The Washington herald., 1920-11-02
HIGH NIGHT LIFE
SPORTS TRAGIC
Pallid Roysterers Sing as
Death Stalks in
Doorway.
BY o. o. MCINTYRE.

New York, Nov. Let 1t be
called Antoine's. That is near
enough to the original. 1t is typi-
cal of the high life night spots
where the self respecting visitor
leaves with a craving for a Whit of
sea air. a plunge into clean waters,
a fumigator! At 3 a. m. it reaches
the high tide of attendance.
A Aim OF blue smoke dulls the
gilt and tinsel OF the drab magniff-
cence. There are very dull red
lights on each table which paint
the hvid faces against the sombeu
background with pitiless precision.
Plump women with cigarette hab-
its, short haired girls who cough
suspiciously, men with pudgy
bodies, wallish eyes, merciless Jaws
and eyes that family reveal unhu-
| man cunning.
1t is the hard, heartless side of
great city that causes a stout heart
to sink with misgiving. 1t is the
kind of a crowd that will weep at
| a dear old mother song and yet
regards no woman as virtuous. For
friend or foe each holds the query;
What's his gamer"
Pallid youths in dinner jackets
and claret vests, dopesters and not
a few catamites, cadge drinks at
every table. They dance with fool
| ish women for their pay and later
| on may resort to blackmail. Their
| talk is of motor cars, race horses
| and great stars they call by first
names.
The majority os the patrons live
miraculously without toll. Now
and then party breaks into song.
20! Those happy happy cocaine
kids! Jingle bells! Jingle bells! See
the pretty snow" II one observes
| closely the party may be seen sniff
, fing cocaine. There are scores of
! "BenEies," TOO. 4 Benny" in
| Broadway patois Is a hop-head-an
! opium smoker.
Outside of the place a man had
fallen across the pavement. He was
! breathing heavily. Sniggers and
vile remarks. Too much hooch"'
they said. An ambulance came. A
brisk young doctor stepped down.
bent over for a superficial exami-
| nation-then Strengthened up with
an electric command to the driver:
Drive like hell!-Wood alcohol
| case"
The roysterers went singing on
down the street. unmindful of a
human tragedy, their strident
tones almost drowning the Clang OF
the racing ambulance.
A unique figure along the Rialto
at the Friars and other theatrical
haunts is Eugene Kelcey Allen. He
is an inevitable first nighter - as
certain to be there as Diamond jim
was in the old days. Allen is the
dramatic critic of Women's Wear
a daily for the garment trade. He
takes his job and life very serious
ly and he knows everyone of i'm
portance. In his writings he splits
a mean infinitivc and mikes a nasty
metaphor-ln that respect his criti'
cisms are unique. And what i:
more he lives in regal style at ar
ornate Forty-second street caravan
sary and is said to be the highest
salsried dramatic critic in town.
One reason for the high cost o.
women's hats is to be found in thu
statement during a court trial thai
milliners pay as high as S1.25 fO
hand painted hat boxes in whicl
their fine hats are delivered. In
deed it was brought out that one
Partisan milliner on Fifth avenu
pays 50 each for the hat boxes sh,
uses.
Ambition makes queer shoots. J
welfare worker in the Hell's kitch
en- district on the West Side fel
into conversation with a group o
smeary faced boys. Their play
ground is the street and the Onl,
fear A their heart is of the corne
cop. They were asked to write ou
their ambition in life. Ten out o
fourteen wanted to become pugil
lists. Two wanted to be movie act
ors, one the owner of the corne
candy shop and the last one wrote
II want to be able to mind my owl
buciness" The welfare worke
wonders il it was meant as sar
! CaSm.