Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-22

NEW YORK, June 22.-Today is a
personal anniversary-the second an
niVersary Of this syndicated stx-day "a
week New York letter; something that
already has had to be thought out.
written and sent to the telegraph wire
upon GA different previous occasions.
There have been times when it's making
assumed the irksome proportions of a
task, but in nine cases out Of ten the
telling of people and things in this whale
town of the Western world, has been a
genuine delight and by long odds the
most enjoyable assignment Of quarter
century of newspaper go-getting. And
we know we have tried hard enough to
make 1t worth at least the telegraph
! tolls, particularly for those newspapers
located as far away as the Pacific Coast
Zone would think you'd reached the
second anniversary Of prison sentence
at Leavenworth," said our chief when
limited that the call Of the robin was on
, the ear, and the smell Of new mown hay
was in the nostrils.
Then it was suggested: for an an
niversary function you might tell OF the
letters of New York City, past and pres
ent-that host of writer's who have filed
many a page, many a column and many
a theater with accounts Of life in the
dear old place now peopled by every
race on earth, the Propylaea In America g"
Writing about New York City in one
form or another has been going on ever
since the handful Of Dutch settlers Of
New Amsterdam early in the seventeenth
century sent letters back to Old Amster-
dam telling Of pioneer life around the
bays and channels which have been de-
veloped into a hGrbor that is one of the
most beautiful. largest and best OF the
worlds great ports.
I first read Of New York from
Washington Irving's "Knickerbockers
History Of New York" and firmly be-
lieved that somewhere in the tight little
Island could be found fat Dutch burghers
sitting around smoking huge pipes that
curled to their feet. This childhood i'm
preston was dispelled on a first visit Of
week when ! attended Kister & Bials
music hail, saw shenandoah" played in
The old academy Of music and visited the
Atlantic Gardens IN the Bowery, the
beer drinking headquarters Of hundreds
OF portly Germans-but returned TO my
home In the United States without hav-
ing encountered n single Hollander
whilst in the metropolis
New York City has been the fnspira-
tion for thousands Of short stories and
popular songs. and many hundreds OF
books and plays The plots Of the Mex
Garter blood curdlers were chiefly laid In
the metropolis. O. Henry ought to have
received a subsidy from the city Govern
ment for the fame which he gave to Man
haitian and Coney Island Robert Cham
bers, who has done sixty novels always
gave New York first place. Arthur Train.
George Bronson Howard Rupert Hughes.
Roy L. McCardell Helen Green Van
Camper. James L. For, Theodore
Dresser. Edith Wharton, Garrett, Chris
Crinkle, Edwin Leverer. Arthur Folwell.
Thomas Janther, Laurence Hutton and
Henry Collins Brown, are but few Of
the modern writer's who have done and
are doing New York, page by page, cover
to cover.
In poetry, the greatness. and the
misery Of New York have been sung by
Walt Whitman and H. c Drummer, John
Weaver OF Brooklyn Is doing II now,
writing verse that has gripping
readabilty As for the stage George NJ
Cohan has playwritteu and songwritten
Broadway into the hearts OF the world.
The late Clyde Fitch, and Charles Klein,
pitched many Of their best genes here.
and Theodore Kremer Hal Reid and
Owen Davis did thrilling melodramas By
the dozens about New York.
Rita johnson Young came back strong
last season with play Of old New York.
and we must not forget Il was visit
to New York in the "Old Homestead"
that made Denman Thompson. George
Broadhurst, August Thomas. Byard
WELLER and Eugene O'Neiu owe a play
writing debt to New York How the
town has managed TO hold out under the