Evening star., 1920-01-01
NEW YEAR EVE IS CELEBRATED
AS OF OLD, DESPITE DRY LAWS
''Private Stocks Play Part in Revelry
New York Crowds Exuberant as
Ever, But More Orderly.
Ry the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January 1.-Celebra-
tion of the advent of the New Year
continued until dawn in the hotels
and restaurants along the Great
White Way" the revelers taking ad-
vantage of what they considered the
last opportunity to celebrate in ira
ditional manner. Observers said the
crowds which jammed upper Broad
way from midnight until nearly morn
ing were equal in size and spirit to
those of former years.
While unnum bcred thousands pa
raded the thoroughfare with all sorts
of noisemakers, other thousands who
had purchased stocks of wines and
liquors before July | were making
merry in the hotels and restaurants.
Much of the liquid refreshment was
sent in advance by truck and limou-
sine after reservations had been made.
a heavy profit through "corkage"
and cooling" charges was reaped.
Crowds Are More Orderly.
Crowds on the streets, while not
lacking in exuberance. were more or
derly than in former years. Two
thousand police officers who lined
Broadway from 33d street to Column
bus Circle said they had little to do
and few arrests were made.
The celebration was not confined
to places of merriment. The chimes
of hundreds of churches rang out as
of old at midnight. while thousands
of whistles shrieked an accompanl-
ment. Many thousands attended
watchnight meetings in the churches.
\ chorus of 1.S0e voices sang at
Madison Square Garden while
pageant was presented
Theaters. crowded beyond ca
pacity. Notwithstanding the fact
that most of the larger houses had
doubled the price of admission. 1t
was estimated that the box Office
receipts totaIed 100000. Two roof
gardens charged $11 a seat for their
midnight shows.
Chicago Far From Dry.
CHICAGO. January ]. = Chicago's
husky young new year. nurSed last
night on hip-pocket bottles showed
no signs of being as dry as Congress
and the Supreme Court had forecast.
Cafes became cafeterias last night,
and servcyourself service proved
adequate to produce all the tradi-
Gonal joys.
Illinois search and seizure law,
which prohibits movement of liquor
even across the street. went by the
boards. Hippocket TASKS were fash
1onable, but thrStier ones transported
their select private stocks to down.
town eating places in suit cases. bas-
kets, golf bags. and in one case even
trunk was used.
Police threats of enforcement of the
drastic search law failed of execution.
On the streets the merry jewellers
were as numerous as ever in the
early evening. Armed with horns.
whistles. gay caps and confetti. they
prepared to greet the New Year, but
"A driving snowstorm and rapidly fall
ing mercury soon drove the majority
to cover.
Gay In California.
SAN FRANCISCO. January 1.-The
dry" law but slightly dampened the
enthusiasm with which the west well
coined the New Year In California
those who had private stocks en-
countered no insurmountable diff
culties in finding places of cheer and
merriment wherein to consume them.
and in the other far western states the
advent of the New Year unenlivened
by cheer of the malt, vnous or spir-
ituous varieties was no novelty.
San Francisco staged, on the whole.
what was regarded as creditable
repetition of her traditional ceIebra-
tion. Those who had private stocks
repaired to places of entertainment.
parked their containers with the
management and thereafter drew on
these supplies as long as the inclina-
tion and supplies held out. Those
who did not, or who did not care to
imbibe. thronged the streets in holi-
day mood.
Lid" on in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles officials were less kind
to merrymakers who sought exhilara-
tion in fluid form. A police order for
bade production of private stocks at
cafes and restaurants and many own
ers of such potables hied themselves
to nearby towns where the lines
were drawn more loosely. Dancing in
Los Angeles was halted at midnight.
Seattle, which has seen several dry
New Years. laid in what one hotel
man described as enough grape juice
to float a battleship" and proceeded
along lines which now have become
habitual. A few, seeking something of
higher voltage went to Vancouver, or
Victoria, across the Canadian line.
where they hoped to obtain it on
physicians prescriptions
Hotels virtually everywhere did a
capacity business. Dining room ac-
commodations were reserved. in some
instances for weeks. Corkage charges
whether for hard stuff" or otherwise
were heavy.
Watch parties, dances and midnight
church services were the rule almost