The Washington herald., 1920-10-20
GOSSIPS RULE
A BARBER SHOP
Times Square Nook Favor
ite Gathering Place for
National Celebrities.
by o. o, MCINTYRE.
Special Correspondent of the Wash
ingtoB Herald.

thEtob ueruto.
New York, Oct. 19.-There is a
barber shop in the Times Square
district that is the fountain head
of gossip of the town. 1t Is patron
lied by stars, producers, and the
rich sporting crowd. 1t is small
and exclusive. 1t is more like a
club where celebrities stretch out
in comfortable chairs and relax
and gossip.
There is the pungent odor of i'm
ported perfumes, mixed with the
smell of scented soap and pomade.
The manicure girls have their lit
| tie booths and an inexhaustible
supply of snappy chatter. The pa
irons being men who live hurried
existences, all sorts of massage de-
| vices are in evidence. / saw one
face plastered with n slate gray
substance that was being dried by
, a hot air apparatus.
Another was having his face
rubbed with ice. Still another was
in the grip of a mighty Swede mas
seur, who gave his cheeks resound-
ing smaCks that brought tears.
There was talk of polo, of the
gambling scandal in baseball. the
latest theatrical opening and the
difficulty OF getting good cham
payne.
had been accompanied there by
| a patron, so / was privileged to
have shave. l heard that Weber
and Fields were to fracture English
again in a new George NJ. Cohan
| show; that celebrated actOr-play-
wright was off the reservation
! again and held incommunIcado at
| Bellevue; that the man higher up
! in the baseball intrigue was none
other than red -jowled patron who
snored away under the soporific cf-
! fects of hot towels two chairs re-
! moved from mine.
Then in whispered tones ! heard
! Of famous actress who was suf-
| fcring the tOrtures of the damned
| through the brutality of her hus-
! band. But she stuck to him through
| II all. The recital was a dramatic
| enc and played skilfully upon the
| emotional chords. l was afraid /
| would sob right out loud until ]
| heard the name Of the actress.
| Then l placed the scaIding tear
! back in the duct. The actress has
| had too many husbands to permit
any one to annoy her long.
There was 4 generosity about the
pau Ol0 tHdt was interesting. one
| man, barbered ahead Of the others
saw three friends in chairs, got the
amount of their checks. paid them
! and tipped each barber dollar bill
The increasing number of womer
! who smoke cigarettes on this mar
| row island is amazing. 1t is not
| confined to debutantes. chorus girls
| and Fifth aVerue models In a tea
| room for dinner the other evening
| came three middh aged women.
| From their talk it was plain that
| they were executive heads OF de-
| partments in some large stores. Two
! packages Of cigarettes lasted them
until they reached the coffee-and
| then they ordered another package
In New Gork one must check UNI
! bIellaS at the entrance Of depart
! ment stores-nO one is permitted "a
! violate the rule. The fear is chiefly
| Of shop-lifters. The art galleries
have the same rule but they are
| not afraid OF the guests secreting a
! Rembrandt or Rose Bonheur and
| making off with il to some Old
| World buyer. The art gallery
management is afraid the ~visitor
! will use his umbrella to point out
| the qualities Of the picture and
/ more than likely punch a hole in it
| One of the finest pictures in town.
| one of old Peter Cooper, had both
| eyes punched out by people who en-
! Enthusiastically pointed il out to Wis
! lt0rS with their umbrellas.