Smyrna times., 1935-09-19
SIDE LIGHTS OF
NEW YORK CITY
Told By l.. l.. Stevenson in
His Own Immical Way
of Doings in City
INTERESTING SKETCHES

A young grocer, accompanied by
q nineteen-year-old girl, parked his
car in one of those open spaces in
Queens much frequented by pet
fers. A masked man appeared, shot
the grocer dead. rifled his pockets
and escorted the girl, at the point
of revolver, to a bus line a mile
away. Three days later, the city
editor of newspaper received
letter saying that the body Of a
young radio engineer would be found
on a dump near Floral park. The
body was found. The radio engi-
neer had been in company with a
policeman's daughter. A note, en-
closed in an envelope, was taken
from the pocket Of the slain grocer.
IT was signed ''3X" Immediately
the "2X murders" became front
page sensation. Other insulting and
taunting notes were received signed
in the same way. Then they stopped,
and there were no more killings.
That was five years ago. Detec-
tives have worked constantly on the
case, but the mystery is as deep as
ii was then.
Local broadcasting stations con-
tinue to ''pipe in" dance music from
outside the city because Of the mu-
sicians' unions demand that a
charge Of So a man be made for
each orchestra that goes on the
air, the money to 60 to the relief
of unemployed musicians. AS re
suit of the deadlock, New York
ers listen to dance music from as
far away as the Pacific coast. It's
a great break for the bands Of the
hinterlands since they are becom-
ing we'll known in the metropolis.
But 1t isn't so good for local lead
ens. In fact, they're pulling hard
for a break. Their plaint is that
they are getting no radio build up,
90 when they take to the road, they
can't demand the prices they did
when advertised over the air.
For the first time in many years,
the front doors Of Trinity church
are locked. Visitors and worship
ers, however, are admitted through
the side doors The reason is that
the tower is undergoing repairs.
Lowering of the water level, due
to the presence Of so many tall
buildings in the vicinity, together
with the constant vibration of the
subways have made alterations in
the base necessary. The work will
take three months.
Kent Thurber, stage manager Of
Something Cay" doesn't enjoy the
rain drops on the roof. Thurber was
stage manager Of Rain" when the
late Jeanne Eagles played Sadie
Thompson, and part Of his duties
were to supervise the torrential
rain effect which persisted through
out the play. The run of this show
continued on and on until finally
Thurber would be awakened in the
middle Of the night merely by the
dripping OF a faucet. Time went
by and the memory dlmmed. Then
Rain" was revived-and again he
supervised the rain effect. To COM
plicate matters. during the revival,
there was a song plugged constant
ly By radio and dance orchestras
and the etitlewas "ThePitter Patter Of
the Rain Drops" Thurber IS thank
full there Is no rain in the present
production.
In the summer edition of the Man
haitian telephone directory - the
New York telephone book comes in
volumes-Robin Hood Is listed as
a physician while Alexander Dumas
Is In the insurance business. There
Is no Abraham Lincoln but there
~ an Able Lincoln, and while
there are a number of Adams, there
is only one Eve. The book has 1850
pages and 415,0O0 listings, 10000
of which are new. 1t took six months
to get II ready for the public.
The doors Of the cars of the city's
subway, the Independent system,
are the toughest In town On the /.
r. T., a customer has merely to
pinch the rubber bumper on the
door edge, and IL 1t hasn't gone too
far, the door flies back. But on
the city system, the door just keeps
on opening. A number Of patrons,
not swift enough to escape being
grabbed, have had narrow escapes,
but so far there have been no IA