Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-28

n TEW YORK CITY Aug. 24.-The cabaret in
N America is at the zenith of its career
1t is breaking out like rash all over the
country-in the big cities, the small towns, at the
beaches and even in the country A farm cabaret
near here entertains hundreds every night. More
over, it has its particular show people, as dis
tinct class those in vaudeville; 1T has its own
stage managers and song writers, and 1t has its
own type of patrons, whatever else they may be, are
certainly among the most profitable in the world
All these cabarets are very much alike, but for
illustration take one of the reputed bad ones
with Oriental name in the Broadway forties
section. The ceiling is lined with red and yellow
glass lanterns, that throw pale green and purple
shadows on the faces of the guests seated below.
In the middle of the floor a jazz banda tumble
of sounds in which no melody can be deciphered-
and a revue of world-weary chorus girls in abbre-
waited costumes of clashing colors revealed be-
meath peculiarly hard and uncompromsing spot
light; and around this section the walters, with
their black coats and determined faces, fit about
like high priests at an orgy.
All is confusion of sound and color and smell
The jazz band, in a frenzy of action, is producing
wild sort of clamor from its Instruments fifty diff
ferent coors merge and separate each act rushes
and off, and all is the smell of the cabaret
"a compound of alcohol cigarette smoke, Oriental
perfume and rice powder.
With this din in Your ears, you try to concen-
trate your attention the menu in front of you,
which is chiefly a wine list but contains a number
of dishes priced at two dollars and An ordi-
nary one-deck club sandwich IS dollar and q naII,
but it is useless to expect chicken for that. You
lucky if it contains sprinkng Of veal and
couple of slices of soft tomato.
1t is impossible to see how anybody could ell
joy this type of cabaret while thoroughly sober,
and the fact of the matter is he doesn't. Not long
ago, prohibition established in a town which
known for it's riotous cabarets. Three weeks
after it went into effect most of the houses closed
their doors. but endeavored to lengthen its
life by the sale of soft drinks. In three nights it
entertained just twelve persons.
Whether they will thrive on the coming beer-and-
wine regime remains to be seen.
Meanwhile the cabarets multiply. broadway
can longer accommodate tenth of the New
York industry alone, cabarets springing up
in the Bronx and in Harlem. One old German
restaurant in Harlem that has had large trade
for years account of it's famous cuisine has re-
Gently had to abandon it's high standards of food
and install a cabaret in order to keep up its quota
of customers
While food is what you think you pay for when
you go to a cafe it soon becomes obvious that you
are mistaken. The salaries of the jazZ-banders,
the performers, the walters and the charge for
each dance, at fifty cents dance, are undoubtedly
included in the price of the dinner. Occasionally
a roof garden a roadhouse may be found which
serves fair table de'hote dinner in connection
with it's cabaret but the instances In
some of these, extra charge for the cabaret Is
attached to the food total.
Last winter, for instance, party of nine went
to New York winter garden about s: 80 D. m for
a light supper. With the greatest of courage
they intended to tackle a cabaret Welsh rarebit
and some beer. AS they gave their order, however
the waiter informed them that they would have to
pay one dollar head extra for the privilege or
seeing the cabaret Since the cabaret did not be-
gin until 1920 and they expected to be through
their Welsh rarebit and out of the place by then,
these people were not disposed to pay 50 extra on
their bill, they got up and walked out