The Washington herald., 1918-04-06

lspccial Correspondence Of The Washington
HerSldD
New York, March 30-The war has
eliminated the professional cadger
on Broadway. The draft caught
most OF them because they are young.
When they get older they drift down
to the Bowery and become profess
,, sional bums-panhandling for nickels
for scuttles OF suds and a flop in the
lodging houses.
The Broadway cadger IS a strange
bird. He lives by his wits around the
hotel lobbies and bars. He watches
out for the man who registers from
Keokuk and then waits to greet him
in the lobby as an old-time friend.
The lonely stranger falls for his
guile and after a round of the pleas
ure resorts II winds up in a quick
touch.
The cadger is a word coined by the
Tenderloin fly cops-the gum-shoe
huskies who 90 about in plain clothes.
One young cadger used to slip up
TO busy bar and get hold OF an
tIHpNs Theh pdil EldSS- "hcn NuC
bartender would ask his pleasure. he
would reply he had had his drink
and was waiting for his change. He
would insist that he gave the bar
keep a two-dollar bill. To avoid
trouble he would generally get the
change.
The csdger is always a good dane
er. a good story teller and full of
tho ~ IL rrfl
cut a minute to call up his friend
Chauncey Depew or Mare Klaw to
call of an engagement that only ex-
listed in his ina gination. He knows
ali the celebrities by face and when
the occasion demands he will go up
and talk to them as IL he had known
them always. Just to impress whoever
he is trying to impress.
They are as free of morals as
frog is OF wool. Too cowardly to
commit any serious crime. they Just
skirt the line between the under
world of crooks and respectful abilitv.
Life TO them means money without
labor. Before the war it was .esti-
mated that Broadway had go cad
gers who were known as profession
ais. The Tenderloin police believe
80 hO" hAANs
incidentally one cadger taken away
from the easygoing atmosphere OF
Broadway. has won laurels as a flyer
over there.
Seen around the town: 4 man In
parade carrying a banner in one
arm and baby in the other. A cub
bear with its master in a taxicab.
A bald-headed actor looking longinGly
at pair of military hair brushes.
A man paying for his dinner with
war thrift stamps. a legless man
In Union Square against a water hy-
drant. A young soldier. wearing two
medals. with his hair as white as
snow. forlorn-looking woman sit
ting alone In a theater box.
The French are teaching our SOL
diers their language and the troops
are teaching them ours, sometimes
with little expurgation. Copeland
Townsend has received a letter from
over there which tells OF the 'bonne"
in little hotel in a village used as
rest camp who recently placed a
dish before a grave and reverend
chaplain with the sprightly remark:
"'Prenez garde. monsieur. Eet's
damned hot"
Lee Kugel the theatrical producer.
met an actor on the street the other
day.
Il was Just talking with your wife"
said Kugel.
you were talking?" came from the
actor. with the accent on the You"
Yes"
You're wrong" said the actor. 1t
wasn't my wife"
New Workers. are not moving to the
country this summer. Fine estates
on Long Island are not being opened
this year. 1t Is the wartime spirit
not to loll on the sea sands or chase
the golf ball over the green. The
women are busy with their wartime
work and so are the men. The blg
summer homes win remain closed.