St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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20 THE IGNJI TIAN I had received my f1rst glimpse of the skyscrapers, and believe me, they sure are skyscrapers. I guess that I rep- resented the typical hayseed as I stood with mouth open gaving upward, but I just could not help myself, for the temptation was too strong. VVe stopped in at the Navy Club on Fifth Avenue to obtain some information. lt is surely a treatg there are writing-rooms, pool tables, canteen, library. etc., all for our comfort. After giving that the once over we proceeded on our-journey and our next stop was at that famous corner, Times Square, Forty-second and Broadway. Can you imagine poor little me, who has spent four months in Los Angeles, where the people never move faster than a crawl, standing at that famous corner? But there were eight others like myself, and we put our heads together and de- cided to seek a hotel before we all fell over in a faint from the excitement. A couple of us wanted to stay at the Knick- erbocker, but the others decided that it was too far away from pay day. so we walked down a block to the Continental and obtained our rooms at 31.50 a piece, which is more than reasonable. Fat Kelly, Yin. lfeherin, Davidson and my- self have a suite of rooms that sure are wonders. After a breathing' spell we ventured out again and decided to do Ilroadvvay. I guess, Mother, that you remember these parts as well as I do. XVe have so many things planned for tomorrow that it will take us a month of Sundays to realize them all. Cen- tral Park, Fifth Avenue and lYall Street most likely will be honored with our presence, but still you never can tell what sailors will do. Xlfe are free till S o'clock Monday morning, so I suppose that we will manage to see considerable of the city. Dad! lt sure is some treat for me, and I only wish that you were along to share it with me. You can bet that I'll persuade you to take the trip some time, seeing' that Mother and l are now rated on the same plane as National Travel- ers, Mother won't be able to say: Now, when I was East

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ilinuinga nf at 3larkir New York, Feb. 22, 1918. Saturday Night, 6:15 o'clock. Dearest Dad and Mother: I've been swept off my feet so completely by my Hrst im- pression of New York that, although 1've been here only four or five hours, I decided that 1 just had to let you know all about it. W'e left the station at 1:30 o'clock, and after a mile's walk through the snow, which was very exciting in itself, we reached the railroad station: after a ten-minute ride on the train we changed cars. and to my surprise we were landed on a station fifty feet above ground: then followed my first ride on ele- vated railroads. To the other Cali- fornia boys it was just as much a CHAS. J. WISEMAN, A. B. '17 surprise and novelty as it was for me. 1 used to think that it was a lot of nbunk' when I heard that trains ran alongside of four and five story buildings. Our ride took us along the famous Harlem and its countless number of tenement housesg they were the same as 1 have often seen in moving pictures: row after row of houses identical in architecture, with millions of little kids lined up on every street, coasting down the hills with their snow-sleighs. We rode as far as Forty-second street and then descended to terra Firma again. The first sight to greet our eyes was the Grand Cen- tral Station, and in we went to investigate. 1 guess, Mother, that you remember it very Well, for to my way of thinking once you have seen it you will never forget it. After we had spent a half-hour looking around we de- cided to keep going till we hit old Broadway. By this time

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ROVINGS OF --I JflCKlE 21 such and such was such. It will have to be: XVas so and so such when you were East, Charlie ? I-lal hal The more I stop to reflect that I am in New York, the less I can realize it. lVhy, even as I write this letter I look out the window and see thousands of electric signs that form the Great Wfhite IYay, and I always thought such things existed for me in another world. Wle bought last Sundays San Francisco Chronicle today, and I'm going to glance over it now before we go out, and see if the home town is still 0. K. I guess dear old S. F. would just about make one street in New York. Now don't get mad, dad: I was only fooling. All my love to you both, and I will write again tomorrow. Charlie. New York, February 24, 1918. Dearest Dad and Mother: This is a continuation of my first experiences in the liig City. As I closed my letter to you last night, I was just preparing to take in Uh, Boy! at the Casino Theatre. It was a typical Broadway show, and we enjoyed every minute of it. After the show we met Yin Heherin and a couple of others in our party who had seen Maxime Elliot and Nat Goodwin, and together we all promenaded along the Great Wfhite VVay and saw New York at its merriest. There seemed to be millions of people on the streets: we would walk along' a few feet and then would be caught in a jam and forced to stand still. It reminded me of a carnival. Vie turned into bed at the hotel about 2 o'clock, and arose bright and early this morning. At Il o'clock we split into parties and all started out in opposite directions to see as much as possible. Art David- son and I formed our combination, and the first thing we did was to take a Fifth Avenue bus. The bus ran along fash- ionable Fifth .-Xvenue, passed Central Park. along the bank of the I-Iudson and terminated around One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Street. I don't think that We could have chosen