The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-04
SIDEWALKS
OF
NEW YORK
BY HORTENsE SAUNDERS

~
L ' sidewalks of New York, east
side or west, none has more of the
real salty flavor of NIanhattan's
melting pot than Oliver St.-Al
Smiths "home town."
Oliver is one Of seven streets that
angle off from Chatham So, the
heart of the old East side"-color-
full, crowded, cosmopolitan. Though
not more than four or five blocks
in length, Oliver st. has been an
important locale in New York poll
tics. Besides Smith, it has housed
Tom Foley, Secretary Tom Camp
bell of the Tammany Club, Con-
gresham Reardon, and many
others.
1t is bounded on the north by the
noisy, crashing Third Ave. L, on the
south by the Brooklyn bridge, and
to the right and left by push carts.
Today it is a street of mall shops.
Number Is. where Smith lived
during the time of his political fu-
ture was shaping, and where he
kept his home until he moved into
the executive mansion at Albany.
now is an undertaking establish
ment.
Toward the south end of Oliver
st. you we'll might imagine you sud-
denly had been transported to
Greece. All the signs in the shop
windows are in Greek, and dark
eyed, dark-haired men sit out in
front of their coffe shops. playing
cards in the afternoon sunshine.
Greeting your nostrils are the
strong, pungent arenas of ripe OLE
ives, oil, tobacco and eastern im-
ports.
RTOST of the houses are four Of
1VA f1ve-story bricks, with ugly fire.
escapes hung across the fronts.
from which drape the inevitable
east side washings, the colorful
clothes making fantastic patterns
against the dull bricks.
The old Smith house, which
Smith never owned, is just about
like all of its neighbors.
Within this Chatham square Wis
entity are some of the most inter=
esting sections of the East Side,
Here is the Ghetto, swarming
with Russian, Polish and Hungarian
Jews. Here are Mott and Doyers
Streets, the two principal thorough
fares Of Chinatown.
At Chantham square the Old and
the New Bowery take opposite di-
rections. Here, too, is the beginning
of Division street, the center of the
East Side cloak and garment trade,
and beyond is Allen street, the place
to buy antique brasses and coppers.
TUST to the south is Brooklyn
op Bridge. Almost under the bridge
once stood the old tenement at II
South St., where Al Smith was born.
South st. is river front
thoroughfare, and Smiths first
memories are of a dark blue RIB
bon of water, with sailing schoon-
ers, freighters, tramp steamers, ferry
bots, and the always aspiring sky
line of Manhattan.
In the summer time, he used to
jump off the docks into the water
and become what longshorenlen call
a water rat
He played tag among the piles Of
lumber and the pyramids Of boxes
and crates and thrilled to the
alarm of the fire gong, which never
failed to send him to the fire house,
painting and wild eyed.
All Al Smiths children were born
on the East side in an area less than
a quarter of a mile square.
In this same area their parents
and their grandparents also had
been born. So this section of New
York is odd home town" to the
Smiths
THE Smiths never moved ups
Il town in their ideas or their
friends. When any Of the Smiths
are i'll, if they are in New York,
they usually sendi for the family
doctor down on Oliver st.
They send their laundry to Nor
ris Sunshine, at 80 Oliver St., who
did the Governors shirts for twenty
years.
Il knew AL Smith when he
actually wore a brown derby with
a gray suit" said Mrs. Sunshine.
proudly. MRS. Smith often used
to bring the laundry over herself.
or take it back over her arm. The
girls used to drop in to change
money or to chat"
When Sunshines daughter was
married, Smith sent a congratula-
tory letter, wishing them JOY and
wishing he might be present.
The laundryman cherishes Christ
mas cards from the Smiths, and
some lamps from the Smith home.
MFRS. THOMAS COLEMAN, who
4y1 lived across the street from
the Smiths, remembers how Smith
once was selected to lead the grand
march at ball, and how he walked
right past all the elegantly dressed
women and asked her, the most
plainly dressed guest there, to be his
partner.
The East side, around Chatham
square, is full of people who renen-
Der the Smiths with affection and
loyalty, and who speak of their
kindness and nominees" before
and after prosperity came.
Al Smiths "home town." In a
dozen different languages, choruseS
enthusiasm for its favorite son.