The Washington herald., 1922-07-18
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NEW YORK, July 1.-THE Ap-
peasance Of the famed rifle shot.
Annie Oakley. in New York. has
revived interest In the origin OF the
term annie Oakley" for, the COM
plimentsry theatrical ticket. 1t Is
a nxed term on the Riaito for the
pass. -
Edward Smith, perhaps the best
posted man In Gotham on under
world argot. declares the term was
frst employed by CRITTERS with the
Buffalo Bill show !n which Miss
Oakley was playine> The fact that
passes are shot fun. Of holes" of
course. supplies the key.
The circus CRITTERS are the shell
and wheel men. fat Joint and broad
workers, shillabers, stalls and dips
and are the most proliAc. OF all the
big tent followers In supplying
queer slang to the underworld and
Its fringes
is explained by the fact that when
Miss Oakley first appeared at q cir
Gus in Madison Square Garden
@'e"fbCE VI nCT ptCtdEC Cts tiChcI EALCs
were scattered through the streets
OF the city. Findrs eere entitled
to free admission!
Whatever the reason for the term,
the average New Yorker has the
Annie Oakley" complex. Box ONCE
men are frequently asked to punch
holes in tickets by the purchasers.
1t appears to be a mark OF distinc-
tion-an indication that the pro-
ducer or perhaps the star are per-
sonal friends.
One of the cut rate theatrical
ticket agencies has a card In it's
tiny office reading: I'VE will be
pleased to Annie Oakley your tick
cts IL desired" 1t has resulted in
much business that the exchange
would not have otherwise secured
Now and then the theatrical pro-
ducers. In a burst OF thrift, wage
war on the Annie Oakley" with
the stentorian cry They shall not
pass" excluding all but the nrst
night dramatic critics. But 10 doesn't
last. The pass Is as much a part Of
the theater as the impertinent box
once man.
He has written the music for ff-
teen musical shows and like the
rest of the Kings Of Tin Pan Alley
began his career as a piano player
In Coney Island beer hail In the
days when Stauch's announced the
openig' OF a fresh keg with the
boom of sog. His tunes have
been played all over America, Eng
land, and France. Yet he had never
been farther away from New York
than Atlantic City, until one day last
week he journeyed to Chicago. do
you know" he told a friend. "it
is surprising how many people there
are outside OF New York. In Chi
cago the streets were filled with
them"
The smoothest of the subway
leather lifters" is a silver haired.
middle-aged man with enigmatic
face. He has been arrested bus
twice and was subsequently dis
missed. Once when three plain
clothes men were in the same car
with him a man was robbed of a
well-hlled wallet That night a
woman called up police headquar-
tiers to say the wallet was in her
handbag. Her reputation ana
standing proved that she had been
victimized by the real thief An
other time the same dip was talk
ing in a crowded train to a pros
pect." At sudden lurch OF the
train the prospect" felt a tug at
his hip pocket. AT the same time,
divining danger. the thief made a
dive for an innocent passenger
shouting, That fellow stole your
purse" And it was found In a side
coat pocket where the thief had
placed It.
Charles F. Murphy is celebrating
his twentieth year as chief of Tam
many Hall. Each year he faces the
same old cry. Murphy must go."
But he continues his reign. I have
seen Murphy but once during his
leadership. My impression was far
from what / expected II tn be.
He is not the ward heeler of pop
ular imagination boosted to afflu-
ence. Rather does he express an
air of culture and refinement. He
is the type would Judge from ap-
pearances who would be iron listed
In public and weep on his wife's
shoulder in private.
(Copyrirht 1899