The Omaha morning bee., 1924-10-23
New York
DAY by Day.
Ry O. O. M'INTYRE.

New York, Oct. 2Z.-Ine mask ol
the mime often hides tragedy. Blooch,
the famous little Hippodrome clown
suffered from chronic melancholla.
Silvers, whose ridiculous feet caused
gales of laughter, ended his career
in lonely hall bedroom-a suicide.
The most agile and hilariousfy
funny eccentric dancer on the Ameri'
can stage is a performer without
friends. He lives alone and Is never
seen in public except to dance. lie
came to Broadway from the Bowery
burlesque halls.
Only his intimates know his plight.
At the age of 20 a malignant malady
ate away his nose and the nose the
plblic sees is putty. Most people per-
haps would have given up profes-
sion where personal appearance
means so much.
But this man by his indomitable
will and sheer artistry not only grad
uated from burlesque but has been
starred in his own play on Broadway
So frightful is his Disagreement that
he does not even employ dresser
MelllDtIS VI tiiS company ~-s
him through rehearsals.
When he leaves the theater he goes
to a cheap rooming house on the
fringe of the theatrical district. He
rarely leaves it save to go to the the
alter and 1t is a strict rule about the
establishment that no one shall talk
TO him or will visitors be admitted.
There is a joyous comedienne whose
ribald songs and jovial commences
have made her a public favorite in
vaudeville. She seems the quintes-
sence of superlative happiness. Yet
she has been told she has only short
while to live.
There is "a movie actor OF some
standing whose comic antics nave
convulsed audiences everywhere. He
is actually sad. There is the specter
of an unavoidable accident before him
at all times When boy he engased
in a friendly scuffe and killed his
closest friend.
Second avenue has burlesque house
which has turned out many capable
comedians. 1t is a smelly. stufty
place where toughs of the East Side
gather. Peculiarly enough the popu
lar edible to be hawked about By
ushers is the cream puff.
Second avenue, by the way has a
single tree near Thirty-eighth street
that seems a grotesque touch in the
bubbllng tenement life. 1t sprouts
between two old brick buildings and
It is one of the sights for the chill
dren who live farther cast.
Press agency has always beer
geared to a high pitch in New York
but the ultimate word in the art 1:
offered by a famous little milk sta
ton on Sixth avenue. 1t is only a
hole In the wall but 1t pays pro
fesslonal puffer 800 week and al
a. result it has come to be one OF the
high spots Of night life. 1t is a stoo
and counter place but after midnight
one sees many silk hats and evening
gowns. In the same way. Reuben't
graduated from a sandwich place or
upper Broadway to one of the biggAs
cafes in town. Recently an anne'
was opened. In front there still re
mains the little delicatessen which
marked its beginning. Patrons mus
pass through this to reach the two
separate dining rooms.
The little tugs that carry prisoner
to the workhouse on BlackwelTs is
land are gloomy splotches in th'
murky atmosphere of the East River
From the shore one may see hand
cuffed prisoners dropping about oil
the tiny decks on their way TO lionel,
exile. The tugs screech merrily a
they stem the tide.