The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-05-27
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.Og By Day
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from the diary of modern Samuel
Pepys: Up and to Park avenues
society circus, mighty gay with
fine ladies and innocent foolery.
who goes over the sea shortly to
see her play done.
Thence to magazine shop where
came Dean Cornwell. the artist,
just back from the Arabian desert
having made the trip for less than
two. hundred pounds. Proud. too.
that he is to decorate a bit of my
poor fiction.
A merry. sunny afternoon and my
wife lunched with me on an avenue
portico. watching the crowds drift
by. And we heard a man tell a
woman. beautiful she was too. of
having that day left prison for a
wrong done by another.
In the evening to see The
Czarina." well done by Doris Keane.
but Lord! the coughing all >abSlt
us. Afterward to a supper plaza.
fashioned in the manner of a bath
ing heath, and came Ben Ames
Williams and his wife and sat with
us. So home and to bed. without
prayers.
New York sweeps away its land
marks with ruthless abandon.
Fraunce's tavern, where Washing
ton bade farewell to his troops. has
only a few touches Of its original
eighteenth century beauty. 1t is
now merely one of the many eating
places on the lower end of the
island.
About the only bit Of roma nc .
left is at No. i21 East Sixty-frst
street. 1t is an old colonial home
knoYn to New Workers as Mount
Vernon on the East River" 1t was
the country fsiden"e ~ an aide de
camp to General Washington and
in 1875 was considered a days drive
from the heart of New York.
SkYscrapers and massive apart
ments now cluster all about IL but
the early charm has been main
tanned 1t is omen to the public and
it is filled with the furniture and
trappinCs of that period. Out-f-
a.
hut the attendants say that very
few New Workers drop in. although
there is no admission.
Wolpin's. more recent Broad
way landmark, has moved to make
way for a skysCraper 1t was A
little cafe on the corner above the
Palace Theater and was patronized
ny vaudeville and burlesque per-
formers-the "ill-in" folk who are
the merriest and the most under
paid in the profession.
At midnight when the place be
gan to fill with those who came for
puff-wafrles and hot coffee no spot
in New York was exactly like it.
There were ground and table tum-
blers. wire and rope walkers. dare
devils OF the trapeze and Roman
rings. rome throwArs. magicia ms
foot and hand juCglers. mouth and
teeth whistlers and bird and dog
act men.
Most Of them started with the
medicine shows on the wagon route
and they spun great tales of vii
lagos from coast to coast The
night before II closed heard a
white-haired old fellow. whose nose
had grown red from drink. tell Of
his misfortune: 81 close Saturday.
Rhusmatiz. For ten years 7 had a
flop proof wire act. Before that I
did English chappie songs and dou-
bled as a trick cyClist. quit with
81. But I've had good time. I'll
tell the world. and I wouldn't trade
my rowing. care-free life for Rookie
feller's jack" And I am quite GER
tain he meant il.
Fifth avenue Is another street
when storm slaps its beauty and
the cutters race with rain. Traf-
fic runs ont Of the street as quick
~ as the water rushes to the
sewer holes. The avenue becomes
deserted Drenched pedestrians
droop In doorways and the flower
shows remove all their wares from
out front. Even the big stone lions
in front Of the library seem to
COVER. Only the beggars-the
blind. halt and the lame-remain
on the pavement.