The Washington herald., 1918-03-28

Special COrrespOudent Of The Washington Herald
New York, March 2S-Zoe BeCkley
has written a novel Miss Beckley is
one of New York's sob sisters who
has done more real writing about real
flesh and blood folk of the Biggest
City than any other journalist She
started out TO earn a living by paint
ing dinner cards and then went to
typewriting. II was only by chance
that she became a newspaper writer.
As it happened | was a member OF
the stan OF an evening newspaper that
gave her her first assignment. She
was sent out to interview the wife OF
a prominent man from Ohio. From
the very start she had a new slant
on journalism. Her first story placed
on the desk of the city editor made
him sit up and take notice.
Miss Beckley was evidently tired OF
the mawkish vignettes Of New York
life and the obvious and happy endings
to every yarn. She wrote about
stenographers who sometimes had
colds in their heads. sometimes forgot
their ideals long enough to go to
movies or 10 buy cheap silk stockings
, in December. And she saw the human
side of employers instead Of seeing
professional villains and deceivers.
There is hardly a phase OF life in
( New York with which Mis- BeCkley
is not entirely-and almost painfully
! familiar. She has penetrated into New
| Hork's filthiest streets. where the
ballooning bedding OF Russia and Italy
| bulges upon American fire ESCAPES
she knows the fetid air Of the sweat
shops, and the greasy smell OF the
East Side restaurants.
She knows what the girls in the
department store Easements do with
their money. and what the mother Of
| five fatherless babies thinks when the
! price of coal goes up. In other words,
Miss ReCkley knows about Life.
She has stood before Rockefeller and
| quiZZed him with the same easy non
| chalance that she got the story of a
mothers suicide from the trembling
I lips of the wan and newly made or
phan. She has talked to gunmen in
! their rendezvous and has been photo
graphed shaking hands with the
mighty T. r. She has found what
many others fail to find in New York
excitement
He Was strolIing through an art gal
| A>'% AiN HAObh Btl'lf Il'A'Al' NJ hN''s
which was labeled "WeStcheStrr Hill
side" 1t was credited in the cataloE
he held in his hand TO Ernest Law
son. n. 4. (Electl
He shook his head "Why he was
| electTocuted for this offense. he said.
lis beyond my understandings" And
he walked away with his head bowed.
! New York does not like the risquC
i'm dancing. The dancer who tried Ia
shock the populace with a series of
nude dancing at the Metropolitan
tried to repeat her performance at
Carnegie Hall. All the talk of nudity
was expected to pack the place. In
| stead 1t was a boomerang. Only about
twenty reporters were present. There
were more people in the orchestra
than i'm the hall. New York's attitude
was pointed out by a huge ten-stOrN
studio building directly across from
the entrance of Carnegie Hall. Il
was built by Chalif. the dancer, who
has spent all his years in New YOrF
fighting the risque in dancing and
doing his best to uplift it The build
ing cost half million.
There is a young actor who has just
| mace remarkable hit In new play
A critic refused to record his sue
cess for the young mans own good
He said that he had spoiled two goo'
actors by praising them at their frs
success. They got enlarged heads ant
refused to work hard. But the newes
young success wrote the critic
Thanks for the caution. have beer
acting ten years-mostly in tanl
towns. I viii never be a great actor
am Just trying and 1t is lot Of fun
am laughing at and with the worlC
and myself" The critic was impress
ed. He wrote a column puff for tn
young actor. Here is the finish OF tn
story. The actor quit his job tn
next day because they would no
double his salary. He spends his tim
on Broadway now Dragging how goo
he is and how crude the manager
are.