The Washington herald., 1921-07-16
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NV YORK, July 15.-It was
midnight at Herald Square. This
great triangular edifice than once
hummed with life Is dark. Night
birds of the Tenderioin crept to
their roosts along the Broadway
side. Street hawkers, old news
paper yenders. professional begears
and the jobless huddled together
like so many sparrows.
A white haired old man in a molt.
ing fur coat, despite the heat, mum.
bled lines from Hamlet. An actor
AT Liberty"-perhaps for all time.
what the bleedin ell is the old
bloke ravin' atT' queried a SQUAT
man with cockney accent. A DO
liceman strolled by and the hum Of
conversation died down. A crowd
collected in front of the cafeteria
across the street. -, =
One of the night birds strolled
over and came back explaining:
Some guy havin' fit" Soon
neads were being pillowed on old
newspapers and ragged coats. Lean
Ing against one OF the great marble
pillars was service man with
crutches-a trouser leg and a coat
sleeve empty.
He stared out into the night ex-
pressionless. Once a crutch ciat-
tered out Of his grasp and down the
steps Some on picked 1t up and
handed II up to him. No word of
thanks followed. He continued star
ing out into the night. A street
flusher rumbled by. washing the
asphalt to a shiny green. 1t cooled
the atmosphere and one sleeper
awakened to query: who done
that?"
From a side street came a younR
iaborer In crumpled corduroys. A
red bandana served as a shirt. He
walked unsteadily and soon another.
ngure Joined him-a tired woman
In faded wrapper. They jabbered
in foreign tongue. He pushed her
away. "G'wan home with the old
weman" some one yelled. but he
neither understood nor needed. And
when she left he sat along the curb
and was soon snoring.
Human fellowship was lacking.
Life had rubbed them raw-this
motley collection of a crushing
city's submerged. With the frst
rumble of the milk wagons they
would be up and of to some other
hide-away. Daylight reveals their
wretchedness. They are children OF
the darkness-without hope, ambi-
ton or trust. As walked north
ward a group of silk-hatted men
were leaving a private club to enter
their purring limousines They
VIZ al
orant with the heady wine OF .
carefree life.
And as l continued my walk home
could not help but think of that
MANNED service man staring express
sionless out into the night!
A puffy. nervous man, with side
wheel whiskers. gold headed cane
Dig banker or a prominent floor
walker-was getting the air on
Madison avenue. My dog. unleashed
Tor the moment. rushed up to him
playfully to express his affection for
mankind in general. He wagged his
tail and barked and evidently the
pompous old fellow did not know
which end TO believe. for in an ex-
cited rasping voice he shouted:
call on your dog OF or I'll knock
of his head off,"
Battery Park at dusk Is filled
with people seeking relief from the
city's heat. From the benches one
may gaze upon the statue of liber-
ty, Governors and Ellis islands.
The harbor Is filled with craft and
now and then an ocean liner noses
Its way out to sea. 1t is one OF
the most picturesque spots in all
New York. In the background is
the New York sky line-a nest of
cloud piercing buildings. On the
top OF these buildings many rich
men are building fine bungalows.
One has a sleeping porch adjoining
his bedroom and by pushing a but
ton his bed rolls out onto the porch.
At nightfall the section has the
peaceful quiet of the village church.
yard and the only noise is the
soothing chimes of Old Trinity
striking the hours. A visitor along
Wall and Broad streets. so thick
with tustling humanity during the
day, is rare at night and his very
presence excites suspicion. He is
shadowed from the time he arrives
until he leaves