The Washington herald., 1919-05-10

New York, May a-Broadway has
devised a new thrill. II has turned
now to harmless chewing gum
vending machine as an exhaust for its
pent-up emotion. For Broadway must
gamble.
Ask the police and they will tell you
that gambling machines as part of the
furniture OF saloons are a relic Of q
dim and almost forgotten past Rou-
lette wheels and faro boxes were leg
islated out Of existence years ago.
they probably will add.
But the police fail to reckon with
the ingenuity of the Broadwayite
who has a yearning to gamble and
cannot shoot craps because II Ii q
trifie too undignified.
So the chewing gum machine. Harm
less In appearance and "within the
law" ii offers a splendid plaything
for the man who must fiirt with for
tune.
In this machine are gum balls, red
(peppermint). white (wintergreen) and
black Qicorice). As a cent is deposit
ed one ball fails. What the color will
be cannot be forecast even by the
most professional dopester. The fact
that there Is an equal number of red.
white and black confections In the
machine makes the game more excit-
irg.
So the gamblers are playing roulette
with chewing gum as the elusive ball,
and betting on the colors' has be-
come the king OF sports in scores of
cafes and saloons along the Great
White Way.
The only mystery confronting the
visitor who gazes with awe at the
newest ingenious pastime, is what
becomes of the chewing gum.
1t Is a little shop tucked in between
two giant scrapers in the West For
ties. The shop is small but it is we'll
lighted and there is clean smell
about the place and the lamps burn
brightly. The owner Is a maker OF
artificial flowers. They are sold to
the gay brides of the poorer districts
who cannot afford the latest hot
house specials. When ! stepped in he
was singing a vagrant strain from
That's. When left him l felt re-
freshed. Carlyle once said: blessed
is the man who sings at his work"
The great drought is apparently not
going to dampen the enthusiasm of
the managers of New York's roof
gardens. The Astor. Waldorf and
Ritz have the three important take
the elevator places high in the air.
Soft drinks and ice cream will be the
popular refreshments and there will
be more pretentious musical programs
and larger dancing spaces. AS prohi-
bition becomes nearer the clearer is
the evidence that whisky was not at
all a drawing power at the better
class places. The high ball became
sort of n drinking custom. Lots of
men hesitated to drink soft drinks
because others didn't. Now that there
will be no choice there are a number
OF people who are going TO have a
much better time.
Down in the front row at the Strand
Theater the other night was a man
shriveling in his seat who certainly
was a feller in real life needing a
friend. He was Clare Briggs. the car
toonist. who was watching for the
first time his first moving picture
production. Briggs defied all the GUS
tard pie throwing conventions of the
celluloid drama world. He was por-
traying a series of incidents of boy
hood. The movie directors insisted
that what he needed was "the punch. -
Briggs insisted that all that was need
ed was clean comedy and that boy
hood itself furnished plenty of punch.
He had to fire the directors himself
and do all of his own directing TO car
ry out the Idea-but he did it and he
did it in fine shape. The great first
night audience-the Death Watch
gave it one Of the finest ovations I
have ever heard. The picture carried
the New Workers back to the "Stone
Bruise Age"-back to the days of
school day loves. Saturday night par
ties and washing behind the ears.