Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-27
Mew York
Letter

NEW YORK, Aug. 27.-Manhat-
tan's strangest midday spectacle
may be observed in the heart Of the
famous cloak and suit belt.
During the oon lunch hours an
entire block in 36th Street is roped
off and turned over TO the thou
sands Of workers employed In the
garment industry. No traffic Is
allowed TO move through this block
until a recreation period has ended.
Both ends of the street are guard
ed by mounted policemen, and be-
tween them jam the thousands OF
humans who swarm from the doz-
ems Of skyscrapers in the neighbour
hood.
The street takes on the appear
anc Of a subway at rush hour. or
like a Coney Island beach on Sun
day. They gather in vast groups or
mill I'D and down through the
damned lanes, arguing, g~ossiping,
haranguing and just chatting IN
half a dozen languages. Most OF
them are foreigners from the East
Side or the upper Bronx. They are
filters and cutters and tailors and
button-hole makers and clothes
craftsmen OF every description. They
seem totally unaware OF heir
congested areaway, accepting II as
part OF their lot in New York.
A stranger, trying to make his
way through the vast crowd, Won
ders why they choose TO pack
themselves thus, like cattle in a
box car. The segregated zone was
set aside by officials TO keep them
from packing the sidewalks and
streets in front OF the buildings
where they are employed. Even with
this gathering place dedicated to
them. throngs still gather elsewhere
and impede traffic for an hour or
more.
Just I'D the street a few blocks,
facing Broadway, the amusement
zone crowds are attracted these
DAYS by q dOughnUt-maklng
machine. For a year or more the
crowds watched. in the same win
dow, a tricky machine that turned
out cigarets.
And listening to the various
couples who stop TO watch the
magic Of machinery, you'll hear
them remark Of the changes that
have come since grandma turned
out crullers on the old wood range
in the kitchen.
Talking about things that hap
pened back home" Is, IN fact, one
OF the most WiStful phases OF New
York life. On the slightest prOvoca-
ton, two Dr. three persons who
came from the same neck Of the
woods will get together and stage
an "old home night.
Just the other night four Of the
old San Francisco delegation, Of
which I am a member. met BY &C
cident at a party. Within 10 MIN
utes We had withdrawn from the
others and were huddled in a cor
ner recalling the grand old days
when the Daily News, where we all
worked, was located in a grocery
store and We had to get out a daily
practically on ne pair.
All four OF Us had gone different
WAYS. And though We were once
close as the Dumas musketeers-
! one for all and all for one-we
meet in New York about once n
year. Life in Manhattan drifts folk
about like that. and circumstances
generally mitigate against frequent
encounters.
! know scores az little groups like
that. MY wife attended art school
in the west. Practically Az the
friends she made there in girlhoOd
are now in New York, working as
commercial artists. Some Of them
had courted her and taken her TO
dances. They are the Oldest Of
friends. yet just a few weeks ago,
upon a trip To Woodstock. N. W,
over the weekend. three or four or
them got together for the first time
in several years.
I'm afraid we all get too self
centered and preocCupied with our
own particular affairs. But get us
together and-oh boy-listen to the
chattcrl