The Washington herald., 1919-09-27
NEW YORK CITY
By o. o. McNTYRE

New York. Sept 8-Little Johnny
OConnor, one Of the truest spokes-
men OF Broadway, has become famous
as the result OF, the strike of actors.
Johnny is attached to the editorial
stan OF Variety, a theatrical weekly
that Is to vaudeville what the Atlantic
Monthly Is to certain effete centers.
Johnny talks to Broadway, through
the pages of Variety. in the White
Way idiom. When everybody On
Broadway was wandering. around
white faced during the tense days OF
the strike whispering Don't talk,
don't talk!"-Johnny unleashed his
galloping pen and wrote what he
thoughhof of George M. Cohan.
Johnny writes in slsngy octaves,
striking all the chords of the humor of
Broadway. He was for the actors and
also he was for Cohan. He spoke
right out and so tremendous was the
appeal that one New York newspaper
reprinted it on its first page and sew
eral others on their editorial pages.
Before thfs Johnny had been writing
homely little items about the Flying
McNabbs. The Five Hokum Sisters,
Gitzle and Cattle. and oueenie La
Mont and all the other two-a-day per-
a
so magazine offers to write in his own
slangy way on any subject he desires.
With Johnny it was natural. He Is
not initiating Ring Lardner as so
many slang writers have done. When
he calls money sugar" he is speak
ing in his own language-the language
of the Automat and the all-night drug
stores. He speaks of the actor as a
Ham" with the same loving thought
that father calls his boy Son
Possibly Johnny OConnor would
have been unknown outside of the
world of vaudeville had 1t not been
for the strike. but now he seems des-
tined to become a national character
His capacity for wit is best illustrated
by the following little story:
O'Connor came out of the Claridge
grill the other day after lunch and
ran into Louis Mann. It was the third
week Of the strike. BY the way,
Louie" inquired Johnny. whatever
became of the show business"
Meredith Nicholson, the Indiana
novelist. was lunching with Ray Long.
editor Of the Cosmopolitan, in one of
those fiossy Danish pastry places that
suddenly bloomed in the Forties the
other day. They were discussing their
old newspaper days in Indianapol
and then Long turned to the time
when at the venerable age of 3 he
became managing editor of a paper in
Middle West city. This particular
newspaper was a kind of kindergar-
ten. where anybody over % was
looked upon as a Methuselah. One
Of the owners threatened to build a
hiOh "A afa Ia a
ing to the editorial rooms to keep the
children from falling down stairs.
Long said that once when a fire gong
sounded in the street a new cub re-
porter jumped up and yelled. "Goody.
it's recess''
for more pay. They get about IS a
week and want $50. They are getting
little encouragement-and yet il they
put up prescriptions with sledge ham,
mers and worked only six hours a day
they might get the raise.
appetites OF their guests naturally If
not artificialIy. Now that the cock
tail seems destined for complete ban
ishment in January. the hotels are
putting in gymnasiums where the
guests may exercise before meals and
thus make the check big and snappy.
The Pennsylvania has a swimming
pool. the Ritz is putting in one and
also a bowling alley. The McAlpin has
a hand ball court and the Waldorf is
planning an indoor tennis court. SO
it looks like it is going to be an au-
spicious winter for food after all.