The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-26
BY HARRISON GEORGE

New York bourgeoisie in it's near
uptown haunts, we ventured up
Fifth Avenue into the mink-coat,
spats and malaca stick region, which
begins about 34th Street. Past the
Union League Club, home of imbe-
cile Republican millionaires at 39th
Street, where doormen speak in
whispers, and shaded lights shed a
soft glow over octogenarian gour-
mands, we spotted the first top hat
at 10th Street.
But we were out to see some
real christians" and entered
the Cathedral at 50th and Fifth
Avenue, the center of Catholic
worship, an enormous and ex-
pensiye monument to supersti-
ton, covering an entire block.
Plumb forgot to dip our nit in
holy water, just inside. Great
nave, held up by fluted columns.
High stained glass windows.
Gosh, What a Show!
At the far end on a raised place,
something like Gilbert and Sulli-
van opera was going on under the
supervision of Cardinal Hayes, at
tired in red dress and lace blouse.
Six Chinese mandarins, to judge
from their dress, were performing
before the high altar, alternately
bowling, kneeling, and filing about,
All the while intoning sepulchral
Latin, which nobody understood, but
many listened to semi-hypnotically.
Big Choir of Small Boys
About 400 people, petty-bourgeois.
Saw one lone worker, blue-shirted,
tired looking, come to get his shot
of dope.
Piles Of printed solicitations
here and there, asking 100000
as "GoIden Jubilee Offering"
to buy q nev altar rail, etc. Lots
of little locked bores around the
1calls: "OTering to the Altar"
"Offering and Intentions to st
Anthony" On side altar fig
are that looks Exactly like as"
One little boz off IN the corner
s"0fferings for the po07!'' Hell of
a chance the poor haze here. Big
American flag Lang opposite the
high altar. Church and state.
Pomp, humbaggery and robbery.
Mink Coat District
Out on the street again. "Christ
in Bethlehem" reads the sign. Beth
lehem Steel, maybe. Exclusive
shops, customers come by invitation
only. Mink coat district. Too bad
most big fish swimming at Palm
Beach. What's this? Wyoming
Apartment Hotel, Sixth Avenue. Got
front like the U. S. Treasury.
Rear Admirals for doormen.
Down to Pennsylvania Hotel. Lux
urious foyer. Regiments of bell hops,
officered by captains. Want to eat ?
Grill room in basement. Two dol
lars cover charge to start with.
Dancing from $3.50 to 1:30. Private
dining rooms on the mezzanine floor.
Tinkling silver, obsequious walters.
Down in the kitchen slaves working
16 hours a day feeding the bour-
geoisie who work no hours day.
The atmosphere oozes wealth.
Want theatre tickets? Two agen-
cies here. Beauty specialists. Reduce
waddling dowagers' triple-deck
chins. Buy bonds here from a
brokers' office connected with the
stock exchange. Hey, bo! How many
bonds did you buy out of last weeks
wages? We float out into the real
tiles of life on 32nd Street. Gimbe's
store: "Oriental rugs at unheard-of
prices" Right! Never heard of any
worker paying $3.50 for a piece of
carpet 9 feet by 6.
At the Waldorf
The dining room of the Wal
dorf- Astoria at saith and Fifth
Avenue. Why are all the diners
Old? Symbolic figures of the
beef trust mOuthing dishes that
cost shop-girls weekly pay
each. Delicacies from the ends
of the earth. Female mummies
in black and pearl, lingering the
silver. Never knew what a day
in the shop is like. on your feet
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