The Washington herald., 1920-03-09
New York City
b. o. o. NcIntyre

New York, March S.-Broadway's
eternal quest for the Big Thrill Is
pathetic thing to watch, The fdlers
who formerly gathered about the
White Way bars at o'clock for the
nightly glow now foregather In the
pastry shops. Since prohibition
their outlook upon life is a yellow
ish-g gray. "old Ding Dong" ex-
pressed the Broadway point of view
when passing the Claridge the other
day he sang out to a group Of loaf
ers, mo more good times, boys.
no more good times"
"Old Ding Dong" Is a snowbird.
When filled with cocaine he has
passion for buying huge dinner bells
and appearing in cafes suddenly to
ring them until he lands in the gut
ter. He was once an actor. Now
he lives off the bounty OF Rialto folk
who knew him in better days.
A little crowd sat munchnig pas
try and gulping hot tea in a place in
the Thirties the other afternoon.
They were fairly surfeited with en-
nui. They yawned unashamed and
finally sat for a half hour saying
nothing. Finally one jumped up.
Hell! Let's start something. Any
things better than this"
wonder what they're doing in
little old Paree these days." said
another, suggesting an idea. In a
few moments they were packing in
limousines and off to an apartment
of a rich bachelor who had a we'll
filled cellar. The party started. Be-
fore midnight they had made reser-
vations on a liner leaving the next
evening, and bleary eyed and befud-
died they were helped up the gang
plank. The rich bachelor was pay
ing for the enire party of six.
Two curio halls of freaks have
started up within the past month
and are doing a land-ofic business.
1t is the quest of the thrill that does
it. Private poker parties, starting
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, with
$40 plate dinner served at Z and
then a resumption of poker until
dawn are very popular.
Coney Island managers are seek
ing new thrills for visitors this
summer. An automobile which does
a somersault in the air and a bal
loon ascension with a real parachute
drop are among the things in prep
aration.
A Newfoundland dog came to the
rescue of his master who was being
attacked in an Eighteenth street
restaurant the other night. As the
dog approached the burglar pulled
revolver and shot the dog in the
head the animal made a final lunge
and scared the burglar off Then
the dog struggled over TO his mas
ter prone on the floor. licked his
face, gave a final wag OF his tail,
and died. And yet there Is a New
York editor who says all dogs
should be killed. One wonders if
he glories in this dogs death.
JAZZ tunes are waning in popu-
larity with the death of the cabaret
Tin Pan Alley finds higher royalties
in the waltz. Red Rose" from
Booth Tarkington's Monsieur Beau
caire,' had sale of $4,000 copies in
one week along Broadway music
stores alone.
In the old days when newspaper
column writers were paid space
rates and daily there were an i'm
pecunious lot of scribblers hanging
around the Park Row cafes there
was one man, now a successful nov
eIlst, who used to leave a certain
table and go to the waiting-room
or newspaper office. write a poem.
nave 1t accepted and get the cash.
coming back to his fellows, n.
would speed up their tagging spir-
It's with what refreshments the
money would buy.
And then there was another who
invented a way of living at first
Grass hotels without ever paying a
Dill. Explaining the method. he said
1ou go there late at night in the
!ons oVercoat, having left your
trousers at a pawnshop. and yo,
have breakfast in bed, and then send
for the manager and sternIy nut the
question: Where are they"