NEW ZEALANDER'S WANDERINGS

Evening Star, Issue 21718, 12 May 1934, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDER'S WANDERINGS

[By Kknj: Wii.kik.] A SECOND LETTER. New York. Dear Brother Bill and the Bairns,— As you see, I have arrived in New York. 1 have had a wonderful tune so far. . The American lady ol whom 1 tola you before took care of me lor the first two days. She took mo to see the Aquarium, where there arc many varieties of strange and beautiful fish; and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is a treasure house of beautiful paintings, tapestries, china, and statuary. She also took me on the elevated trains (above the street), the sub-ways (below the street), and on the ordinary trams, which the Americans call trolly-cars. This place is cpiite right for a Scotsman. The buses, 'subways, and elevated trains arc all 5 cents, no matter how far yon go. Some go a long way, as you will understand when you find there arc 7,000,000 people in New York, four times as many as in all New Zealand. ]t* is safe crossing the street; safer than Dunedin, as the regulations arc very strict. they have red and green lights which change every two minutes. Cars stop ■while the pedestrians cross. My friend also introduced me to various automats and self-servers. The automats are great fun. You collect a tray, spoons and forks, and then look along a row of glass eases, and drop a nickel (5 cents, 3jd) into the most tempting, and, hey, presto! out comes sandwiches wrapped in cellophane paper on a plate. Everything is beautifully clean. We had lunch one day at the “ Dew drop Inn.” Aon must understand that New Yorkers often say “Do drop f have had honey-dew melon for breakfast. It is delicious. Also the cl ilk pickle, with ham sandwich. The dlllpickle is a small green piquant affair, like a miniature cucumber; 1 do not know what it was before it became a pickle. Then there is ryebread and blueberry cakes. For lunch we often have fruit salads on a lettuce leaf, They have lettuce with everything, the lettuce growing for New York must be a big industry in itself. Then sandwiches are another great dish. An sorts of sandwiches, toasted very often, with all sorts of combined Idlings, are served. There are delightful icecreams, with all varieties of fruit m them. In the tea rooms one is given hot water and a little muslin bag of tea, with a name tag of the brand on it. This little bag is dipped in the cup. New Yorkers seem to eat much ess meat than New Zealanders, but they drink very much more milk. Everything is wrapped in cellophane paper, even the loaf sugar ; but not, of course, the milk, unless frozen into ices. A great many of the children on the streets wear roller-skates, on which they are very expert, and speed along at a great rate. At length 1 went to the Carnegie Corporation and presented my credentials. Everyone was very kind, and arrangements were made for my stay at International House, a large hostel for strange students from other countries. International House aims at being a home away from home for strangers, students of all colours and of all religions are welcome. Over the door-way is written: “That brotherhood may prevail!” About twenty-four years ago a gentleman. Mr Edmonds, happened to say a kindly “good morning” to a young nlan he met in the street. The young man told him he was a student from another country, and that no one had spoken to him since he came to New York a month before. Mr Edmonds asked him to come to Sunday supper, and to bi’ing any other lonely boys he could find. Before very long so many came that they could not all get into the house. Mr John Rockefeller, who lias given New York so many wonderful educational buildings, came to the rescue and presented to the stranger students of New York city this great hostel on a beautiful site overlooking the Hudson River. Now there are about 600 students from fifty-seven countries living happily in International House. It is a very large building, with beautiful grounds, looking on the Riverside drive, which is a wide esplanade that runs beside the Hudson River, at the mouth of which New York city is situated. I was welcomed in the kindliest way by Miss Todlnmter, from New Zealand, who has an important position in the management of International House. She had given mo a room on the seventh floor. Outside my window I could see trees and a little blue glimpse of the Hudson, to remind me of the Dunedin belt and harbour. I can also see a great church, the Riverside Church, of New York.

On the table in my room J found a book with the names of the girls who had lived their previously—girls from Porto Rico, Rumania, China, and some American girls. (To be continued).