The Washington herald., 1920-04-17
New York City
B, o. o. Mcintyre

n
Follies girls aching for first page
publicity ciattered down Fifth ave-
nue. at the parade hour the other
afternoon In Dutch wooden shoes.
And at the same time another
young lady courting fame stepped
out of a limousine into q fashion,
able hotel lobby wearing a live
skunk draped around her neck.
She explained to the clerk that all
danger had been removed.
But the clerk. who had seen
service at the Marne. went to the
safe and donned his trusty gas
mask while the lady registered.
And then the hotel proprietor
wouldn't let her occupy one Of his
pretty suites. Anna Feld's milk
bath and Mrs. Pat CampbelTs tan
bark paved street to deaden the
city noises are tame bats for pub
licity compared with the latter day
exploits.
! And to make matters worse for
the boys who wear green shades
around the Park Row copy desks
the Columbia School of Journalism
has planned a school Of press
agency. But these things add to
the gayety OF nations. One of the
greatest press agent stunts ever
planned went askew at the last
moment in a famous Tenderloin
cafe a number of years ago.
1t was during q visit that Jack
johnson, the black champion. made
to the city. Julian Eltinge. the
female impersonator. is an athlete
and has put UP many a. lively
scrap. It was arranged for him to
meet johnson and his manager was
going to draw them into q quarrel
and at the psychological moment
Eltinge was to deliver a wallop on
Johnson's jaw.
The next day the papers would
be filled with glaring headlines:
Female Impersonator Punches Jack
Johnson" But johnson didn't show
up and EItinge afterward was glad
for he had the good sense to know
that he was too high class an
artist to resort to such tactics for
fame. But press agents are per-
suasive and they had talked him
into it.
Ii Another great press agent stunt
went blooey about a year ago
Newspaper readers will remember
the story that a Russian princess
the daughter Of the Czar. was COM
ing to America to appear as a
dancer. Then suddenly the story
petered out. The rumor was In
vestigated and found false and the
moving picture idea back of it was
abandoned.
The world of letters is interested
in the rumor that f. Phillips Open
helm. the great English novelist
is shortly to visit New York and
oN.1 hfrwh nd
lures. Mr.. Oppenheim was one Oi
the first six men on the secret list
to be killed when the Germans
reached Paris. For years he has
been exposing the duplicity of the
German spy system. In his Mr.
Grex of Monte Carlo" written before
tire war. he prophesied nearly every
thing that has happened, including
Americas entrance into the war. Mr.
Oppenheim wears a monacle and
smokes cigarettes made especially
for him in Egypt. But one thing is
to be denied him this trip. He will
not get his bottle of claret that he
is accustomed to having with his
evening meal. The only hing
will ever dislike about America" he
has written friends.
anu NlSl-
tors to New York-potentates.l liter
att and artists-there is one Ameri-
can celebrity who has never paid his
homage or convert charge to Broad
way. He is Charles Ray. the moving
picture actor. lie lives out in the
balmy hills of California and is
known in every corner of the world.
He has never been lurei by the daZ-
zie of New York. although his name
shines in electric lights all along
the Gay White Way. Some day he
says he may come. but when ne
does few will know about IL II he
can help 1t. He prefers to speak -
his friends through his acting. A
rare bird, this Ray.
An historian 1--WE are a purist,
pipe the AM has pointed out that
Jenny Lind sang at Castle Garden
and received $23.0o0. And Caruso
only gets $1,000 4 night. Some body
ought to look out for :he welfare Of
these singers. They are always be-
ing gyptd.