The Washington herald., 1921-09-24
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NEW IOIAns ocPt. 80 w men the
dying sun silds the SCARED Diana,
poised on the Madison Square Gar
den tower, with It's evening glow,
life across the square takes on the
medley of q gypsy camp. New
4ork's caravan of unemployed Is
making its nightly pitch.
Sprawling bodies dot the grassy
plots on a ghostly array of white
newspaper spreads. Dull eyed and
with mouths agape they stare into
the heavens. For the bread line is
here! 1t last appeared in 1914. 1ust
before the world was becoming
blood soaked and wet with tears.
All roads from the bread line and
free coffee stands lead to Madison
Square. They stink into the park
singly and In groups-slouching.s shuf-
Hing humanity. suddenly cut Off from
an era Of silk shirts and motor cars
to bread lines and park benches.
The most interesting sight ia at
dawn when the sleepers awake
stirred. no doubt. by. the millions Of
twittering sparrows that make the
park trees their habitat. They swim
up from the deep wells of sleep,
ohN "ith
There is much yawning, stretching
and bieary-eyed looking about. They
began to search their pockets perha DIS
Tor a cigarette, or to see IL some
treasured coin has been stolen. Old
men test their rheumatic limbs. groan
and fall back again. Old women, too
peer about uncertainty in the light
fog drifting up from the harbor
-
when the park employees arrive to
clean up the litter. Shoulders are
hunched. hands plunged into pockets
and the half-asleep army moves
away sfothfully. Some hunt cellars
and doorways to finish their Sleep
others seek the newspaper bulletin
boards where the morning Help
Wanted columns are displayed.
Camaraderie is lacking. Brought
together in common suffering their
plight is too tragedic for conversa-
tion. They seem merely to brood.
Many are young boys a little bewild-
cred by their first contact with that
ignoble vulgus-the down and outer.
The shuttered house on Fifth
avenue opposite the Union League
Club is occupied by two maiden
ladies of immense wealth who are.
so far as Fifth avenue knows, re-
cluses. Countless Sunday stories
have been written about the gloomy
pile of brick. Next door Is a vacant
lot, worth a fortune, yet 1t is used
as the playground for an old and
asthmatic dog. Late the other eve-
ming l passed the place. Two young
girls stepped into the shadows of
the doorway and lighted cigarettes
while waiting for a taxi. am
wondering what sort of scene would
have been enacted had the two
maiden ladies left the house at that
particular moment.
The New York mendicant Is
superbly resourceful. One with a
wealthy breath stopped me in
front of the Beaux Arts Cafe and
dug down in his inside pocket and
produced a well thumbed envelope.
Major" he began-and anyone
who calls me that gets my respect
full attention. have an impor-
tant paper here that must be de-
livered far uptown and someone
has picked my pocket A big deal
hinges on the delivery of the
paper" l gave him a coin and he
bowed away. / watched him from
an opposite corner and judging
from the carfare he was collecting
the paper had to be delivered in
Albany or some place.
Shorty. Broadway's pet messen-
ger, is off on a trip to Paris. He
travels first class and will live at
the best hotels. His success is built
on his ability to be discreet. He
carries flowers, candy and some-
times jewels from gay young blades
to stage beauties. And strangely he
never remembers a name or face
This has been tested several times
in divorce courts when Shorty was
called as a witness