The Washington herald., 1919-12-04
NEW YORK CITY
By o. o. McTNTYRE

New York. Dec. s.-Clinton and
Delaney streets. homes of cheap
shops and push-cart merchants.
have taken on a new atmosphere
of aristocracy. The high cost Of
women's clothes has made buying
uptown prohibitive- to many. And
as convention DEGREES women must
be dressed. they are being driven
down to the East Side shops run
by tired looking gentlemen with
black whiskers and an accent dis
ttinctively Hebraic.
At first, women went timidly and
half ashamed to the East Side. but
they found such bargains that the
news spread quickly. Now they go
in droves openly and unashamed.
They found to their amazement that
they could purchase the same
clothes on Clinton street for half
the price they had to pay on Fifth
avenue.
Also they learned that these same
dealers supplied the Fifth avenue
exclusive shops with the goods
they sold SO chesply. To go bar
gaining for merchandise on Clin-
ton or Delaney street is an ad-
venture worth while. There are no
manners of Fifth avenue to be
found there-no bland. unctious,
/ pommaded salcsmen wearing trim
suits and spats.
The owner of the shop does most
Of the selling. He grunts his an
swers putting at foul-smelling ORR
entail cigarettes and watching can
nily the face of the buyer for any
betrayal of weakness.
Uptowners have learned the trick
of approach and departure that
East Siders observe as naturally
as the duck swims. One must
never show enthusiasm. Rather be
curt and discourtcous. When the
price is mentioned-no matter what
| II is. snort with disgust. turn alb
ruptly and walk out. Ninety-nine
times out OF ope hundred you will
be followed to the door and asked
to make your own price.
Then begins the bargaining-dol-
lar by dollar. penny by pepny-un-
til the low level is reached. The
customer leaves with his package
and the proprietor holding tightly
his money means that he Is being
ruined. Out of sight both smile and
the chances are that both have
profited by the sale. That is the
way of the East Side. Time or up
town customs will never change it.
And after all. why should II be
changed? 1t makes a romance of
buying. It takes it out of the
atmosphere of class commercialism
and makes II red-corpuscled
transaction. a veritablc battle of
wits. Men are going to the East
Side for their clothes. too, and also
their haterdashery.
The stage spotlight throws some
rare high-lights on human nature
and human foibles-as well as
greatness and ability. Thus it was
the other night at the premiere Of
her new play. Marjorie Rambeau
appeared before the curtain and at
the call for the author went to tho
wings and dragged forth willard
Mack, who wrote the play. Mr..
Mack was only recently divorced
from Miss Rambeau and further to
tangle the situation. Mr.. Mack had
that very day been served with
summons in divorce proceedings
brought by his present wife, Paul
inc Frederick. And all the while
from the wings. the present young
husband of Miss Rambeau looked
on good naturedly. He has a part
in the play.
No street can be more beautiful
than Fifth avenue on moonnt
night Seen from the interior of a
speeding taxi IL is only ordinary.
with it's beauty dimmed to a
Kaleidoscope blur of ONCE build
ings and quickly passing lights.
But Fifth avenue from the deep in
terror of a leisurely fiacre on, a
night when the moon rides high
and cold in a dead clear sky in
friendly company with million
stars. is a street Of Unreasonable
beauty. More and more people are
stealing away from the modern
world OF speed to ride slowly in the
moonlight on Fifth avenue.