The Washington herald., 1918-08-31
By DWc

New York. Aug. 3o.-wilson Mizner
is Broadway's reconteur extraordinary
now that Irwin Shrewsbury Cobb is
being suffocated with Chautauqua
salutes on the kerosene circuit Miz-
ner has knocked about all corners OF
the globe, and done everything from
playing polo to writing crook plays.
He was in Alaska during the early
days when the gambling fever was at
its height, and the other night in a
cushioned corner OF a Flash Alley
eatery he was spinning some colorful
days OF the great north.
One evening during the days when
Nome was dotted by only few build
ings a stranger came into faro
house. He stood before the faro bank
and bet two dollars on q card, waited
few moments until II lost. and then
walked out.
The next night he came in again.
rooted for his bet with a suppIication,
win for me. my wife and children
are ill"' In a few minutes his card
lost and he walked out.
The third night the stranger ap-
peared This time he bet eight dol
lars and crooned pathetically. My
wife and children are dead and I
, have no money to bury them with
His card lost once more, and he
walked out.
The next night there was a wild
scramble on the lower floor OF the
gambling house. The lights were
| shot out and a man rode through the
room on horseback with a gun in
either hand.
He rode his pony UP the stairs. and
before the faro bank. He bet two
hundred on the card and it won. He
reached from the saddle and pocketed
| the money. Then he took off his
| false mustache.
''Ha, ha!" he cried to the aston
| ished dealer. That's the time !
! fooled you. You didn't know me"
It was the stranger who had bet
the two. four and eight dollars the
nights previous and lost.
Patrons OF New York hotels. who
have dashed to the Metropolis and re-
turned with the idea that Jessie James
is in charge OF all the hostelries, will
no doubt be forced to suppress a
couple OF giggles at the suggestion Of
the New York Hotel Association, in
refuting hints Of profiteering. that the
New York hotel is in reality an elee-
! nosynary Institution. And what Is
more, the hotel men are proving their
contention with figures which are sup
posed not to prevaricate. The hotel
keepers committee. composed of L. M.
Boomer, George Boldt, ir., Copeland
Townsend. William Muschenheim and
others. in a statement, declare that
big hotels run their dining-rooms only
as a favor to the public. All the big
dining rooms are losing money. Roast
beef at 90 cents a portion or Lamb
chops at 20 cents each are a big loss.
and so are almost all the other dishes.
They dragged in a life guard OF one
of the beaches the other day under
the work or-fight' order. but they
had to wait until he could buy a suit
OF clothes before they took him TO
prison. For two months. living near
the beach. he had worn nothing but n
bathing suit. having pawned his other
clothes. The life guard around the
New York beaches is a queer bird. His
principal occupation seems to be the
acq1irement Of a nut-brown skin. All
day long he lounges about in the sun
or struts about to show on his muscles
, and tan. Many of them become the
same hue Of the negro. but the darker
they get the more they seem to think
| they have accomplished. Many OF
them spend the winter months in the
capacity OF professional hooters at the
| dansants. Most of them dream OF
rescuing the bankers fair daughter
and living happily ever afterward. but
the average bankers daughter goes in
bathing purely TO display a striking
costume and she rarely goes out
where the water laps over her ankles.