The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-08-16

NEW YORK. Aug. 1.-THE world
win walt long Tor another caruso.
Empires perish but art endures.
New York will always remember
thia heroic tenor. He was APART.
Of the city-like the wooiworth
tower and Central Park. scandal
clustered about his name but no
was never the rake. He was the
victim of innumerable temptations,
but at the close Of his career he was
happily married and the father Of q
daughter.
saw him last a summer ago.
The golden flood of afternoon sun
shine was aslant that magic thor
oughfare, Fifth avenue. Caruso
turned In from Forty-second street
at the Public Library corner. De
Seguralo was with him-De Segur-
alo with his foppish monocle and
owlish stare. And sCaruso in his
green Alpine hat with the tiny
feather. His cane carried military
fashion and the tight fit OF his
clothes especially over the massive
chest that carried Pagliacci's sob.
were strikingly attractive to
Heads turned pivot-like. Necks
craned over the lurching avenue
buses. Newsboys piped: Gee, Kerr
rooso" He was not Unconscious Of
this attention. He loved Just as we
all love II. For Caruso was not
the proverbialIy naughty signor
with a high c. He was an ire
pressibie boy. 1 imagine he staged
his avenue promenade at the auspi-
cious moment when he would get
the most attention and who can
blame him.
He liked newspaper men-and he
loved publicity. He was forever
suggesting publicity stunts to Billy
Guard, the Metropolitan's official
puffer. He had a room filled with
scrap-books heralding his fame and
he browsed among them often. He
was human and understandable to
q remarkable degree and IL accounts
larreiy Tor his popularity.
His memory was remarkable. He
had a trick of singing out some
thing unusual about q person and
caching 1t in tn earchives Of his
memory. Four years after 1 first
met him he greeted me with: "Ah!
the gentleman with the initials like
two eyes" ! do not know that he
remembered my last name-it does
not matter. He had eternaIly won
my friendship.
Caruso loved to express himself
in his caricatures. He was an &C
complished artist and in few
lines could suggest the faces about
him.. He abused the use of tobacco
and was rarely without a cigarette.
1 have followed him down the ave-
nue. at different times and as soon
as one was finished he lighted an
other from the stub. This went on
from morning until night. His APP
petite, too, was enormous, and meals
were events. Caruso's friend Shorty,
the pugilist newsboy at the old
Knickerbocker corner, summed up
the estimate OF the man. 'Caruso
dead" said Shorty. Gee, what a
whale Of guy he was"
Broadway is cynical about the Sc
we're choking that Irene Castle got
from hAefleading man in filming a
scene OF a photoplay. Mrs. Castle
is in the hospital and was evidently
hurt, but Broadway cries: 1.-The old
apple saucer and wonders how
many Will go TO the play just to see
the choking scene.
The convert charge has entirely
disappeared in New York restaur-
ants. People found that there was
40 law to make them pay and they
stubbornly refused. Many places
still have the charge for those who
will pay il and il is the stranger
10 New York who pays. New York
ers consider it a sign Of 'boobery."
II was a sneaking. unjust custom at
best. Hotels and restaurants made
= plea that II was to take care of
"the overhead 1t is a phrase that
has long been overworked. Every
business has its overhead" but
that does not give II an excuse to
gouge patrons.