The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-11

New York City. Feb. S.-Ths re-
cent news that Mrs. WillI1n K.
Vanderbilt has sold her Fifth ave-
niue home and intends to move to
faded, little, old Sutton Place along
the banks Of the East river, has
caused . great deal 6f constsrna-
ton in New York. New Workers,
on the whole. are not inclined to
sympathixe with the move. Those
who take great civic pride In the
appearance Of Fifth avenue hate to
zee the Vanderbilt homo demolish-
ed. as 1t probably will be, and those
who live In the neishborhood Of
Sutton Place are indignant for
quite another reason.
Among the latter is . small ar
fist colony. which has been ex-
tremely comfortable in this district
for . number lot years and which
greatly resen1 the intrusion Of
the wealthy.
1T Just means that We will have
to move syain," complained one
such disturbed artist the other eve
ming. ~ he slipped . teacupful of
very fair chianti in Q small east
side cafe. Rents have already
doubled on our street. In another
month, IL Mrs. Vanderbilt brings
the usual retinue Of satellites with
her. they will be trebled and NO
artist will be able to afford to live
there. It's simply beastly the way
these people are running the east
side. The dear old place is break
ing out like chickenpox with fash
ionable colonies everywhere"
The artist then went on to ex-
plain that the housing situation
was practically driving art out of
New York. In a few more years,
he declared, bitterly, 1t would be
pushed out into the suburbs, be-
cause it has become absolutely i'm
possible to establish and keep an
exclusive artists colony anywhere
within the city limits.
You see, we're part Of a vicious
CYCLE" he said. I'VE find . nice,
quiet place, with a good landscape
or skyscrape. and just get COM
fortably settled when along come
some fashionable ladies who i'm
mediately decide that they want it.
They in turn have been ousted out
OF their favorite spot by the inva-
sion of shopkeepers and hotels,
who have moved uptown to escape
the factories and warehouses. There
is a movement to keep the factories
in their place, you know, but moth
ing has yet been done to keep the
retailers where they belong, or to
make the aristrocracy stay put"
And what about you artists -
We suggested. Aren't you poach-
ers. too? For you come along and
drive the psoletariat out Of their
homes. You said just a few min
ptes ago that you live in a house
formerly occupied by a family of
nine Italian immigrants"
YES" agreed the artist pensive-
ly. Il wonder where the immi-
grants move to-"
-Four Hundred Faces East
Although the various changes
which are rapidly taking place in
New York's residential districts
may not be due entirely to our
friends cycle, it is true that there
is a strong back-to-the-east- side
movement among fashionable New
Workers. 1t is becoming quite the
proper thing to live in obscure and
dingy neighborhoods lying between
Third avenue and the East river.
Mrs. vanderbilt's proposed migra-
ton to this district is only one of
many that have occurred in society
circles during the past two years.
Seven exclusive colonies of fash
ionable folk are already fiourishing
on sites but recently supporting
tenements, and gradually the east
side is taking on a new personality.
Whole streets are shedding their
dingy poverty like a cloak and
emerging in lustrous, modern raj
ment, remodeled from the tatters Of
their glorious early years.
For, long ago, before the pro-
letariat took complete possession
of it, the east side was a fashion
able suburb, scattered with large
countery estates, with . splendid
race-course running down the CEN
ter Of Third avenue, where the steel
girders of the elevated are now
planted. Even now, the casual
pedestrian. wandering about the
region, finds many distinct traces
Of its aristocratic, rural past.
Among these is a picturesque old
stone house bearing on one of its
gabled wings the erection date of
1893 in large brick letters. This