CENTRAL PARK NOTES
_American Society from a Park Policeman's Point of View_
Am in New York city, upper part--visit Central Park almost every day
(and have for the last three weeks) off and on, taking observations or
short rambles, and sometimes riding around. I talk quite a good deal
with one of the Park policemen, C.C., up toward the Ninetieth street
entrance. One day in particular I got him a-going, and it proved
deeply interesting to me. Our talk floated into sociology and
politics. I was curious to find how these things appear'd on their
surfaces to my friend, for he plainly possess'd sharp wits and good
nature, and had been seeing, for years, broad streaks of humanity
somewhat out of my latitude. I found that as he took such appearances
the inward caste-spirit of European "aristocracy" pervaded rich
America, with cynicism and artificiality at the fore. Of the bulk of
official persons, Executives, Congressmen, Legislators, Aldermen,
Department heads, &c., &c., or the candidates for those positions,
nineteen in twenty, in the policeman's judgment, were just players
in a game. Liberty, Equality, Union, and all the grand words of
the Republic, were, in their mouths, but lures, decoys, chisel'd
likenesses of dead wood, to catch the masses. Of fine afternoons,
along the broad tracks of the Park, for many years, had swept by
my friend, as he stood on guard, the carriages, &c., of American
Gentility, not by dozens and scores, but by hundreds and thousands.
Pages:
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706