Mayor of New York Talks of Its Possibilities
Copyright, 1901, by Frank G. Carpenter.) y
trw vimv Anrll 11 fSnerlnl Cor
I respondent of The Bee.) I gtvej
W I vnn n,1av n n Interview with Sk
man who represents the biggest
' .11.. , L r.. mlt.it n ,!
labor on thin hemisphere. It la hardly a
talk on rnpltal and labor, but rather on the
product thereof. New Vork grows In spite
of capital combinations and labor organ
izations. It grows bo faHt It has not time
to theorize why It grows. It Is like a great
green boy who plunges along doing what la
before him, and only stopping now and
then to double up his arms for a look at
Ms muscle and to show his fellows how
big It Is. It was to Inspect the great mucl
of New York that I came here, and to get
Its accurate dimensions culled upon the
mayor In his office at the city hall.
General George I!. McClellan was lovingly
called "Little Mac." Rt 111 ho was big enough
to b one of the great general of our civil
war and a candidate for president of tho
United States. The mayor of New York Is
the son of that "Little Mac," and In many
respects he resembles his father. He looks
like a boy, and he Is still In his thirties,
although he has been (in editor, a business
man and a representative In congress. Ho
Is now mature enough and strong enough
to act as the ruler of the second city of tho
world, and there are those who say be yet
may be the democratic candidate, for the
pnsldency of the United States.
About two years ago 1 met the lord mayor '
of London In his palace ucross the way
from the Hank of England. It took letters i
of Introduction, much parliamentary corrc- I
spondenco and Interviews with flunkies In (
livery before I came Into Ms presence. I
got to the mayor of New York with my
visiting card, which was taken In by a po
liceman with a brass badge on his bosom.
Ills honor received mo without ostentation,
and like most of the big business men I
have met lie seemed to have leisure to talk.
The conversation was rapid. The young
mayor knows his own mind and there Is no
ono better posted upon the great city ot
which be la ruler.
"I havo come from Washington," said I,
"for a talk about Now York. What U the
condition of the town, and how Is It get
ting along In Its struggles with capital and
labor?"
"New York Is having no struggles Just
now," replied Mayor McClellan. "We had
some trouble with the building trades last
year, but toduy our condition Is thoroughly
healthy, and, barring some temporary an
noyances as to our theaters, we are at
peace with ourselves and all the world. Our
labor Is In a good condition, and It prom
ises to remain so."
"Is the city growing?"
"Yes," replied the mayor. "It grows so
fast that wo must be always on the alert
or It oversteps us. Our chief trouble now
' la as to the schools. We have not enough
buildings to accommodate all the children,
and at present there Is 9.1,000 who can go
to school only half the time. We have al
ready about COO.OOO children In the schools;
and the natural Increase for the next year
will be something like 35,000, and for the
year following 38,000, bo you ae we have
to build far ahead."
"How many people has Now York?"
"Just about 4,000,000," replied the mayor.
"How does that com pure with the other
cities of the world?"
"It Is exceeded only by London," was the
reply. "New York Is now more than a
million In advance of Farls; it Is twice as
big as.Chlcugo, lterlln or any city In Asia,
and three times as big as St. l'etersburg.
There are only four states In the union
Which exceed. us In population, and we have
one-twentieth of all the people In the
United States."
"Will New York ever equal London?"
"I think there Is no doubt of It," an
swered Mayor McClellun. "London la al
most full grown and New Yolk Is Just be
ginning Its youth. We are Increasing faster
now In proportion to our population thun
London, and London Is gray-hulred com
pared with New York. It was a city In
the days of tho Homans, although later on
Its population dropped. New York Is only
t years old. When New York la a old as
London what may it not be?"
"Hut baa New York room for growth, Mr.
Mayor," I asked. "Have you available
space here for many more people?"
"Yes, indeed," replied the mayor. "We
can accommodate live times as many peo
ple as are In the New York of today. We
can house 18.0O0.OC0 and give them plenty
of room. The Island of Manhattan Is pretty
well covered, but we have Brooklyn, Long
Island, Slaten Island and possible suburbs
In every direction. We are now making a
rapid ferry system for Stolen Island. It
Will be owned by the city and It will cause
that region to grow. Th?re are only 70,000
people there now, but there la room for
millions. The Williamsburg bridge gives ua
another outlet to Brooklyn, and the tun
nels which the Pennsylvania company la
to dig under tho North and Kast rivers
will furnish rapid transit to suburbs who
capacity la enormous. Yes, we have room
here for 15.000,000, and when they ooine we
Will accommodate them."
"But, Mr. Mayor, I have recently been
In Chicago. The people there think they
are the real bub of the United tSates and
Kv.;?V;y:.Y:'
, : : :
MAYOR GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN, OF NEW YORK CITY.
Bay their
city will eventually surpass
yours."
"We have not begun to worry about Chi
cago yet," replied Mr. McClellan. "We
think this the natural gate of the United
States and that it will always be so. New
York Is already the chief port of the world,
and It Is Increasing Its shipping every
year."
"But your honor," I sold, "suppore a ship
canal should be built in connection with th.3
great lakes, so that ocean steamers could
go right Into Chicago?'
"That possibility Is far In the future,"
replied the mayor of New York. "We pro
pose to have a little canal ourselvei from
here to Buffalo, which will largely Increase
our business. At any rate, wo are not
afraid of Chicago at thU present time. New
York Is Uncle Sam's chief gateway."
"Where Is New York growing Just now,
your honor?" I asked.
"For an answer to that question," re
plied the mayor, "you have only to open
your eyes. It Is growing everywhere, both
In the city and in the suburbs. Tho bor
ough of Manhattan Is fast becoming one
of steel skyscrapers. Bronx has been cut
up Into building Works and a vat number
of dwellings and flats are going up there,
Brooklyn Is growing faster than New York
in short the whi le of Greater New York
has on Its seven-league boots. Within
the past two years more than eighty large
roal estate companies have been Incor
porated, with a total capitalization of more
than $75,000,000, ami they are putting up
buildings of all kinds, residences, busi
ness blocks, apartment houses and great
hotels. The Increase In the apartment
houses Is very great. In 1902 something
like sixty-six were erected, representing a
total Investment, including the land, 'Of
about $50,000,000. it Is the same as to de
partment stores and otllce buildings. In
deed, It Is hnrd to realise bow fust New
York Is growing."
"How about public Improvements?"
"The city Is being bettered right along,"
replied the mayor. "The Williamsburg
bridge, which was formally opened In De
Furnishings for
T0WEST wrinkle In bed room
furnishings for spr:ng and sum
mer la the use of the crown tapes
try canopy for the dresser and
bedstead.
N
The chief thing to recommend the tapes
try canopy Is lta economy. Any old bed
room suit can be used aa a foundation, or
even a pine frame work, painted white,
for the dressing table and wash stand.
The latter la draped with figured tapestry
along the simplest lines to give the valance
effect. The dressing table has a crown
foundation overhead, from which the tapes
try falls In graceful folds and extend to
the floor.
The background for the mirror Is also
of the tapestry, and In this frame work Is
Bet an oval beveled glass at a height con
venient for a woman to sit when making
her toilet. The entire dressing table Is
enveloped in the tapestry, over which
Hi)!
. K x."".xr-
cember, is one of the wonders of Greater
New York. It is forty feet wider than tho
Brooklyn bridge and with Its approaches,
Is a mile and a half In length. It has
cost about $20,000,000, and It will soon be
carrying a large part of the traffic be
tween New York and Brooklyn. And then
there is the new subway system, which
will soon be completed at a cost of $:!5,000,-
000, and there also are the Pennsylvania
Improvements, which are to cost about
$50,000,000. Thcio nio other thing, but
these are enough to show that New York
Is not falling behind."
"It must cost something to run a city
like this, Mr McClellan," said I.
"It does," said the mayor of New York.
"It costs Just about $92,000,000 a year, or
If you take In certain county and state
Items the amount Is $l('8.COO,0OO a year."
"That Is an enormous sum," said I.
"Does New York get the worth of Its
money?"
"I think so," replied the mayor. "There
Is a vast deal of work and it takes a small
army to do It."
"But where does all the money go?" said
1. "The salaries must be hih. How about
the mayor? What does ho get?"
"Fifteen thousand dollars," was the re
ply. "Poos he earn It?" I asked.
"I think he does," replied Mayor Mc
Clellan. "He gets here at 9 o'clock In the
morning and is kept here until 6 o'clock at
night, and every hour of his day Is a busy
one. Yes, I think the mayor earns his
salary."
"If It were not a personal question, your
honor, I should like to know how the pres
ent mayor likes his Job?"
"Ho likes It well," . replied the young
mayor of New York, with a Bmlle. "The
position U a responsible one, and one that
makes a man feel he is doing something
and makes him hope to do It well."
"But, your honor, can you really do
things? Does not politics control? It is
said that Tammany Is the real head of
New York?"
"That 1b a mistake," replied the young
mayor with emphasis. "Tammany has
the Bed Room
white point d'csprlt frilled dresser scarf
Is spread.
A bedstead painted white, or a brass one,
Is draped crown fashion to correspond with
tho dressing table, and also has valances
of the tapestry. White ruffled point d'esprlt
pillow shams and spread give the little
dainty touch and tone down the brilliancy
of the floral coloring.
A slipper ottoman, upholstered and lined
with plain sateen, which has pockets
around the sides for the footwear, goes
with this set
A chair, which Is the epitome of com
fort, Is an addition to the set. it Is called
the "Thirty Winks," "Forty Winks," or
"Fifty Winks," according to lta size. It
nearly envelops the occupant, as It has
not only a high back, but high bide pieces
which extend out to the padded arms.
A box couch upholstered in the tapestry,
with cushions, la aCered as an alternative
f the chair.
nothing to uo with this office. I am thai
mayor of New York "
"Is New York a Christian cTtyT" 1
asked.
"What do you mean?" replied the mayor,
rather surprised.
"I mean that many people who live back
In the country think this place a sink oC
Iniquity a sort of a Hades with the lid
oft."
"I believe the people here are as good as?
they are on the average anywhere In the
United States," replied Mayor McClellan,
"Wo have more than 1,000 churches, syna
gogues and cathedrals. Our people are
cLurch-goers and we observe the Sabbath
better, perhaps, than any other large city
In the world. Yes, wo are a Christian city
In the broadest sense. We believe In
things. We don't ull believe tho same way,
but we do bellevo In something, and, on
the whole, I think we are up to the aver
age as regards personal and municipal
moralit y."
"Speaking of municipal morality, your
Iionor, how about the grafters and boo
fllers? Is not New York City overrun with
them?"
"If It Is," replied tho mayor, "I have not
Been them. They have not shown their
heads since I came Into office."
"But, your honor, you certainly have a
large number of the criminal classes here.
. Are there not places in New York City
where a man would risk his life by going
about nlone at night?"
"I don't think bo," said the mayor. "I
should not be afraid to go anywhere lr
New York alone any time of the day of
night."
"What Is your Ideal for New York, Mr.
McClellan. What would you like to see
the city become."
"That is a big question," was tho reply.
"I do not deal In Ideals. All I can do Is to
grapple with things as they come up and
settle them as far as I can. I want to see
the city Improved, and I think wo are
steadily improving It. I want to see It
made clean, healthy and safe before try
ing to build up a plan by which It may be
made beautiful. At present our chief busi
ness Is with the utilities."
"What do you think of New Yorkers, Mr.
McClellan?" I asked. "Some people Imagine
that they are a little smarter than the
average American In other parts of the
country."
"I don't think that," replied the mayor,
"although there Is one thing In favor of
such n supposition and that is that tha
best of everything comes to New York.
This Is the national center of wealth and
business, and those magnets attract brains
and rklll from every part of the country.
In that respect New York Is milking the
United States, and steidy streams of the
best ability produced by the country are
always Rowing here. We get not only much
of the best milk, but the very cream of tho
country."
"What Hre the chances for young men In
New York?" I asked.
"I think they are good." replied the
mayor. "The place to make money Is
where the money Is. The place to do busi
ness Is where the most business Is. This
city needs good young men and lots of
them. It has never needed them more.
There will always be room for the right
kind of young men In New York."
"How about politics, your honor? I see,
It said thnt New York U oppored to tho
renomlnatlon of President Roosevelt.
"I am too busy to consider polltlis," re
plied tho young mayor, "and I don't caro
to discuss them. I can't see, howrve-, why
New York should be singled out as having
special friendships or antipathies different
from those of the rest of the country. In
this I do not refer to President Roosevelt
nor to any man; but to the fact that New
York Is often spoken of as having special
individual interests. That is not the case.
Our interests are the same as those of
the rest of the United States. Weare an
American city and are as anxious for the
general prosperity of the country as any
people in the country. There Is no place
where private Interests reach otit bo far
or where the desire for the common wel
fare of the country Is so great. Within
five minutes' walk from where we are now
sitting are men who have financial Inter
ests, I might say, In every great under
taking In the United States and In every
locality. No, New York Is not provincial
in its Interests. It Is tied to every part of
the Union, and It la for the welfare of tho
whole country."
"Can you not give me a word or bo about
the presidency, Mayor McClellan?" said I.
"I see that some of the newspapers advo
cate your nomination as the democratic
candidate?"
"I have already said," replied the mayor,
"that I do not want to talk politics. As
It Is now I am not bo much interested In
that subject as I am In New York. I havo
already told you something of lta bigness,
and you can see that I have all I can do to
attend to It."
"But, your honor, suppose you were nom
inated and elected, would not your having
been born in Saxony prevent your holding
the office?"
"I think that matter baa been pretty well
discussed In the newspapers," replied the
mayor. "At any rate I am not seeking tho
nomtntlon for the presidency and I don't
want to discuss It." i
FRANK, Q. CARFEKTKB.
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