The sun., 1919-11-05
BROADWAY CROWDS
CALM, MANY DRUNK
Bulletin Boards Attract Big
Throngs, but Enthus-
iasm Lags.
CURB MERCHANTS STUNG
Street Colorless Except for
"Stews," Who Were More
Plentiful Than Ever.

About the only thing that worried
Broadway last night was that Win An
derson and the rest Of the Antl-Saloon
League did not see It celebrate election.
1t Is entirely likely that there were more
stewed persons on the Great White Way
between o'clock and midnight than
there have been on any election night
In years. There was one source Of spec
ulation: Where did they get It?
The crowds were not vast. The bulle-
tin boards at Thirty-fifth street and in
Longacre Square did not elicit great
enthusiasm. To be sure, rival candi-
dates had their partisans present. When
a Bronx district showed its preference
for Moran over La Guardia there were
cheers. II Manhattan constituency
showed Its preference for Mr.. La Guar
dia cries arose. But there was none of
that old jostle and hustle that charac-
terized election nights Of bygone days.
Fakirs sold or tried to sell hshhorns
and germ ridden feather ticklers. Curb
merchants sought to dispense false
whiskers and boxes Of confetti. Wor-
ried looking individuals assured you that
you couldn't celebrate the occasion with
out ratchet rattle or tinpan clapper.
But there was lacking everything except
the chronic drunk who, he alone knows
how, got good and stewed and Jared
forth to let Will Anderson and the rest
Of the world know that amendments
were nothing In his sophisticated life.
Here and there you encounter a per-
son who blew army calls upon a cornet
or a bugle. And every few blocks or so
you'd run across some one who'd poke
tickler into your face or whirl a rattle
beneath your nose. For the most part
the perpetrators OF these pleasantries
looked like people who might be ex-
pected to do just those things. All
things considered 1t was an utter failure
as an election night
Theatres Are Crowded.
The theatres were jammed to the
doors They were the night before. 1t
is probable that they will be tonight.
The cafes were turning folks away.
There's nothing remarkable about that.
these days Of excess profits. In the
same connection It may be said that the
Broadway subway was crowded beyond
all endurance.
No. there was something sadly awry
with last night as an election celebra-
ton. Early In the evening the crowds
were siaable. Along Broadway and
along One Hundred and Twenty-ffth
most anything. They were stationed
four to the block along the curb. In
the vicinity Of bulletin boards they
we're kept fairly busy telling folks to
keep moving or TO stand inside pre-
scribed limits.
But save for the incurable souses who
were cot In increased force and having a
gladstone evening OF It nobody seemed
to be really enjoying the evening very
much.
Along Broadway the restaurants were
making the best OF 1t. The Palais
Rov'fs cabaret was co ng its best to
make folks forget that liquor used to
help a lot Tom Healy's show did
capacity business, and the Cafe de Paris.
the Moulin Rouge, Murray's, Jim Church.
ill's. La Tabarin, the Club de Montmart
and the Little Club were crowded to their
uttermosts. The big hotels were assur-
ing all late comers that their cafes and
restaurants were already overfiowing.
and taxicabs were paying attention to no
one who did not look like double fare
and a SO per cent tip.
Trying to Have Good Time.
To be brief. New York did its. dog-
gondest to have a good time. 1t is en-
tirely probable that half the crowd
abroad last night would not have drunk
liquor had liquor been dispensed as
freely as OF yore. but there was that
feeling that some one had taken the JOY
out OF life.
Even the Socialists found that there
was nothing to get excited about. The
Socialists got together over on the East
Side and up in East Harlem and pre-
pared to celebrate the largest Socialist
vote ever cast in New York city. They
got together that's about all. The
Jewish Daily Fortourd, over on East
Broadway, had set up a bulletin board
to record the epoch marking figures
Incidentally. this bulletin board was the
only one down town. For the first time
in a decade Park Row was arid of bull
letin boards. A considerable crowd had
gathered in front OF City Hall, where
usually a daily holds forth with movies
and stereopticon for the benefit OF down
town election crowds. But not last
night.
Frozen Bill Douglass. the champion
hot coffee drinker OF the lower East
Side, declared that II was the worst
night he'd spent In years.
You don't expect much most nights"
said Bill. but you always look for a
little something election nights. Next
thing we guys will know Is that they'll
be declaring Christmas out of bounds
anu tAlcHuihB tiC cuALNdh IA" " SONcI
cigarettes"
The East Broadway bulletin board
crowds cheered every time they got
chance. When It was announced that
CALVIN Coolidge. the suppressor of the
Boston police strike, had been reelected
Governor OF Massachusetts they hooted
to their little hearts content. When 1t
was announced that Mr.. La Guardia
looked to be a eertain winner there
was a healthy young riot. for there were
quite a number Of Italians present and
blood proved to be thicker than politics
/ Mr.. La Guardia's possible victory
caused a lad named Weinstein pain. He
expressed his opinion OF the Republican
candidate in fulsome Sociallstic measure.
Whereupon a swarthy individual smok-
ing pipe equipped with nickelled
cap and who wore corduroy trousers
thrust the blade of a pocket knife into
Weinstein's leg. Weinstein made a wild
outcry and was hustled to Gouverneur
Hospital The police couldn't find his
assailant. Weinstein was not seriously
hurt and the hospital Authorities sent
him home.