Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-04

AL VALLEY PRESS, Ell 4
ceptionally capable and able CON
men make their headquarters. / don't
mean ordinary "green goods" men or
"wiretappers." o dear me, no! They
are far cleverer than that. They are
"business men" who never lay them
selves open to prosecution.
Actors, ahem, may be seen along
Broadway on any pleasant afternoon,
telling each other of their last sea-
sons successes and of how they are
booked for Europe next season. Some
how they never get to Europe, and how
they live is a mystery. They are per-
fectly harmless, being too wrapped
UP in their art to think of trimming
anyone, although one may touch you
for a quarter or a half if you give him
any encouragement after hearing his
story.
Why there should be so many South
ern colonels in the hotel bars is some
thing l could never understand, We
known them as professional Southern
ers," but many a person, having paid
for all the mint juleps some particu
lar colonel" could drink, has fallen
for a touch and come across with
five spot Just until my allowance is
received from my attorney in Chatta
nooga"
There was once a character known
as Colonel Charles Montgomery Pier
son" who frequented Broadway. Ev-
eryone knew him as Col Charles He
wore a broad felt hat, which he mag
ined was of the type once worn by
the people before the war slave own
ers. His taste, however. ran towards
violent waistcoats, generously spotted
and streaked from many contacts with
free lunch counters. His suit was of
the cut affected by the dandies of Par
isian boulevards, being rather more
than extremely tight about the ankles.
It's checks were so loud they would
have made Sousa drop his baton in
despair Like the rest of the Colonefs
costume, the suit had seen better days
l always suspected that it had orig
inally been made by some theatrical
tailor for a negro vaudeville come
dian for stage use, Col. Charles was
as eccentric in his choice of shoes as
he was in the selection of waistcoat.
His once guaranteed patent feathers
boasted grey suede tops, and the toes
were finely pointed. Barring few
cracks along the sides, the shoes were
in first class condition.
Colonel Charles had no particular
occupation, other than relating to in !,
terested strangers fanciful fiction
about the famous Pierson plantations
n Georgia, or Tennessee or Alabama,
which were wiped out and confscated
by the damned yankees, sir!" Colonel
Charles was far, far too clever to say
sub" He knew perfectly well that
Southern gentlemen don't talk like
and this one little bit Of
knowledge on Charley's part was re-
sponsible for many a sucker falling
for his story. The colonel was just
Just an ordinary, every day panhan-
iler. He was only one of many, how
ever, of the same type, who still fire.
luent the street of bright lights.
Mixed in with the throngs in the
cheaper restaurants and cafes of
Broadway at night are many clerks
thieves, gun men and visitors. The
number of apparently respectable per-
sons who visit disreputable resorts
either on Broadway or in it's vicinity,
is remarkable. They are New York
ers, not strangers, for the latter rarely
Inow where to locate such places. They
20 to the "trotteries" and lobster pal
aces" that have become famous. Why
persons who lead lives of respectable
ity during the day time should fire.
1uent such resorts at night is difficult
to understand.
Next week Gotham Knickerbocker