The Washington herald., 1920-11-26
BOWERY BREAD
LINERETURNING
Old Institution Abolished
! During War Threatens
To Come Back.
ny o. o. MCINTYRE.

NEW YORK, Nov. 25.-Thoughts
ominous signs of the restoration OF
the bread line on the Bowery this
winter. There is no denying that
a decided slump has hit certain
New York industries. Half of the
clothing workers have been laid or
and the other half works part time.
There are various other Industries
that are suspending operations
temporarily, adding to the mobili-
zation Of the JobIess Army.
The Bowery bread line has al
ways existed until the war and then
1t dissolved. Now the missions are
getting ready TO serve hot coffee,
buns and soup on crisp winter
mornings to men who come bleary
from the cheap lodging houses of
the slums.
Nothing I have ever seen in the
sordid life of the city left such a
feeling of depression as the Bowery
bread line. One Christmas morning
L came through Central Park, glis-
tening with a new snow fall and
nlled with merry children. on down
Firth avenue, where sumptuous
splendor fairly beamed from every
window. and drew up at the
Bowery bread lines.
1t was almost impossible to be-
lieve that q few miles northward
logs were cracking in huge open
hreplaces. Christmas trees were
blazing with tiny electric lights and
a general atmosphere of peace and
happiness reigned.
/ At the side entrance of mission
stood long line of shivering. de.
tected men. Some young, some old.
some human anachronisms who had
lost all sense of time or place. They
wore no collars or overcoats and
many were without socks.
They wolfed their food, mumbied
scant thanks. walked for a short
way and stopped as IL undecided
what to do or where to go-and
then skunk away in the light storm.
Statistics show that most of the men
in the Bowery bread line are men
who once held their heads up in
the world. The Bowery is not a ha-
ven OF the chronic idler. II is the
hiding place of those who have
lost In the battle with life. Am
bition sometimes fiutters but rarely
stirs itself.
New York does not fear a perma-
nent bread line this winter. The
keenest students say that by jan
uary or February the economic dis
turbances will have passed. With
lowered prices the public has money
to buy and will buy. When prices
reach the proper level, industries
now closed will resume.
Jesse Reed, whose flaming tresses
and beautiful complexion distin-
guished her even among the other
beauties of the Follies, surprised
Broadway by her hasty marriage to
a young blade OF Cleveland-who
saw her on train, phoned her later,
and in few days romped her to the
altar. Miss Reed has for some time
been seen in the gilded haunts with
celebrated newspaper comic artist,
whose salary fairly staggers the
imagination. He is known to have
lavished many diamonds upon this
demure looking beauty. who a few
years age was a salesgirl in a Hous-
ton. Tex. department store. Miss
Reed wired Mr.. Ziegfeld that she
would continue her season with the
Follies.
One cannot help but look with
great admiration upon the stalwart
Westerner who, after being handed
a French menu and writing pad IN
New York cafe, studied the menu
for awhile and wrote: "One slab If
roast beef, one big COB of potatoes,
one mess of carrots with lots cf
juice, quart of coffee, one cut of
apple pie smeared with ice cream.
And then he added:"One hunk of
cheese" He, at least. had the sat
lsfaction of getting what he wsnt ID
even IL it was served midst an
avalanche of frowns.