Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-02-16
BEN BEAR WRITES
FROM new YORK.
Decorah's Well Known Clothing Mer-
chant Writes an Interesting
Letter About Conditions in
New York CITY
RENTS AND LIVING
CONDITIONS ARE HIGH
Theatres and. Hotels are Crowded,
and Good Hotel Room Costs
$500, Which Don't Sound
Like Reduction
New York, Feb. Ia, 1921.

LINK
New York, Feb. Ia, 1921.
My Dear, Editor:-Since / came to
Decorah in 1876 | have been coming
to New York, twice each year, this
being my Goth trip, and for a great
many years | have written a few
lines to friends through your valu-
able paper, and have spoken of the
many changes, and interesting oc-
currences pertaining to New York
City and its surroundings, and | feel
that the time has come, when prac-
tically every item of interest has
been previously called to your notice.
Were it not for the fact that New
York is the most wonderful city in
the world, and you must see it to
fully realize it, it would have been
long ago impossible to continue
writing as | have been doing. Even
at that | find changes and improve
ments that have not previously oc-
Cured to me, or have not been
brought to my attention, and it is
few of such that might be of inter-
est.
/ have been stopping in previous
years at the Hotel Knickerbocker at
AID Street and Broadway, which to-
day is considered the busiest corner
in the world. / find at this time, large
signs apprising the public that this
former finest of hotels is now to be
occupied as an Office building, where
business will be conducted in every
field of activity. In fact, find that
the entire 49h ;tre,t scetior x x. be-.
ing converted f.sto business houses,
instead of former hotels and pleas
ure seeking places. Tremendous
buildings in this part of New York,
are now being constructed, one by
the Lowe Theatrical Syndicate, just
one block from the Knickerbocker,
which will be about thirty stories
high, and will be used entirely as AN
office building. This new building is
directly opposite the Hotel Astor,
where l am stopping, and will be
ready for occupancy shortly. The
hotel district extending way up
town, about a distance of some thir-
ty blocks, say about 112 miles dis
tant flom here. Distance, however,
doesn't cut much of figure, with
subways, elevated, surface and car
facilities. People living way up town
can get home quick, as express
trains, on the elevated and subway,
run all day, at the rate of 80 to so
miles per hour, and | might add that
it seems the more transit facilities,
the more crowds seem to be travel
ing all the time. Hundreds OF
passengers are carried each day to
and from houses and business plac-
es. | find that there has been con-
siderable contention between the city
administration, and the Rapid Tran
sit lines of New York, as to fare
charged, there being still a 5 cent
fare throughout the New York dist
rict. When one remembers that trip
for 5 cents in New York City can be
made from 200th street in the Bronx
and Manhattan to toney Island,
distance of 16 to 2oimiles on a single
five cent fare, to fhose in the west
who pay three and a half cents fare
per mile, such is exceedingly cheap.
In other words, you can ride on any
street car or subway or elevated,
distance of more than sixteen miles,
which would cost at least go cents
at home, for five cents here. But re-
member that's abodt the only cheap
thing in New York. With a popula-
ton of New York and Brooklyn now
at practically 100000 people, it is
not difficult to realize that the hous-
ing and providing must cover very
large area; and | sometimes wonder
where all this mass of people eat and
sleep. Many of tkem, however, don't
sleep, as you can see hundreds, yes
thousands of people on the streets
anytime during the night, when they
should be at home.
| have had occasion to talk with
many business people who look upon
the future with good deal of con-
fidence. They are optomists, doing
plenty of business, and while the
country is undergoing a change on
account of the world war, but we
must not forget that sooner or later,
Europe must buy our grains, meats
anu Quiet lOOu pIOuuSIS, cio q Way
will be found for the payment of
what they buy, in the way of gold
or exchange, so as to give the man
on the farm a fair price for his pro-
duct, and when the time comes,
which | hope will be soon, prosperity
and good feeling will soon be restor-
ed. In fact, when we read of the very
serious conditions all over Europe
women and children dying by the
thousands, for want of food and
nourishment; wearing materials, in
many sections, so high in price that
it is absolutely prohibitive; again
whe we know that typhus and other
diseases have endangered the lives of
thousands upon thousands over there,
we may truly feel thankful that we
live in America, and we may all
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