Evening star., 1941-09-17

&$3s ~ &# CQudTe B I'd Do
assA AzaeM heard. There IL
Henry McLemors. zip and
tingle to the way pedestrians crowd
one another off the sidewalks, and
the fresh, woodsey scent Of moth
balls is in the air.
But New Workers aren't happy.
Late September is also time for
moving from one apartment or
hotel TO another. Between now
and the first Of October, Just as
If they were checkermen moved
about board by giant and unseen
hand, New Workers will hop over
one another by the millions In
pursuit of a different residence.
They can no more help this than
salmon can help cluttering up cer-
tain rivers each year, or the bob
tailed mackerel can help making
his annual trip to the Indian or
some such ocean. When this time
of year arrives something stirs in
the New Yorker's breast that COM
pels him to scorn the renewal of his
lease and turn his face toward q
new neighborhood, with the excite
ment of meeting strange janitors,
strange superintendents and strange
corner druggists, grocerymen and
butchers.
This irresistible urge To move does
not make the New Yorker happy.
His roots sink fast and in the year
he has lived in the apartment he
must leave, he has learned to love it.
He has the same affection for it
that other men have for the old
family homestead. Everything about
it is so familiar
He cherishes the stately cop on
the corner just as a Hoosier does
the old sycamore on the lawn. He
knows that 1850 in the morning Is
the only time the sun strikes the
living room with sufficient force
to warrant turning off the lights.
He also knows that the superin-
tendent always has a beer at the
corner tavern between 5 and s, and
that it is safe then TO take the pup
for a romp on the roof of the
building. He knows just how far to
| turn the hot and cold water faucets
on the bathtub to draw a perfect
bath. He likes the view from his
living room window because it COM
mands a view of the Smiths living
room across the court. and the
Smiths give the best parties of any
family in the building.
It's tough on New Workers TO pull
up these deep-seated roots, product
Of whole year of living in one place.
The only consolation New Workers
have when moving is that SO out of
100 times they will move into an
apartment almost identical with the
one they left. 1t won't be any larger,
it won't be any more comfortable.
The kitchen will be right where"it
was in the apartment they moved
from and of the same standard size,
meaning it will be so small that it
Is impossible to make any omelette
with more than four eggs IN it.
Of the kitchen will be a dinette,
and off the dinette a living-room,
and off the living-room a bedroom,
and off the bedroom a bath, and
placed inconveniently here and there
q closet that can accommodate one
cap and pair of overshoes. provided
they are friendly and don't mind
smuggling.
The wealthier New York apart
ment switchers move from pent-
house to penthouse. These again
have q dreadful similarity. The
smoke and CRIME that blows over one
blows over all, and to spend IS min
utes on the terrace OF one Of them
is to wind up looking like Al Jolson
in the first act.
The trials Of moving are even
worse for New Yorkers this year.
The cost OF packing and vanning
has risen considerably, so many are
doing the work themselves.
Building Boulder Dam took long
er, but packing barrel OF china IL
harder. The man who designed the
first cup never meant for it 10 be
packed in barrel. The only way
to make cup fit Is to knock of It's
handle. Thousands OF handles are
yielding their lives In New York
right now, and the money amateur
packers are saving will be spent to
replace the broken china.
Few men can wrap and tie O love
seat IN newspaper and burlap and
come through the ordeal the same.
But enough OF this describing the
horrors OF moving.
We're going to move on October 1,
and have at least 40 appointments
to go and look at other apartments.
Itll be nice to be out Of the house
though, and miss the 40 or 80 pros
pective tenants who are coming to
look at mine.
Distributed By McNausht Syndioats. rnc.)