The Washington times., 1922-05-29
VILLAGE JUST
BUNK, NK,DEC[ARES
CIGARETTE GIRL
DisiIlusioned Atmosphere
Saleswoman Declares Cafes
Simply Tough Hang-outs.
BY RUBE GOLDBERG
BY HAZEL BLAIR.
International News Service.

NEW YORK, May 29.-Grenwich
Village-"It's all bunk"
With this phrase. Sonia. the
bobbed- haired mimi of Americas tin
sci bohemia, today described the so.
called Latin quarter" OF America
which she helped to make famous
or notorious.
Half a dozen years ago when the
village" began to attract more than
passing notice because Of its mock
murgerism, Sonia. a shrewd lily from
the East Side, bobbed her locks,
slipped sandals on her tribly-like
feet. threw a Russian smoCx over her
shoulders, and began to peddle cigar
cites to poet, prince, painter and
potentate alike who made the pill
grimage below Fourteenth street.
Sonia sold cigarettes-and at.
mospheres Each package OF pills
purchased from her carried olief
dissertation on the Russian moderns,
with neat references TO Freudian
Complexes thrown in for good
measure.
pills" and GOrky.
Many a foreign visitor who went
Summing stopped his taXIcaD to pur.
chase smokes from the gypsy like
vendor and was met with this greet
ing
Cigarettes? All. yes. By the
way. have you read Gorkis latest
manifesto? No? Then you should.
And | also would recommend An
dreyveV."
In those days Sonia-whose last
name has never been revealed
was the light OF the village"
No party at the Purple Pup" tea
room, or the "Dizzy DIP" or the
Dirty Dog" was complete without
Sonia being present 10 sell
cigarettes to spinsters seeking a
thrillage, and Sonia always lee
tured a bit on symbolism and fu-
turism in art and literature.
Sonia was Greenwich Village.
She made SO much money ped
ding pills that she opened an
artistic" bookshop, where the lin
telligent" OF four continents and
seven seas gathered to discuss art,
literature and Bohemianism.
But hard times came a-knoCkin'
made little money. To make mat
ters worse. she has become ILL
graveIy so-and doctors say that
Sonia may not live much longer.
Most of her artistic" friends lave
deserted her. Villagers whom she
aided in days of distress now have
seemingly forgot her. When seen 10.
day in a cheap little room in Wash
ington square by an international
News Service correspondent Sonia
said:
:Greenwich Nillage-it's all bunk!
Gee. If mothers knew what went
on in some Of those tea room Joints
they'd come a-running for their flap.
per daughters.
THE village Is nothing but a tough
place. No, sir, real artists don't go
there any longer.
1T used to be respectable. Fa.
nous artists lived there. But they
moved away. It's just a money-mak-
ing scheme-a show for the folks
from Pumpkins Corners.
"One night the West End flappers
come down" she explained in oaspy
tones, "and the next night the tough.
est sort of bunch will be here.
Some OF the Joints are no bet
ter than-well, I'm ashamed to
describe them. There's taAz-and
other things.
81 can't see what brings decent
college boys and girls down here.
Their education has not taught
'em much II this is all they know.
"All that you find in the village
now In cheap jazz, a lot Of rotters.
curious summers, fool society
folk-and. and--well, other kind
of women. But the real artists,
we'll, there's none here now. It's
Just a show--and believe me.
know"
agreed with o. Henry that
Sonia, like others disillusioned
"Boh emiAnism IL a state OF mind"
a