Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-23

cold-blooded sagacity, is one Of the
simplest, meekest and most gullible of
towns. For all its bland airs OF So
| phistication, it is as easily impressed
by display as any savage chleftaln,
and it is constantly falling" for all
sorts of hokus- -pokus that would scarce
ly deceive a child.
| 1t is estimated that 40 per cent Of
all the questionable stock floated in
this country during the past five years
has been purchased by New Workers.
1t is well known that they contribute
more every year to fake charities than
the citizens of any other metropolis;
] that they support the most extensive
army of frauds and beggars, and that
| they pay the highest prices for the
most abomipable service.
The New Yorker likes to boast about
his city's superior cultural advantages,
but he carefully ignores all disparaging
features. Thus, he fails to tell you
how he rides back and forth to work
like packed sardine in order to help
the transit companies economize on
trains; or how his children are getting
only three hours schooling daily be-
cause there is not sufficient space In
the schools to accommodate them. for
full time. He makes no mention of the
battered condition Of pavements or Of
the large black rivers that flow down
the cutters in inclement weather and
render the street crossings uncrossable,
even with the condescending permission
of policeman. Presumably, he pays
taxes for and has vote concerning
the upkeep Of these things but he does
not seem to mind if they are neglected.
New York needs Declaration of
Independence" said an indignant prop
erty owner recently, but it never will
be declared. It's 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
position that's foisted upon it, and
Bucket Shops and Boobs
1t 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 the
fake promoter receives the most cor
dial welcome. During the war this was
especially marked, and a great revival
of stock flotations occurred in which,
according to one financial expert,
gopher holes in the west were capital
lied as oil wells and a name on a map
became shipyard." The results OF
these gorgeous but fictitious war time
enterprises are now beginning to ap-
pear in the wholesale collapse Of bucket
shops in Wall street and In the great
flood Of nplaints 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 po-
lice records show that the largest
sheepfold is right here within the city's
boundaries and contains many persons
who are themselves supposed to pos
sess unusual business ability.
Only the other day." declared x
police official, I'VE had the case of II
prosperous business man who bought
the Grand Central Terminal from q
clever promoter. Honest. The guy
owns three restaurants here, and he's
lived in New York for over 10 year
but that didn't help him. He paid
S1,34O for the terminal
Paradise of PanhandIers
4 While beggars have always reaped u
rich harvest here. it took the war and
the war drive to accustom New Workers.
to solicitations for funds on every
street corner. During the whole
length Of the war, New York never had
any difficulty in going over the top
with its 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 money-box and
a pathetic plea for the starving Pata-
gonians or Persians could raise enough
money to keep himself in luxury for
couple of years.
The other night for example, tall
broad shouldered figure in amazing
feminine garb appeared in an elevated
waiting room with small phonograph
and placed it on the floor in few
minutes the waiting passengers were
listening to jazz record and at the
same time to an appeal for starving
babies. The solicitor was dressed in
Spanish regalia, including a somewhat
tattered shawl and cheap Spanish
comb which set off quantity of neat
ly dressed black hair. This exoic APP
pcarance greatly pleased the public
and they gave generously to save the
babies, so that the contribution box
contained very nearly $40 when po
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