Stoop Ball (1924); Escalator (1900); Revolving Door (1896); Automobile (1883)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   Another re-examination of New York terms, using NEW YORK TIMES full text.

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STOOP BALL

   OED has 1941.

   15 June 1924, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. SM8:
   Mr. Storey has listed a wide variety of today's diversions and near the
head of his list, in frequency, appear stoop ball, hopscotch, bastketball
(often with a lamp post for goal), fencing with sticks and tag.

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ESCALATOR

   OED has 25 November 1900.

   20 October 1900, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 14:
   _MOVING STAIRWAY IN STORE._
_The Escalator Is Used by Throngs of Shoppers._
   The use of the escalator, or moving stairway, in department stores was
demonstrated in the establishment of Simpson, Crawford & Simpson, where the
first contrivance of its kind installed in a store in New York was put in
operation yesterday.  The novelty of the trip on the moving stairs pleased
every one so much that a majority came back the second time, and some spent
half the morning taking rides on the escalator.

(There is also an "escalator" citation in the NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, 20
October 1900, pg. 7, col. 5, found using the Nineteenth Century Masterfile
database--ed.)

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REVOLVING DOOR

   I had posted that "the first revolving door ever seen in New York" was at
Rector's restaurant in 1899.  We can now check these things, and that's a
little off.

   14 March 1897, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 5:
   Entrance through the west revolving door.
(The story is "Waldorf's Fourth Anniversary"--ed.)

   29 January 1899, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 18:
   One of the numerous "Apple Marys" who help to make New York picturesque
nearly had a dire experience in one of them.  She was not the real, only, and
original Apple Mary. (...)
   ...the big basket hit part of the revolving door that was in front...

   12 February 1899, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 12 headline:
   HER FIRST REVOLVING DOOR.

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AUTOMOBILE

   The first "automobile" hit on NEW YORK TIMES full text is 25 March 1866,
but I'm going blind looking for it in the six columns of small type.
   The second is similar to what I had posted, from "NATIONAL CAPITAL
TOPICS".

   24 January 1883, NEW YORK TIMES, pg. 3:
   The appropriation of $100,000 for the purchase and manufacture of
automobile torpedoes having been reached, Mr. HARRIS, of Massachusetts,
offered an amendment that they should be of American manufacture.

(I second that.  None of these foreign-made automobiles for us!--ed.)