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GEORGIA WOMAN WRITER CALLS N. Y. ROOF GARDEN OF EDEN FOR ADAMSMiss Edna Cain, of Quitman, Ga„ Writes a Sprightly Article of Her Impressionsof Metropolis.The New York Evening World prints a sprightly article from the pen of Miss Edna A. Cain, one of Georgia's most gifted newspaper women. She puts her Impression of Little Old New York into especially pleasing words and gives one a most enlightening view of the big town. Introducing Miss Cain to Its readers, the World says:Miss Edna Cain Is the owner and editor of the Free Press, of Quitman, Gsl, a town of 5,000 Inhabitants, In the southwestern part of that state. The latest public service achievement of the Free Press was securing the passage of a law to prevent cows from roaming at large on the streets of Quitman. She Is visiting New York, and her observations, printed below, show that she has the keen perception that distinguishes the clever news* paper woman.”Hero Is the article:BY MISS EDNA CAIN.It will doubtless surprise the average New Yorker to be told that there Is any phase of the city from the enjoyment of which he Is barred because he lives here. This sounds paradoxical, but It Is true. For Instance, he cannot coine up from a country town In the far South, as I have done, and have tlrst Impressions” of New York. It Is not given him to see himself as others see him. In fact, I do not believe that he quite realizes that the others—the outsiders —really exist. To him New York is all-sufficient, all-absorbing, also all-absorbent. From which It may be Inferred that my first impression of the New Yorker Is that he la what he would tdrm provincial.I have not sight-seen New York from what Is derisively termed a rubberneck wagon, not liking to have my attention coerced by a megaphone at so much per hour. If you venture forth ulone to see what sort of Information you can attract for yourself, you may miss some of the usual sights, but you are sure to see some unusual ones.Down where I live we had read of the wave of crime, and It was very shocking to people whose peace Is untroubled by anything more violent than the question of whether the cows shall or shall not be allowed to grate on the streets. There, when a young woman narts to New York alone, the family has many misgivings. And I must con-fe«*s being very much gratified when my own arrival in New York promised to fulfill these feverish expectations. When I arrived at night and my friends missed me at the ferry I felt like one launched upon a desperate adventure. The lovely, llghted-up smudge across the river looked equal to anything.Met a Greet White Knight.But here is a knight to the rescue of the lonely maiden. Was I alone? Could he be of any service? He was a sedate, oldish business man, a proper knight, one could see, and If he would *hnw me to a Broadway car, I would go to a hotel. Reaching Broadway, this 1* what he said: Suppose you come to my hotel at Forty-second street and Broadway, and we can have some dinner and go to a show, and you can go •ut to your friends In the morning.” knight, indeed 1' Sir,” I said, I know you. I have r*-ad all about you In O. Henry’s stories,” or words to that effect. He hadn't read O. Henry, but seemed willing to take my word for It.Going Into the nearest hotel, I hired a messenger boy as pilot and set sail upon the stream of Broadway, arriving at my proper haven without encounter mg any waves other than marcelled ties. I think any young woman who * an read signs printed in black and *hlte or In flesh tints, can travel to New York alone. The others would do net ter, perhaps, coming up on a bridal tuur.We have all heard that women are not treated as courteously here as they are in the South, and if men wearingtheir hats in elevators where women are. sihoklng In cars and renfnlning seated while women stand, Is proof. It must be true. Occasionally a man gives his seat to a woman In a air, and she frequently does not thank him, so they seem to be about even. The man loitering down the Waldorfs Peacock Alley” usually removes his hat as he skirts the silken plumage of the pa-raders, but I do not fancy that this Is why it Is considered one of the show places of New York.Man's a Man, but a Woman—It appears that In New York a man Is a man, but a woman may be sev oral sorts of persons. Baaed on this mutable ruling Is a suit to be brought against a prominent hotel by a woman who was not thought eligible os a dinner guest because she was without an escort. You would think that in NewMISS EONA CAIN.8he is tho gifted editor of the Quitman, Ga., Free Prese, and hat written an exceedingly clever article on her Impressions” of New York city.York a woman who paid her bill undwas otherwise pleasing In conduct chance of being snatched up by a godmight,eat according to her desire at In a machine and removed from theany time and place. Of course New I common herd.York's reason for ruling otherwise Is Broadway Is Baffling,not the reason of a country town like j, Broadway Is baffling to the coun-mlne. It seems that New York asso- I elates the fall of the flrtt man witheating, and does not Intend to allow ,h,Twe!i vpIvany designing Eves to serve any for- w v«rk ■£lt;5mViVnlrdmenf™U td?ltl0B l° lh° dln ThS^aiyon-II^ streets^n^ow h^hFrom which It may be gathered the law and the profits are doing what they VLm-mtouL Jcan to mako New York a safo roof I„Br..n aI rural mind fed on rrenilea financeMy first Impression 0?Broadway was and tru,t CBrtoon8* Bul th« vctV » hit hlannnninMof corpulent cartoon trust magnates mustu havo **en ftwoy taking obesity cures,meptrint ™ Ulnvpr mini*for 1 d,d not ** anybody on Wall * F ^ * nu i.'tlnx or wit J hnlf m fat an somo of the locxilschool* for* a nroner *un?lerstn*ndlmr°nf magnates at home; and. while it was aBroadway I cin easny that ft ll QUl#l day ,n tho Btreet’ ,tU1 broker* B nf J« h°°ked more like a lot of Irresponsible*V(“iSSLiJJ u st?!» imKLSK •choolboys than frenaled financiers whohSln lived by snatching hard-earned coinFhpv nrp nnw hx h«5^tn„wn from the farmer's horny hands. I amnr I? on,y K|vln* impressions, however, andths ’iiwmJ n-«-7™rS!rttmw I Think m,t **ttlng myself against the fixedhi- nnmi c-plnlon and firm belief of the Farmers' «£kE»a^fho Union of down South.”SEth J? th ^ £ 0ne thing which impreoew me won-nnH hi. JmAnt n. hLanro dwfuH* •* that I do not see any weary, a *y I worn, flred-out persons on the streets.Sneaking of beauty It h hiKolv a The men ,ook w*ji*fed- well-groomed, SSCTrnJu V « ? fresh, bouyanl. There Is traditionRnvnZ^v wMh nn imnrcTifon when- I 11 ve that the pace that/klUs on Broadway, with un lmpreBAlon-1. hottMt In Xcw York If ho It muhtistlc sunset face, surrounded by cloud- £ TqT.ck d.aTh Sd ah?ppylike draperies, would look like a bird of paradise amid a flock of barnyard her#* In my town, wttere the pointings most in favor represent old castles Inlaid with mother of pearls. Where the country belle blooms In white muslin and misses nothing that's her clue, the New York beauty clamors with violent pink end lavender, with compelling perfume and persuasive blond puffs, for attention. Of course at place* like the Waldorf-Astoria one see* genuine beauties occasionally, but they look as expensive as hothouse orchids. I have an Impression that the Venus de Milo. In life and a modern shirtwaist, looking fo? a physical culture restaurant on lower Broadway, would stand smallJudging from the merry aspect of the living.I have not seen anybody with the sort of stoop which Is gained by polughlng ten hours per day. Nor have I sesn anybody wno looked ss If he had time to read patent medicine ads” and discover how sick he Is. Perhaps here It is only the fittest who survive and they always look /It; they look full of the juice of life. 1 suppose New York haa her darlings who know how to work for her and please her, and to those she 1* kind.Downtown in Rush Hours.”rush hours. The moving streams of people are marvellous beyond what two dozen circus days in a country town all rolled Into one could be. The crowd r» orderly; it knows where it Is going and how, and It feeds Itself steadily Into the Subway and Bridge stations like a sausage machine. The Bubway, by the way, is the most absurd of New York's manifestations to the rural mind. There is a grim, titanic sort of humor In the idea of a place so populous, so much In a hurry that it must propel its people in express trains through an underground tube.An evangelist from the South was here recently, as one come from the wilderness, calling upon men to repent. But It Beemed to me he had a hard contract. People who annex the lower regions by means of a subway for purposes of traffic are not greatly impressed when a preacher endeavors to locate hell only a half-mile beneath them. If New York could see the old-fashioned devil who Is the terror of country religious revivals It-would at onco try to star him in vaudeville, and would pay him well ae long as he was amusing.The electric signs on Broadway constantly daxxle the eyea with promisee of the absurd, the entertaining, the novel, in the country, where there are no electric rivals and no theatrical atars, the heavenly ones look Imposing enough; but when I went up on the roof to get a view of them they were truly pathetic.The new moon hung red on the sky line and looked like an advertisement of a new high ball going down every night. Man looked so dull I knew nobody In Netv York cared enough about him to signal him. and the Milky Way was quite eclipsed by the warm, golden glow* of Its earthly rival, Broadway. I have an impression If the heavens attract any attention In New York they will have to let down af| sheet all studded with little electric stars and filled with good things to eat.All other first Impressions fade be- * as they did on a certain biblical occa aide a first view of downtown during ston.
Newspaper Details
Atlanta Georgian and News
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Fri, Aug 23, 1907
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Tim F.
GA, USA 25 Jul 2020
Other Publications Near Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta Weekly Intelligencer and Cherokee Advocate
Atlanta Presbyterian of the South
Atlanta University Center Light
Atlanta Crogman Cycle
Atlanta Daily Constitution
