeks &
find the place and thought 1t was going
be easy. I did not prepare any specfica
tions. but I knew In my own mind what
wanted. First. Of all the place had to be
clean and there had to be a private bath
Then / wanted good bed, either one
large room or two small ones. and a
kitchenette. or the privilege OF maxine
my morning coffee with an electric perco-
lator. II may be one Of the idiosyncrasies
of age. but | do not like to make my own
coffee. knew the kind. OF place-I wanted
for was living in one at the time left
New York ten years ago. There were
two rooms. a bath and kitchenette. also
an ice box. which in these days OF great
drouth ] am not so particular about I
am never going to spend much money for
ice to keep cool one-half OF one per cent
beer. / thought I wanted to get a. place
in Greenwich Village. and do you know
that Greenwich Village. not as geo.
graphical subdivision, but as an institu-
tion has been developed in the last ten
years? Who in 1910 would have thought
Of fine theatre being erected in that
locality? .
'The Weary Search.
After my tilt with the hotel clerk in
vested two cents In the EVENING TELEGRAM.
1t has more advertisements for rooms and
apa rtments than all the rest OF the New
York papers combined, and when saw
|
easy. In fact. felt rather pleased that
the hotel to all intents and purposes had
elected me. and had visions OF nice
little place where could entertain my
friends. Believing IT pays TO- aovertise'
set forth in a carefully worded advertise
ment just what wanted, then waited lor
the people to welcome me.
! l received replies. quite good many. put
I fear some of the people who wrote 10
me had failed to read the advertisement.
and the rest had made up their minds
was a new millionaire from Texas ana
they were going to get while the getting
was good. There we're places wncn suited
me all right, but the kind OF a place paid
$50 for ten years ago Is now being quoted
from $50 to $3.50 a month.
Well, have been at II now Tor ABOUT
four weeks have looked at enough
places to house an army, PROVIDED sa'd
army did not care very much about the
housing have received flatterins de-
scriptions Of places over the telephone or
by letter only to investigate and flnd tnere
was no heat, or no hot water or no some
thing which think is quite essential 70
my comfort. have found out that Green-
wlch Village rentals are almost II not quite
on par with those of Fifth avenue. one
IT,