The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-12-26
In New York

New York-Holiday notes: Until you've heard the tumult and the ! shouting in Times Square, the
 horns and police whistles, the
 noise making toys in the hands of pitchmen, frequent screams of
 sirens, jazz bands in the. upstairs dance halls, and the low, sustaining roar of the impatient throng-until you've heard these things, you have no idea what raucous hull labaloo Is necessary for Botham to deliver a message of peace or earth.
 There's an effulgent spirit o. good-wiil-to-m Around quies corner come upon a panhandler counting his takings; he holds a fistful of silver and few pieces of currency Stepping into a taxi, I find the windows festooned with green and red streamers, a paper bell bobbing beside the meter, and a sprig of mistletoe affixed to the dome light. The driver sings snatches. of carols as we move
 south, and confides that tips have been larger this season than/he has ] found them in decade. In spite of it's large Jewish pop ulation, the east side seems to have
 more of the Christmas spirit than any other section. More children, ltoo and hence more tinsel and trappings and noise. Peddlers line the sidewalks: poll necklaces, twenny-fi' cents, tree lights, danc- ing toys, ladies' unawear "as good as silk", pretzels, dusty candies. candles, balloons for da kiddies.
 Street Scene
 Bakery windows full of those in-
 digestible gilded cookies, cut in many shapes. Displays of lebkuch- en. Lean sidewalk Santas, ringing their bells and winning not so I much as a glance from the young sters. Crowded shops where reli- gious articles are sold, each win-
 dow displaying brightly painted figures in the Bethlehem manager scene.
 Several stores display small signs: "Wood (from packing
 boxes) given away at o'clock
 There's plenty of kindling in Man haitian, but not much substantial
 fuel. The management of the apartment house in which I live | SSllS ATcpldCC IOSo-dpOul S"iSO the girth of baseball bat-for 15 cents each.
 Most city youngsters are taught that the Christmas Saint comes
 down fire escapes instead of chim peys. Stockings aren't hung on many mantles, either, because most apartment fireplaces are limitations, land are likely to be mere false fronts for private bars.
 First Steps
 Speaking of apartments and chil- dren, came upon a top in one shop that shows how city-bound the youngest generation has be- come. It was portable flight of stars, intended to provide a child with ''stairs experience. Seems that thousands of children go up and down only in elevators. and without this educational set of steps might grow up without know ing what stairs are for. Probably the most famous toy shop in America is Schwartz'S, on Fifth avenue. It started on lower Broadway when F. A. O. Schwartz body in town knew him as Father Schwartz" because he always was interested in the families of his customers and prescribed pink woolen pads and German mitters for all their ailments.
 After his death, and as the store moved uptown, the place became more and more exclusive. which is a nice euphemism for "expensive". Now it has dolls as large as the little girls who select them. and toy automobiles propelled by real gasoline engines.
 Patrician Patrons
 Theodore Roosevelt used to
 bring his children and allow each to fill a wicker basket with what ever he or she wanted. W. A.
 Roebling, the engineer who helped
 build the Brooklyn bridge, bsught toys for himself-always jigsaw puzzles. Jackie Coogan used to se- lect playthings there. Vanderbilts. Astor5, Morgans-all the promi- nent New York families--have been customers for generations.
 The Gloria Vanderbilts, mother and daughter. went in the other day during their first weekend re- union since the court fight for the
 child's custody.
 Old people, who long ago used to
 romp among Schwartz's counters,
 often drop in to renew childhood
 memories. Elderly ladies some times ask for Swiss music boxes
 and are saddened to learn that