Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-01-30
Liahts Of NewXork
BY IL. STEVENSON

Just heard about the New Yorker
who started q restaurant in ROme-a
reversal of the usual process. After
he had become established, he went to
the ''Questura"-pOlice headquarters
to yOu-and asked that a cop or two
be assigned to accompany him home
after he closed for the night. The rea-
son he gave was that most of his re-
ceipts came after banking hours, so
he would have them on his person and
he feared hold-ups. The chief smiled
and reminded the New Yorker that he
was not in his home town but In
Rome, and that he was as safe on
the streets Of the Eternal City at one
o'clock In the morning as at noon;
Rome had no crime. Therefore, pO-
lice escort was absolutely unnecessary.
The New Yorker, not quite convinced,
then asked for pistol permit. The
chief smiled. A pistol was as unnec-
essary as a guard, he declared. and
besides, II the American were allowed
60 possess a deadly weapon, he might
hurt himself!
Then there was that yarn about
series of stories, known among news
paper men as the Smith articles" that
travelled to America and other cOun-
tries via press wires. One night the
Rome office of the press association
that handled the articles was deluged
with telephone calls from New York,
Paris and elsewhere. the inquiries all
being, where is the rest Of tOnight's
Smith story" A check-up disclosed
the fact that MussOlini's censor had
killed the last paragraph on the ground
that 1t was subversive, etc. And the
author Of those articles, according to
nay informant, was none other than
II Duce himself!
BY doing a quick hop back to New
Yerk-one of those mental voyages, of
course reach an Italian restaurant
over on Second avenue. It's the haunt
of artists and writer's, many of whose
names are well known. The result is
that the pictures that adorn the walls
are those Of comic strip characters all
done by their creators. In order that
there may be no delay when an in
SEPARATION seizes an artist. the prOprie-
tor has provided not only paints but
a ladder The writer's. it seems, spend
their time eating and drinking-anI
purchasing papers and punch-bOard
chances from the constant stream of
ragged newsbOys
Proceeding on uptown and over to
First avenue, another Italian district
Is encountered One side of the street
is lined solidly with push-carts and
thus is one of the largest outdoor mar
kets in town. Everything from a dried
FISH to house dress, and from a pair
of shoes to heavy hardware, may be
purchased. Prices are low and trade
Is brisk SO, touch of the picturesque
is added to the whole neighbOrhoOd.
A petty officer on British ship in
port here asked customs guard to
refer him to a reliable place where he
could get clock fixed. The customs
man gave him an address and, accom-
panied by another petty officer, the
Britisher set out with an old alarm
clock wrapped in newspaper. When
they finally reached the establishment,
the size and glitter awed them no lit
tle. But they went inside and met
salesman who, as they admitted later,
looked like at least duke, and so en-
barrassed was the clock owner that he
got out without explaining his mission
He had been referred to Tiffany's
That reminds me of the time when,
attracted by pair of shoes in the win
dow, / went into what looked like
modest establishment in the FOrties.
The clerk, with gardenia in his but
tenhOle, instead Of asking me the size
I wore, took elaborate measurements.
Having finished, he informed me that
I would get my shoes in ten days and
that the price would be $50. Dazed,
muttered something about having
made a mistake and staggered out.
And I'm careful now not to confuse
custom made establishment with a re-
tail store.
Manhattan wild life note: Fred T.
Ferrier and his bride, on honeymoon
'round-the- world trip, heard a noise in
their tower apartment at the Waldorf
Astoria. Investigation disclosed the
fact that a startling had flown in
through an open window. A few min
utes after Mrs. Terrier had released
the bird, bullfinch flew In. 1t was
captured and petted by the Terriers
but made its escape just after its pic
ture had been taken by the house pho
tOgrapher.
@ Bell syndicate.-wNU Service.