El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-30
0F FOOD
F0RNEWYEbR
REIELRIES
Eating Space at Premium
For New Years Eve at
New York Lobster Palaces
COPS WITH SILK
HATS THE LATEST

New York, n. Y, Dec. 3O.-Tae lsw
year Of 1912 viii be ushered in in this
city by a celebration such as is observed
nowhere. else in the world, ana che
which will make the famo1s fcascs Of
Lucullus seem insignificant in COMPARE
son. For many years the p4ss'Eg If the
old year has been TIE citys greatest
night Of celebration. This year. however.
two factors combine to give ic added i'm
portance. Since the festival falls on a
Sunday it viii De impossible TO secure
liquid refreshment except at hotels and
restaurants as a part of the dinner. For
the same reason there viii be no all
night liquor licenses issued. As a resGlt
the celebration viii be confined to the
citv's great hOstelries and guests viii
be forced to order the nights supply OF
champagne early.
For two weeks every table IN every
popular resort in '-the lobster belt has
been reserved for the inevitable supper"
iat prices ranging from SO to $50 apiece.
and that takes no account Of the many
dollars that viii be spent in other ways
after the game Is on. 1t IS estimated
that $4,000 people viii partake of the
feast in that gilded mile of Broadway.
beside which all the rest Of the world
seems tame and undressing on New
Years eve.
Enough food viii be eaten OF wasted
to feed an army for a week. and the
champagne consumed would float a bat
tlesbip. The section in which the eele-
bratiOn VIII be most strenuous extends
from Esd street to 4Sth street and
reaches its climax at DOngacre square,
into which Broadway. Seventh avenue,
4 e-tr md str n rr-rr1r
Of jewellers and sightseers. Around the
square are ranged the famous restau
rants and hotels. where the fun VIII be
most uproariOus.
So great has been the demand for
places that the capacity of the regular
dining rooms and cafes was exceeded
dong ago, and all sorts of makeshift ar
rangemeBts have been made to 'accOmmO-
date the overflow IN ball rooms and par
lors.-
New York is soon to have the first
silk hated police squad in its history,
and as a result this promises to be a
difficult winter for the clever beggars,
or ''panhandlers.' as they are known,
who have been flOcking to the city with
the idea of reaping their usual rich re-
ward IN the most exclusive sections Of
the city. The new squad Is be
ing organized principally to protect
the Fifth avenue and club districts from
the operations Of beggaTs Of country
wide fame who every winter, through
their skilful work, relieve pedestrians in
these districts Of more than $4,000
Already Consideration has spread
among the select 'span-handling' circles,
and such celebrities as Louis the Crust
Thrower" and Jimmy the Bone
Gnawern and manv others equally well
known. are preparing to leave before
the silk HATED squad really get busy.
When it does, New Workers will be
treated to a novel spectacle. According
to the instructions issued the members
viii have to parade the fashionable dis
tricts clad in frOck coats and silk hats
in the afternoon and in full evening
dress at night They viii make no ar
rests. They are expected to serve only
as lure for 'pan-handlers."
When approached for a touch their
orders are TO string him along until a
policeman IN uniform is encountered and
lodge a complaint iust as an ordinary
citizen would. Some of the squad wanted
to baIk at wearing silk hats, but when
the value of such headgear as bait for
mendicants was pointed out they finally
Welded.