Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-16
NEW YORK GURGLES
ITS GO0D-BY BOOZE"
Griefs Of Hosts Only Equalled by
Determination to Leave No
Drop Undrunk.
From Today's New York Sun,

From Today's New York sun
The two night wake for Uncle Sans
oldtime stewcd friend, Jaw Barieycorn,
started last night and where and when
and how IL will end no man knoweth not
even Col. Porter the Big Gloom himself
The Colonel opines that at l2.0i a. m
tomorrow, one stingy minute after MD
night tonight Constitutional prohibition
will be clappcd on-no more toolIshness
about it, Maybe so. probably 50; but
for the time being New York city is as
wet as il two rivers were made OF booze
and all one had to do was to dig 1t up.
so far as last night was concerned the
evening and the morning were one dav
and as the sun turned his back on Brook
lyn to head for a regular place men
sang in tho public highways, flourish
ing danger signal lanters pWlolned
from debris heaps without fear OF po-
lice. The chorus OF revelry lasted through
out the night in the midsoction OF Man
haitian, and oidtImers admitted that
they never had seen anything like it,
and Tom Healy ought to know.
The realization by most people who
ever liked a drop OF two of likker that
the end was actually at hand, as Bran
der Matthews might say, that the stuff
was off, led them through well known
PSYCHOLOGICAL processes To extremes they
never would have contemplated IN the
old, easy days when a cocktail WAS not
criminal or the absorption of a hlghhau
q felony. 1t was that comprehension
that hope Is gone, that there will never
be any more booze IN the land, which
sent people TO the hotels and restaurants
IN thirsty droves and nailed them TO
their chairs until dawn. Long before
i 4 Sfxr
dent from the mcrost casual survey Of
the crowds in half dozen old and new
Tendcrloin restaurants that good many
people had made up their minds frankly
TO get thoroughly soused, stewed and
picked, come what may. Putting the
thing roughly, the town probably never
saw q drunken night
Through the whole celebration ran 8
note OF dlsmality like the motif Of
funeral march, and the gaycty Of the
night was forced and artificial gaycty.
mrth without real happiness. The fact
that old Jawn was dead was thing
which saddened the great Soak Aquad.
Nearly every celebration, therefore. took
on the charactcr OF 8 funeral THIS
was true IN Relsenweber's S Niaxjm's, Tom
Healy's and several other restaurants
where special and unique preparations
had been made. At Rclsenweber they
gave funeral ball for John Barley
corn at IS head staging the affair ID
the room called Paradise Admission
70 the ball WAS by black borderd ticket
bearing the inscription
To Guardian Angels in Paradise;
Admit Mourner
To John Barlrycorn Funeral Ball.
Thursday January Is. 1920.
The walls and ceiiing Of the pre-
viously gay and colorful room were
hung and draped IN baick cloth and
crepe. Even the tables were covered
with black cloths AT one end OF the
room, resting upon two supports, was
a coffin showing the simple inscription.
John Barleycorn, Died 1920 The
waters who served the tables were
CARRIED Ike undertakers and wore bands
OF crepe around their right arms From
time to time the orchestra lnterSperScd
selection OF dance music with strains
from Chopin Funeral March. and the
walters, specially coached sobbed and
or, tended TO weep. At least StN per-
sons attended this affair which was s
sample q the more pretertious enter
tainments OF last night and OF What wII
take place again tonight.
At Maxim S at midnight six waters
earned INTO the cafe black coffin.
after which walked the captain OF waters.
DepozIting the coffin upon is stands.
man who looked 3 lot ike Big Bill Edwards
but wasn and who was got up IN
genera! way 70 suggest William H.
Anderson, the world famous crepe hanger,
made 8 speech which was q funeral
sermon for the late Jawn
Tom Healy worked the funeral trick /
in his restaurant Ut Broadway and I
Sixtv-sixth street, making it q speciality
of the Balconnades party In the Golden I
Glades part OF the restaurant Thomas /
wss somewhat more cheerful, offering
q lively new program upon the ice
rage. South and north Of HeaIys, at