New-York tribune., 1922-08-28
Broadway Vale Of Gloon, as
Dry Lid Is RiUeted Do,Ul

to the hoosegcw has taken all the
relish from the pastime.
The Golden Glades was about half
full at II o'clock; at the Paradise Roof
they figured on an average evening at
a little before midnight with plenty
of vacant tables in case the Eighteenth
Amendment suddenly should be de-
clared unconstitutional. The Strand
Roof showed fewer bare spots, but
planned that the place was operating
with less than half it's capacity, be-
cause of alterations which are being
made at both ends of the room from
which the customers are screened off
temporarily.
An observation in front of the
Palais Royal, one Of the most popular
in town, showed that for ten minutes
between 12:I0 and 1850, not a
single customer showed. In the
deserted entrance stood head waiter
who chatted casually with patrol
man, the while he kept wistfu eye
on the crowds who were hurryiIlg past
to eat in handy tile restaurants near
by. His expression betrayed GER
tain eagerness, and his appraising
hawk-eyed pullers-in who operate in
front Of the Bowery clothing stores.
II things keep going the way they
are headed, it seems to be just mat
ter of time until the cabarets steal
that idea from the East Side.
Mister, want to look at nice show
for most nothing at all? It's won
derful show, mister. There amt a
better one anywhere. Well treat you
right. Come on in and look it over,
anyway, mister. 1t won't cost you q
cent, just to take a look, anyway; and
II you don't like it you don't need to
stay, mister. How about you, cap?'
There's prospect for the territory
where they used to check up a man
in Bradstreet's before they'd consent to
let him buy his hat back from the
check room
And how decorous has our Broad
way become! Almost any annual Sun
day school picnic is more riotous
proce eding than the average Broadway
cabaret, Volstead brand. Two girls
who hummed fox trot and jazzed a
few steps behind the tables in one
resort were politely but firmly sub
dued by shocked head waiter. "This
place reminds me of the weekly meet
ing of che Civic Improvement League"
brash gentleman remarked in the
Rendezvous; but it is only fair 80
S1y l1hl tHdC Was DeIOfe SIllQa Gfay
appeared to do her stuff.
The convert charge remains, rang.
ing from one to two dollars, accord
ing to the pretensions of the place.
The restaurant men insist that this
polite stick-up represents their only
chance to break even on the overhead
and the entertainment they provide
Nickel nursers, who have studied the
thing out, figure that it costs less to
take girl to a cabaret and treat her
to couple Of dances for convert
charge of dollar head than it costs
to take her to a good show, and these
spendthrift customers rarely buy any
thing more costly than a couple Of
bottles of near beer. They're right.
at that; but where does the harassed
restaurateur get off?
Head walters have changed, too. In
place of their former calm arrogance
they have achieved toward their guests
subdued courtesy which is almost
pathetic. Only two things can quicken
their interest in life; the appearance of
stranger who looks as though he
might have money on him and the men
tion of possible beer and wine modi-
fication of the Volstead act.
They pursue with hopeful diligence
their fruitless search throughout the
Broadway evening of 1922 for one Of
the oldtine free spenders.
And when you speak to them of beer
and wine their faces light up as the
face of the shipwrecked sailor who
sees upon the distant horizon line the
flrst smudge of smoke which heralds
the appearance of the reScuinp steamer