The Washington herald., 1922-05-22
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NEW YORK. May 21.-Japanese
curio ships-a cluster of them
have blossomed mag.cally in private
homes along the select avenues of
Park. Madison and Fifth. They
sinacko ( the tourist places In KY
oto-suave and uctuous. A slant
eyed overload In dazzling kimono
greets the visitor. produces cigar
cites and thick green tea, Also
and most important-he sizes up
the purse.
Among the world of street hawk.
ers he would be classed as the cap
per" He is suave to the honor
able guest, spills pretty compli-
ments in quaint pidg.n- English
shows the guest book of notable
signatures and permits the visitor
to inscribe his insignificant own.
Lots of old oil and apple-sauce.
Well ! should Nagasaki!
He does not discuss base CONNER
ctal transactions. Rather he talks
OF the weather. the wonders of the
metropolis and then pauses. The
guest timidly suggests a desire for
some article. The poobah lifts his
brows as IL amazed. Then he clap.
his hands as one calling a native
boy san From behind curtains ap-
pear his concealed myrmidons-who
have been lying in wait all the
time.
II is their job to give the patron
what the Bowery inelegant1y calls
"the works They know how to
force porcelain what-not upon the
patron with the skill Of a magician
forcing a card. They do all their
stuff-and do II well. Until re-
Gently I thought all Japs were aero
bats. They are salesmen-those
birds. Perhaps a red lacquer vase is
the object of admiration. They
sense the tug to buy
Always the object is sold! They
profane' themselves with apologies.
They almost weep. But-a ray of
hope-perhaps they may be able to
get another. They happen to. know
that one cleared customs that day.
They will try. There Is much tele.
phoning the next day. And at last
comes the glad news. The patron
may have it. but at a price one
third or one-half more. The same
vase. of course They have crates
OF them in the basement.
One feels the air of petty con-
spiracy-yet japanese curio shop
ping is an amusing adventure. The
lowly feel uplifted and important.
walked out of one shop and
snubbed my tailor. After an there
Is romance in buying a Tomato
temple bell or a bit of pottery of
the Han period-hundreds of years
old-even IL you do learn later that
they were manufactured this year
in Hackensack. N. ]. One not only
lives and learns. but learns and
lets the Japs live.
Old Neil Mcconlogue sends me
this startling query: What would
You do should you be standing in
front of the Ritz late at night when
an empty taxi drove up and out of
It stepped two of A Conan Doyle's
playmates? En- One never knows
what one will do in great crises
My secret opinion. however. pub
licly expressed is that I would emu
late the speed of the darkey in the
ancient yarn. AS remember IL he
saw an apparition near grave
yard. He snapped into full speed.
and after a half mile kicked a jack
rabbit out Of his path with: "Rab-
bit. IL you can't run, let somebody
run what can"
Travel on New York's subway is
the heaviest on Monday. This is
because shoppers flock to the shop
ping centers after their weekend
visits. The next busiest day is Sat-
urday. Sunday. of course. is the
lightest day of all.
New Yorkers like to laugh at
Yonkers. Call II "the largest city
next to New York" and all that
And too, the venerable wheeze
Yonkers? What are they. Now
Yonkers is having it's little laugh.
They found gold up there. Most of
the stock-thousands of dollars
worth-was sold near Forty-second
street. The mine was salted with
the shavings from. half dozen gold
collar buttons.
.Manhattan's only woman taxi
driver has given up in despair. She
could not make a decent living save
by receiving the average amount of
tips. But she declares the fares
would not offer her. tins