The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-24
-In- New York
By PAUL HARRISON

New 1OTk-ous- Ol SAO pAIAA o' poverty of the quarter-million Negro residents of Harlem have come lot of the social institu- tions that you read about in novels of the black belt.
 For example, there are more clubs and societies to the square block there than in any other place on earth, simply because house-to- house entertaining doesn't cost much. Also there probably is an average of one buffet fiat"-a pri- yate apartment where cheap liquor and a little food is sold-to every tenement building. -..
 And then there are trent par-
 We climbed to an apartmnet in the fifth floor of a tenement fire trap. Four girls were giving the party to raise rent money. l never did identify the hostesses because their men friends did the collecting for the gin (10 cents the glass, raw), corn whiskey (25 cents the small pitcher), and the chicken and vans. Some charis and tables had been borrowed from the neighbors, a piano toted up, and fellow invited in to play it.
 In the three rooms there were about 35 people, all young, and of all shades and apparent states or affluence. A crap game f1ourlshed in the bedroom, with a small per- centage going to "the~ house..
 They've Got Rhythm
 Dancing was mostly solo, the party having reached the exhibi. tionist stage. Guests clapped ana nodded to the rhythm, and with two sticks a monkey-ike hunch- back tapped on a Washboard he had found in the kitchen E. :. Underneath the Harlem moon A gangling, high-yellow girl sauirmed in. sinewy sensuousness Swing it, honey!" Do that thing!" got liar lem on ma mind" .. Go to town, baby" About that time. man
 rceled out of the bedroom and
 sat down right in the middle
 of tho floor. He had sort of 2 dry dusty pallOr and was clltching at his right side somewhere in the region of the fifth rib. I'll never know why, for. sure. remembered exactly where I'd left my coat
 and hat. ,
 Parties for Profit <
 "Buffet flats are less exciting Most of them are conducted by , housewives trying desperately to supplement the family income. The, popularity of such a place is determined not by its pretentious- ness but by he tac.turnity and dis cretion of the proprietress.
 For these are places where a boy can take his girl, or someone else's girl, and spend whole eve ming over four bits worth of whiS- key, play the photograph and read the dream book. For a tiat charge of dollar he can buy the | house." and no one else will be admitted. The resident family re! tires to the kitchen. There are four large dance halls complete with hot bands, low lights, bouncers, and evening. gowned hostesss. The latter usu- I ally are billed as "800 Lovely Luscious Continental Beauties.' Admission is 35 cents, ladies free and hot dogs and beer are served at midnight withoutF charge One l hall, open from a. m. to 6 a. m advertises: we invite you tc shake a leg for 10 sensational hours."I rf
 High Society n. 15t Harlem club activities keep local society reporters on the jump, foi from Sugar Hill Ca fashionable section sinee Jules, Bledsoe, the singer, moved there) to Vinegar
 Valley, fife in the upper strata seems to be just one long round ol socials and bridge and cocktail parties., ps,A lr 3& ;1sN | Contrary to legend, fraternal organizations don't go in. for espe- l cially elaborate names. But there are a dozen Greek-ietter secret so. cieties. Readers of the. Amster. dam News, the leading newspaper
 and the Tattler, which is Harlem's | Vanity Fair, learn all about the meetings of Club Swelegante, the l Gay Dumb Belles, the Sparkling Girls Bridge club, and the Super
 bian Debs. There are some with a nice Latin tang, too-the Farm Nous and Tres Moderne bridge
 clubs. LiAniour Social club, ant
 Les Jolie Dix Girls. 9.s'ys sHAi !