The Washington herald., 1919-09-11
NEW YORK CITY
Day-By-Day
By O. o. MCINTYRE

! New York. Sept. 10.-Fifth avenue
and the streets that wind off either
hip are dotted with so-calIed art
shops, presided over by the smooth
est set Of crooks out of Sing Sing
| OF course. there are exceptions, but
they are rare. As a class they are
a bland, unctious lot of artistic buzz
yards. They thrive on paletted car
rion.
The passing of Ralph Blakelock
was an instantaneous action on the
part Of dealers to triple the prices
on his paintings-and most of them
| are faxed. There are more fake
/ Blakelocks than perhaps any other
paintings. Instead of spending mon
tey to have pictures faxed, the deal
ers-if they were genuinely inter-
asted in art-could well afford to
toss a few crusts of bread to the
I geniuses OF the garrets.
They never try to develop art
They simply suck its life blood. This
condition is peculiarly nourished in
New York. In other cities and art
centers the dealers As a class rank
high--but the art game here is in
the same class as buncO steering.
and the polished crook finds soft
harbor.
3 There is something about the New
York art shops that excite a pc
Culiar phase of hypnosis. l have
noticed it myself. and l find that
once inside | begin to whisper in
awCd tones. There is grand and
gloomy atmosphere, and pretty soon
you find yourself tip-toeing. And
all the time you know the fastidi-
ously groomed guide with the silken
mustache is getting ready to rob you
if he can.
Visitors to the art shops move
about IN l.ttle groups. They never
minEle. There are great divans.
where people rest as if in the
shadow Of an altar and talk softly
and motion with silent mods. There
is reaction when you land out on
the sidewalk again. II you have
made a purchase-you want to go
up a side street and apply the boot.
and nearly always you stink home.
The lOrgnette and other eccentric
eyeglasses abound at the art shops.
The latest styles in glasses are al
ways on view. A group OF people
wearing glasses exert some peculiar
psychological condition within me.
always feel like a wOrm-like a hod
carrier at a lawn party. But even
at that there is a. feeling Of uplift
after poking around among the
artistic Ali Eabas OF the Avenue.
+ Had it not been for the actors
strike, willard Mack. actor and
playwright. would have set a new
production of plays. There was
once A time when the late Clyde
Fitch for single week had no less
than five plays of his authorship
current in New York. But for the
closed theaters. Mack would have
had six in one week.
He was a little tow-headed shaw
er with great blue eyes and more
magnificent lashes than those of
Julian Streets. And he was sitting
on tho curb at Columbus Circle with
his head against an iron post sound
4 asleep, while the hot sun rays beat
down upon him. \ policeman gave
him a gentle prod, and he came to
vi ith a whimper.
( How long you been here. sonny"
asked tho cop.
! Since last night" ne replied. II
was then noon.
. And upon inquiry it proved to be
true. The little mite Of humanity.
a mere speck in the city's tide OF
traffic. had eddied against the lamp
post and stuck there. He was afraid
to cross the street, and being pa
tient. he just sat and waited and
slept And with the policeman I
went home with tho lad in a taxi
cab to ramshackle tenement over
near Cherry Hill. The mother had
apparently not missed HIM.
Perhaps n jazzier fox trot has hit
! broadway than the one that came
drifting out of Chicago called sand
Dunes" but It is doubtful. Every
dance orchestra features 1T