The Washington herald., 1919-12-09
NEW YORK CITY
By o. O. McNTYRE

New York, Dec. s--over on West
Forty sixth street is Mrs. Dupres's
boarding house-the real oid-fashioned
kind where they have star boarders,
a slovenly slavey' girl, parlor lamps.
the horse hide sofa and big round
dining room table for all. At Mrs.
Duprez's place dinner Is at noon and
supper at o'clock and she rings
the bell herself In the little hallway
entrance to the dining room.
But because 1t is old fashioned Is
not its charm. 1t is a boarding
house for circus folk-performers In
town for the winter who taIz in the
patois of the saw-dust ring and the
big tip. There are bareback rider4
trapeze performers, cannon ball Jug
glers, clowns and tisht-wire walkers
and all of the polyglot ensemble 30
dear to Boyville. -
Not one of US ever lose the circus
thrill. To visit Mrs. Duprez's is to
taste red lemonade, eat peanuts. snin
the pungent odor of the menagerie
and hear the crack of the ring
masters whip all in one Cubist i'm
preston. i visited the place, with
Harry p. station. for several years
dInuih anu bdley . ana NinklhS .
publicity wizard.
Station is the modern Tody Hamil-
ton. He represents the new type Of
press agent in contrast to the ticket
giving, cigar presenting good fellow
OF yesteryear. The new press agent
of the circus is-a psychologist, q
student of the classes and a highly
paid employe. Nearly all Of them
ha In al efa in, tho
zines.
A clannish lot these circus folk but
their own friendships and ties are
clinched with hooks Of steel. Because
they knew station and was his friend
they were natural and easy-just like
the folk we all know at the hotel
drug store or postofice back home.
The women are industrious and in
variably church-goers. The circus
men are old fashioned. Why? No
one seems to know.
But they express II in sucn
trfvialities as the vest pocket comb,
the over-the-head stiff shirt, wristlets,
mountainous toed shoes and the like.
They are proud and Jealous of their
profession. They point to many who
have left the circus for the so-called
legitimate stage to make hig hits.
For instance, Ida st. Leon, soon to
star on Broadway; Slivers, the
clown; Dainty Marie and Bird Mill
man. one of the Follies' attractions
on the tight rope.
Society it a-flutter over the coming
of sthe Duchess of Marlborough,
daughter of Mrs. o. II. p. Belmont,
and formerly ConsueIo Vanderbilt.
She will bring with her her eldest
son, the Marquis OF BIandford. He
has recently attained his majority
and Is considered most desirable
catch as he will one day inherit his
fathers title and estates. Incidentally
the duchess, who for several years
eschewed society owing to almost
total deafness. has now recovered and
she claims her hearing was restored
through Christian Science. This re-
hgion is making rapid strides in the
peerage. One of Queen Victoria's $
granddaughter. Princess Louise, is
an adherent to its tenets and Lady
Astor. who has been so much in the
public eye. is a constant reader of
science and Health
Over the lunch-table at Browns
day a group of magazine editors-who
graduated from the newspaper shops
discussed the most unusual and strik-
ing headline that ever appeared in a
New York newspaper. All agreed that
the one written by Boss Clark, of the
Sun. in the old days was the best ever
written. The story concerned the
theft of some books on the Simple
Life by crowd of young East Side
'tOughs. And the headline read
Tempted Beyond Their Strength!
Actors and managers who quit the
Friars and Lambs during the actors
strike are slowly returning. The big
event will be when George NJ. Cohan
returns to the Friars. Broadway will
be lively for one night at least. So
far Mr.. Cohan Is coy.