New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-01
(o,!s Pop as Broadway
Takes Final Fling to Bid
New Year Welcome in
One Last ssWet'' Revel
Cafes Serve Drinks
Free With Meals
Roaring Forties' Packed
With Flask-Bearing and
Noise.Making Crowds

Maybe 1920 came rumbling in on
q water wagon, but he took tumble
on reaching Broadway last night,
and he's going to turn over in bed
about 2 p. m. to-day with a colorado
maduro roof to his little pink mouth.
1t was wet, wet New Years
Spirits of the wicked old days
walked boldly on Broadway or rode
luxuriously in wicker hampers or
sutcases.
Those gay old BIRDS, Johnny
Walker and the two Haigs, had a
fine, large evening, even though it
we're their last, and their stately,
aristocratic cousins that always
come to the table in a silver cradle
with a napkin around their necks
likewise were up and about The
midnight to cock-crow hours of Hal
loween never saw more spirits
abroad than were circulating last
night.
Hotels and Cafes Wet"
Hotels and restaurants were serv-
ing drinks, highballs and wine, and,
if the waiter was friendly chap,
a cocktail or so. Celebrants brought
their own, and relied also on their
friends to bring some. 1t was one
night, apparently, when friend
could be relied upon.
Inspectdr O'Brien. who had 25o traf
hc policemen OF Broadway betwee,.
Forty second and Fiftieth streets, said
that the crowd WAS bigger than last
years. At 10:30. in preparation for
he outpouring from theaters, he estab-
ished one-way traffic rule, shunting
all northbound pedestrians to the east
sidewalk and all those bound south to
tho west sidewalk
Crowds of unprecedented solidity
flowed up and down broadway from
early in the evening Horns. cowbclls,
confetti, ticklers and ali the festive
apptrtenarces of wet and rowdy Neq.
Years Eve abounded. With all the
gayety nobody was ashamed to carry
Package either Early in the evening
taey carried 'em under their arms
and many L Broadway cut-up dared
sudden and violent death by cssayins
TO tweak a cinhiug parcel from it
owners embrace. Later in the evening
1t was evident that these packa9es were
beyond the reach of jokers. Even their
owners had some difficulty in carrying
u m.
SO prevalent was this early-evening
package carr. lrg that the check rooms
IL ell the theaters, All Of which we're
crowded to the lobbies, had their
capacity strained, while their contents
put an equally severe strain upon the
honesty Of their employees The Hotel
Majestic had flask check room" for
,he occasion, which was we'll patron
lied.
Drinks Free With Meals
NO charge was made for the drinks
served by hotels and restaurants with
meals, but there We're charges for
corkage" and "service," whether the
diner relied Oh the hotel for his bev-
eer,ages or whether he provided his own.
pearances, all charges cover. service
ana corkage have been multi
Phed by two or three or ten. and the
nappy celebrants would have taken it
all IN good part. Everybody had the
ar OF being out TO enjoy the last wet
New Years Eve, let the cost be what it
might
up at the Majestic, a sedate distance
'o'" tne roaring Forties, but a cheer
lu' and popular New Years Eve resort.
was long line of regular old fash
ioheo cutters. ready to be hired for
se,gh riding in the park. They proved
W De much In demand.
Theater Records Crash
All records we're broken at the thea
os ss's' >. Not seat was to be had in most
'"em after noon Yesterday MANY
were booked up for the night weeks in
a1Vance, and in some instances tele
pnohe connection was cut off throurh
n"s n"s .he day to save replying in the
nesst've to frenzied st-minute an
peas for seats.
t,or o. -. oclocs onward the mid-sec-
nm',a: .. manhattan was congested from
sect,nme t,me hne to building line. Solid
pavsn ol automobiles choked the
ST'en'ents in slow-moving procession
ii, ne !winkling glare of electric sipns
mam;, nu';lnated sidewalks black with 9 hus
eSd;ny IN streams which swirled and
of f"res nt at every subway entrance All
oons,an zen were feeders to the ALREADY
''nrgested currents. N'"'
to ~ ss'e was clinking accompan;ment
wb;oh oin OF horn, rattle and cowbell
pedest,'ann paiss came from the packages the the
cvsn;ns ses;sr'ans carried Even women IN
snrnns snrn,ns dress. prepared for theater and ID
cra}', p}Rrf' carried them. The women canN
less concealed the contents more ~,
crs,onn rss IN charitable knitting bag % Of cav AZ
tho the'sane, SINE but the clinkipg sounded just
Crook Roundup Ordered
eornae american flags were on sale bv tho
inc hr.w nawkers and soon were Autter-
deisct;Se ds ctr;avely above the crowds. All I'll, the
leesavss last ives in the city were on .au.v
charsna,g % n,gsf' $50 of them. They We're We're
kssrseo kssns to lock out for pickpockets and and
,of fha a" eye open in general for any
me Ne Ne. hundreds of crooks for whom "S
the thu cs New York police are hunting ON
----- --~.''s 'hat the lure of Broadway
Continued on paoe three