The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-23
The Home Of Simple Souls
BY FREDERICK ). HAsKiN

NEW YORK CITY. Feb. 23.-New
York. contrary to its reputation for
cold-blooded sagacity, is one of the
simplest, meekest and most gullible
of towns. For all it's bland airs of
sophistication, 1t is as easily impress
ed by display as any savage chieftan.
and 1t Is constantly falling" for all
sorts of hokus-pocus that wouli
scarcely deceive child
1t is estimated that 40 per cent of
all the questionable stock fioated in
this country during the past five years
has been purchased by New Workers.
It is well known that they contribute
more every year to fake charities
than the citizens of any other metrop-
oils; that they support the most ex-
tensive army of frauds and beggars,
and that they pay the highest price
for the most abomniable service.
The New Yorker likes to boast about
his city's superior cultural advantages.
but he certainly ignores all disparag-
ing features. Thus. he fails to tell
YOU how he rides back and forth to
work like a packed sardine in order
to help the transit companies econo-
miZe on trains; or how his children
are getting only three hours school
ing daily because there is not sufti-
cient space in the schools to accom-
modate them for full time. He makes
no mention of the battered cond1tlon
of the pavements or of the large black
rivers that float down the cutters In
inclement weather and render the
street crossings uncrossable, even
with the condescending permission OF
a policeman Presumably, he pays
taxes for and has vote concerning
the upkeep of these things, but he
does not seem to mind If they ale
neglected.
New York needs a Declaration of
independence" said an indignant prop
erty owner recently, "but 1T never Will
be declared II is too good-natured
And TO think that in the middle west
where I come from, they call this
hard town! They ought to live in it
for awhile. Why, it's the easiest town
on earth. II win submit to every i'm
position that's foisted upon 1t, and
smile encouragingly at its oppressors. "
Bucket Shops and Boobs.
II is here in this wise and worldly
borough Of Manhattan that the bucket
shop flourishes, annually robbing the
public of millions. 1t is here that tic
fake promoter receives the most CO..
dial welcome During the war this
was especially marked. and great
revival of stock flotations occurred in
which, according to one financial ex-
pert, gopher holes in the west were
capitalized as oil wells and name on
a map became a shipyard.' The results
of these gorgeous but fictitious war
time enterprises are now beginning
10 appear in the wholesale collapse OF
bucket shops in Wall street, and the
great flood of complaints that IS
sweeping into the New York district
attorneys office.
The New Yorker likes to pretend
that while plenty of wolves may exist
in New York, the sheep upon which
they prey all dwell west of the Hudson
and south of the Battery. But the
police records show that the largest
sheepfold is right here within the
city's boundaries and contains many
persons who are themselves supposed
to possess unusual business ability.
only the other day." declared pc
lice official I'VE had the case of a
prosperous business man who bought
the Grand Central Terminal from a
clever promoter. Honest! Inc Suy
owns three restaurants here, and he
has lived in New York for ten years,
but that didn't help him. He paid
S1.340 for the terminal"
Paradise of Panhandlers.
While beggars have always reaped
rich harvest here, it took the war
and the war drive to accustom New
Workers to solicitations for funds or
every street corner. During the whole
length of the war, New York never
had any difficulty going over the top
with it's contributions, whether the
campaign happened to be legitimate
one or not. Undoubtedly the majority
of them were, but they brought in
their wake the inevitable host OF
swindlers. For awhile, anybody with
fictitious business card, a guarded
4*s+s*-ss*++ssis + / I: 49,