The Washington herald., 1922-06-19
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NEW YORK, June 1s.-The New
York hotel proprietor these days
has completely effaced himself He
does not even have his office In
his hotel. but in some far-away
towering sky-scraper. If you want
him you will find him in a CON
ference" Perhaps when he comes
out of the conference" for more
cracked ice you can wing him in
the hall, but otherwise his seclu-
sion is perfect.
Simeon Ford is the last of the
old-time friendly mine hosts He
was for quarter of a century
proprietor of the Grand Union Hotel
and dates back to the time when
hotel men got rich selling roast
beef and boiled potatoes for 80 cents
and drinks two for a quarter.
In those halcyon days the hotel
man was a landlord and had a dia-
mond cluster, a pair of spanking
bays and moved about the lobby
shaking hands and slapping backs.
He was a fgure--a personality.
There was Fred Reed. who in the
bloom of his handsome youth, ran
the old Park Avenue. He was an
| Apollo-the handsomest hotel keeper
in town. His guests were mature
ladies who wore gray side curis,
lace caps and ancient cameo breast
pins. One of his friends saw him
one day SO handsome and debonair
among the lavender and old lace
and said to himself: Thank Heaven,
Fred Reed is perfectly safe here"
Today Reed. in the autumn of life.
his thinning hair thatched with
gray, conducts a Broadway hotel IN
the midst OF Broadway's gay swirl.
About him are the Frolics, the Fol-
lies and Winter Garden and the
other day the same old friend
dropped in. looked at Reed. saw
the gay young girls and remarked:
Thank Heaven. the girls are per-
fectly safe here"
The older generation of hotel
keepers is no more. The guest today
is ticketed and numbered as so
much baggage. He may get more
little physical comforts. but IL he
looks for a CHEEKY welcome he is
scheduled for bitter disappointment.
The New York hotel clerks have
not time for welcome with so many
nails to be polished and neckties
adjusted.
Gloria Swanson. luminous lady of
the silvered sheet. sailed for Eng
land recently and the voyage was
stormy and rough. When she ar
rived. she sent the following cable
to New York friend: sick transit.
Gloria. Monday" Upon mature con.
sideration perhaps it was Gloria's
press agent who thought that up
right out Of his own head.
Riverside Drive Park in the coo,
OF the evening is filled with hus-
bands who are known Is dog
jockeys" 1t is their job to stroll
with Fif and Pom-Pom, the diminu-
| tive '"' dogs without which no
| Drive apartment is complete. The
police are insisting that these
small dogs be muzzled as well as
the large ones. And one can SYM
| pathise with one husband who up
on being handed a summons for
violating the muzzling ordinance
walked to his front door, tossed
| Fin in to his wife and shouted:
| We walked my last day" And
then he sped off in a taxi for his
club to Join some gay dogs.
The Bowery pawnshops are again
Haunting window signs reading:
"Relievers." To the initiated that
means that the habitues may ex-
change a pair of shoes for a pair
more worn and receive from 10 to
Is cents for good measure In all
my rummaging around the Bowery
pawn shops there are two features
| of their business that stand out.
After midnight they have bells over
the doors that sound at intervals
to guide unsteady feet to the
havens of temporary relief, The
other feature is glass eve that
! sazes uncannily out at the passing
throngs. Attached to 1t is a card
announcing that it is 'Unredeemed."
1t has been there to my knowledge
for four years.