The New York herald., 1921-06-26
CITY THRONGS BEGIN
SEEKING COOL SPOTS
Handbag Brigades Swamp
Grand Central and Penn
sylyania Stations,
TIDE NOT YET AT CREST
Closing Of Schools and Start
of Two Week Vacations
Near at Hand.

1t was chiefly a handbag lot of pas
end trips. The regular two week s
vacation army hasn't really got under
way. according to such expert authori-
ties as the men who start your sum-
mer wardrobe container on it's holiday
journey. They look for the big exodus
at the end Of this week. and after
that the rush will be fairly steady
until about Labor Day. when it will
rise to another high pitch before every
body comes back with a nice sunburn
and few more pounds.
There was just one other person. be-
sides a reporter, in Grand Central sta
ton yesterday. who apparently was not
catching a train. lie was a lean. tall
man who stood on the balcony of the
concourse about 1880 =. NJ. Having
nothing to do he gazed at the crowd
below. 1t was a good sized crowd,
being the advance guard of the men
and women who get half holiday
eat a quick lunch and take the frsc
train for the suburbs or a seashore
resort
Along about o'clock the man began
TO look agitated The crowd below had
increased with the unloading of subway
trains and taxicabs faster than the trains
could carry the people away. 1t began
10 look like a mob. The man seemed
worried and went over to an elevator
operator to find out if there was any
thing unusual about the scene.
Jaw. it's just the Saturday rush" the
elevator man explained. Don't worry.
the big fights week off yet" he added
reassuringly.
The wave of humanity seemed TO reach
the crest at that hour, then it appeared
20 subside and again. at o'clock It
showed a tremendously increased volume.
BY that time every one who could get
away for the afternoon had started.
over at the Pennsylvania Station the
handbag programme was also reported.
Trunks and other pieces of baggage. big
enough 10 check. were said to be rather
light. But the parcel rooms were nearly
swamped and the porters reaped a har-
vest from the incoming tides of men,
women and children carrying tAeir Sat
urday and Sunday outGts-with gift
for the host or hostess tucked under the
other arm.
Come around next Friday, sug-
gested a baggage chief at this station,
"and you'll see something worth while.
Then you'll find the real vacation
people leaving town by the thousands.
They'll be taking long trips and Wen
be mighty busy. But this why say.
we've had buster times down here
IN the spring than to-day. School won't
be out for another week. for one thing;
that keeps a lot OF people in town.
They can't go away with the children
and they haven't opened up their own
country places yet Some OF 'cm Will
be starting as early as "Wednesday.
but Friday and Saturday will be the
big days. We look for even bigger
ones than last year. Maybe they'll
be record breakers"
At the ferry slips the same suit case
burdened gathering was observed 1t
locker, to the reporter as IL some
thing like a million persons had left
the city by various routes and will
this morning open their eyes upon
green hills or foaming breakers. or both,
and the same number will return to-
night or tomorrow morning with fine
coat of tan as a reward for the suit
case struggle.