The New York herald., 1922-12-25
PEOPLE REMAIN HOME
What There is Of Merri-
n1ent Keeps Far From
Gay White Way.
SUNDAY AIDS THE CALM
Shout of Merry Christmas!' to
Cafe Owner Brings Quick
and Aggrieved Retort.

Maybe folks weren't trying. Or may
be it's true that prohibition is catch
ing upon the drinking classes. AS q
matter Of fact. you could get any sort
Of en- argument. Some said that 1t
was quiet along Broadway last night
because 1t was Sunday. Others said
that stern decorum .reigned because it
was Christmas Eve and that nobody
over came out on Christmas Eve any
way. Still others insisted that 1t was
because it was Sunday and Christmas
I've combined
Well, whatever it was. it left Broad
way sad. A fairish crowd filtered
into such cafes as the Palais Royal,
The Rendezvous, the Plantation. the
Moulin Rouge, the Strand. Healy's and
so on, and at times some of them were
filled. . But there wasn't time! for
the most part, when the singing Of a
rousing gospel hymn by the entire as
semblage could not have added gayety
TO the occasion.
The populace seemed to have lost
heart or faith or something Possibly
II had decided 1t was best to stay home
and do its Christmas Eve drinking.
Maybe 1t will bo iivelier on New Years
Eve. On the street. now and then, you'd
see a gentleman who seemed to have
been drinking something or ether be-
cause he was either PROSTATE or about
10 become 80. xHut, lie wasn't drunk he
was poisoned In the cafes whore dane
ine Is done In the most dIsapproved
fashion there was a determined attempt
10 be Jolly. The lads with the saxo-
phones we're doing things they had
reyer done before.
More Than a Bit Fiat.
sow and then there would be furry
,.,t in the lobbies because nervous hat
room girls would suspect a recent arrival
and pass the word that proniption
agent was In their midst. And every 60
often the crowd which did some cianoes-
tine drinking from hip pocket flashs
would arise and dance feversaly. try
sn.to convince itself that 1t was hav-
iNr the time of it's life. But to be quite
truthful about II, Christmas Eve was a
i,ttle more than bit flat In all the pub
lic cafes and dance halls.
or course you could get a drink You
could get whole flocks of drinks, All
YOU needed was years salary and the
proper introduction. Having ootn OF
these. YOU would be taken out OF the
main cafe 10 a room somewhere to the
eide or upstairs and introduced TO
gentleman who passed you on to an
other gentleman who told third gen
tleman that you were all right. Then
,be third gentleman would inform a
barkeep that he might feel fairly safe
in pouring liquor for you. And you got
: drink Of stuff that would take the
SHINE off new automobile. II would
cost you dollar or SO. but II was worth
II Just to be go honoyed.
All that az course was In the popular
.aree. In the SO called little clubs run
by dancing celebrities and favorite
aides OF the chorus you could hire your
5yn rooms OF cubicles Ind drink your
self into a comatose condition. But most
~ the nerrymsking was private stuff.
yra cafe proprietor estimated that .
least 1900 private parties were w
ishing at midnight in the white tixnt
district The process is simple and
reniunerative one. Any person with
llffle Capftdl can give ~ DTlNdNS Pdtt@.
You hire flat and lay in a supply
Of bootleg liquor. That's quite easy.
Then you think UP list OF wealthy
neopIe who desire to drink. You send
them Invitations To attend a little party
you are giving. They arrive early and
STAY until they or the LIQUOR gives out.
Naturally you cannot do this for moth
ing CO., your guests pay you anywhere
from 500 to 500 for the privilege OF
being your guest
Gloom Tsstens ON Town.
TIE NEW YoRR HERALD reporter who
went out into Broadway to find out Just
how the famous thoroughfare was COM
ryorting Itself went from cafe to cafe
and hotel TO hotel looking for excite
.nent There was very little to be seen.
4 certain gloom had fastened itself upon
the town. a famous proprietor OF Ia
nous resort was entering his establish
lnent Just ahead of the reporter.
Hello cried the latter cheerily,
MERRY Christmssr'
Hello" no replied calmly. 60 to
hell"
II was like that generally At Forty
ninth street and Broadway woman
stepped out OF a taxicab singing. She
was all dressed up so was her escort,
who SANG. TOO. Those folks had been
aomewhere. They had come downtown
0 lN others Know that they had been
somewhere a policeman lounginy
against the corner listened for mo-
ranilr and then decided that some law
wse being violated.
Hey" he growled .cut that out
What DO you think this is; Christmas?''
And the queer thing about 81. all OF
TO cafe proprietors said that they had
seen no prohibition officers. OF none
toI -
something wrong At one restaurant It
nas reported that an enterprising young
woman IN evening clothes had come for
dinner attended by youth who looked
tike professional dancer That's the
way the head waiter described him. any
way. She beanied upon all the nice look
inG men In the place and having caught