The Washington herald., 1920-11-23
HOTEL Is RELIC
OF BYGONE ERA
Brevoort, Center Of Gayety
During Twain's Time,
Still Has Following.
By o. o. M,INTYRE.


NEW YORK, Nov. 22.-The olo
Brevoort. the center Of social gayety
in the days of smart carriages.
Days and busties. has been some
what overshadowed by modern
hotels with knickerbockered eleva-
tor boys, footmen caparisoned In
gold and the like, but an atmos-
phere Of dignified cheer clings to II
still.
Far down Fifth avenue. within
the shadow OF Washington's Arch
1t is the only hotel that has with
stood the northward trend. The 81.
Denis, Union Square, and even the
Fifth avenue hotels are memories.
Sedulous matrons in horse drawn
equipages, still drive there for at
ternoon tea
Even prohibition has failed to dim
its luster. For rare drinks were
fashioned at the Brevoort in the old
days. The pousse cafe, with its ram
bow of color, was a speciality There
were drinks from which tiny blue
flames issued, old brandy served IN
glasses upside down-only the ex-
pert could right them and preserve
the drink.
There was no music and after
the dinner guests retired to loung-
ing room-English fashion-with
their coffee and played dominos and
cubito. Opera stars, popular come
dams and actresses of the day came
there and threw OF their reserve.
One chatted with ones neighbor
without Introduction. Yet there per-
vaded the gatherings a certain Dig
nity-indennable but felt.
or course, the character of the
Brevoort clientele has changed.
Mark Twain used to drop in from
, his house a few blocks away and
soon a crowd of ready listeners were
| about him. Now perhaps misused
poet from Greenwich Village takes
his place and huris cutting epithets
at horn-rimmed glasses worn by
magazine editors or decries the de-
cadence Of Art!
But Almost every afternoon there
| Is to be found a group Of successful
| novelists. artists and painters
around the marble topped tables at
the old hotel. Tho walters nave
been there for years--some are dod-
dering old men, but they have all
| the hallowed ways that the average
| uptown waiter has lost In the quest
| of srcror for m itch'pk palm.
| Around the Brevoort are some OF
| the cabbies, faded old Jehus. who
| reruse to admit themselves beaten
NV the modern motor miracle. Peo-
pie leaving the old Brevoort hesitate
| to take the taxicab. II would seen,
| incongruous and so they step into
| the brougham, Victoria or coupe and
4 drIvA r|a ie~'icalIv mp the hushed
| street.-the klip-klup of hooves on
| asphalt seeming to echo the beat OF
| the livelier days that are gone.
| In Wall Street there is a stern
! visaged financier, who has wtthstood
| the impact of many battles. No one
| 70 ,o~I- . S'--- ,vonld I-1nc that
! he has his lighter moments. And
! yet all Of his spare time is spent in
/ initiating various birds and beasts
He can chirp and whistle like al
| most any bird and he con bark hlS"
every variety OF dog, initiate cows
sheep, horses, and even wild ami.
mails
There may be more unpalatablc
food than that served in the sudder
new crop of Hawaiian restaurants In
New York but so far 1t has escaped
me and l have been n most NJ" 'iS'
ious searcher after Epicurear
thrills. The Hawaiian places serve
only on certain nights-three times
week-and always present tho
same fore. The meal Is started with
thinlyi disguised clam broth, ther
curry and rice, with a dozen dishe'
Of condiments TO mix in with them
green pepper, East Indian chutney
grated cheese. etc. This Is followed
by alligator pear salad and a fruity
kind Of substance that passes fol-
dessert. The average price is s2.5'
and the service is an abomination
but there Is one saving grace. They
do not infIirt the creepy Hawaiian
music upon the patrons.