The Washington herald., 1922-05-15
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NEW YORK, May 1.-THE Furi-
ous Forties have hit their summer
stride. Midnight finds the curbs
clotted with returning troupers-
milling crowd Of gay shippers
who take life as they find 1t. The
voices of the jubilant proclaim the
summer holiday. All are out of
work-most of them destitute.
But they still have their scrap
books and retain their press agents
those facilc buffers whom Charles
Dana called the buccaneers on the
high seas of journalism" They re-
tain them even though they go hun
cry. There is only one hell-that
Is to go unnoticed.
They are waiting to storm the
agencies, to join the rush to new
dramatic gold fields in September
Theirs is the undying hope OF the
Forty-niners. Wolpin's-that little
cafe that has accepted wooden clog
shoes for food-fnds them chanting
the fervent faith until dawn brushes
the sky.
The men wink at the women with
an air Of self-confidence and receive
the returning smiles as harmlessly
as they meant the wink. Their
greatest frailties are those to be
condoned. They are pleasant COM
panions-with souls of reinsurance
In all the years l have mingled
internationally with the summer
troupers I have the first whine to
hear. Consummate cyclists! That
Is true. Still the most consummate
egotist / know is vaudeville
opener" He bathes in fiatteryand
Is a scandalous liar. Yet all his
money goes to support. three indi-
gent actors he has never seen. He
never mentions that
At o'clock a hooded figure in
sandals. with a white woody dog.
leaves one of the little fy-by-night
hotels. She can only come out at
night because her shoes are in
pawn. She goes to Forty-sixth
street and Broadway and leads a
blind news dealer home. He thinks
she is a certain great star whom
he used to admire before going
blind. She permits him to believe
IT because 1t gives him much hap
piness-also her. She is a vaude-
Vile serial performer.
tndl was cruel message one oil
the Broadway crowd sent to Jack
Dempsey when news was flashed
back to America that he was to
ress. One fight you'll lose" the
message read.
The philosophy of contentment
has lively exponent in one Of the
elevator men in a downtown office
building. tenant remarked to
him that he had never seen him
serve as starter and that he ought
to promote himself. He replied:
That is not promotion. Promotion
is going up to the top floor all the
time"
One of the Broadway shops is ad-
vertising midget barber who
cuts the hair OF children. Most
children. the barber argues, fear
their first haircut. but when II Is
done by one who looks like a child
they have no fear whatever.
The little puIl-in shops near the
Pennsylvania present some high and
amusing lights on salesmanship. In
one window Is sign reading:
"Komonc-s2." The next window
naunts "Kamonos-S2.50." The third
has big placard reading: I'VE
haven't any Komonos for 81 or Ka-
monos for $3.50. but We have some
nice Kimonos for $3.25. We spell
our goods correctly as well as give
the best bargains"
The. toddle top craze died as
quickly as IL was born. Gamblers
along Broadway say that crooked
tops were being made by East Side
charlatans. However. the best eX-
PLANTATION seems to be that with the
exception of poker and craps. a..
gambling games along Broadway
have a very short run of popular
ity.