The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-17
IN NEW YORK

New York, March 17.-Grim
dramas Turk around almost any
Manhattan corner if you have the
patience to wait q short time and
the imagination to catch them on the
wing. For they move with the speed
of cinema sequence. A shrill
shrek, a shuttle Of feet, the flash
of guns, desperate youngsters jump
ing into an auto, police, shots and
then-it all disappears around the
next corner. You never know what
happens. The city swallows its ugly
scenes and goes on.
Or man and a girl meet at a
corner. A second girl comes up,
heated words pass. Suddenly a
swinging Of arms, a call for police,
a shuttle and, again-the drama dis
appears around the corner. Was it
an irate wife, come up a faithless
husband? Or study in cheap jcal-
ousy, or what? Not one in the great
crowd that gathered will ever know.
Once more the city swallows its
sordid scenes. q
The other night dwellcr in the
Bronx was called upon to aid three
men who fell dying to the side walk
while walking from the subway to
his apartments distance of about
four blocks.
And there was that strange story
Of the Broadway crowd that looked
on while man wa. battling unsuc-
cessfully for life-a tale one Of the
Russian realists might have spun.
An electrician had been working
on one Of those huge electric signs
that swing over Broadway. Sud-
denly the scaffolding on which he
had been working gave way. He
clutched at swinging rope and
caught it, hanging thus in mid-air
far above the heads of the crowd.
Precious minutes passed before he
was even noticed. When, finally,
he ATTRACTED attention the gathered
thousands thought they were looking
upon some nifty publicity stunt. One
or two in the mob that began to
block traffic had moments of doubt.
A policeman was approached, but he
merely brushed away the timid by
stander. That sort Of thing hap
pened all the time, the cop explained.
Someone was trying to attract at
tention. One day it was q human
fly climbing q building, and another
day it was something else.
Meanwhile the grip of the strug-
ling man grew weaker and weaker
upon the rope. Meanwhile his cries
for aid finally reached the street
and terror swept the army of on
lockers. It was too late! Slowly
the strengthless hands slid down the
rope. And the man dropped into
space-crashing to his death!
Something Of the status of mod
ern-day entertainment in Manhat-
tan can be gathered from a few fig
ures Roxy gave me the other day
when his Cathedral of cinema" was
celebrating its first birthday. More
than $500. 900 people have spent S.
100000 ct this ono entertainment
palace. Multinly this by the huge
Paramount, the Capitol and the
dozen-and- smaller film houses
and toss in the hundreds Of the.
atrical performances and you'll be-
gin to get some sort Of notion why
Broadway is Broadw4y-crowded,
glamorous, pleasure-chasing Broad.
way. .s%
\
Speaking Of the sumptuous film
catlbdrals, I am told that they have
become as much q part Of the tour
lists route Is the Woolworth build
ing, Trinity Church or the Statue Of
Liberty An excursion Of 100 col.
visit their only uptown adventure.
Several thousand visitors daily ask to
be shown about, explaining they are
not interested in seeing the picture,
but merely want ito look over the
place."
GILBERT SWAN.
Copyright, 1928, NEA Service, Inc.)