Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-27
New 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 noon lunch hours an
entire block in 36th Street is roped
off and turned owe 10 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 warm from the doz-
ems Of ~skyscrapers in the nelghbor-
hood.
The street takes on the appear
ance Of a subway at rush hour, or
like a CUney Island beach on sun
day. They gather in vast groups or
mill I'D and down through the
damned lanes, arguing, gosslplng,
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 their
congested areaway. accepting il as
part Of their lot in New York.
A stranger, trying 70 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 keen them
! fr9m packing the sidewalks and
! streets in front Of the buildings
J where they are employed. Even with
this gathering place dedicated %
them. throngs still gather elsewhere
and impede traffic for IN hour or
more.
Just I'D the street a few blocks,
facing Broadway, the amusement
~ one crowds are attracted these
Tvs by a doughEut-maklng
7 machine. For a year or more the
crowds watched. III the same win
lW, a tricky machine that turned
OuJ 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 or 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 or 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, oi
which / 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utes We had withdrawn from the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 AT
worked. was located IN a grocery
store and we had 70 get out q daily
practically on no 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 III New York about once a
year. Life IN Manhattan drifts folk
about like that. and circumstances
generally mitigate against frequent
/ encounters.
j know scores Of little groups like
that. My wife attended art school
in the west. Practically all the
friends she made there il girlhOod
are row IN New York, working as
commercial artists. Some Of them
had cCUrted her and taken her TO
dances. They are the Oldest Of
friends. Yet just a few weeks ago,
upon q trip TO Woodstock, M. Y-
over the weekend. three or four Of
them got together for the first time
III 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
Chatteri