Imperial Valley press., 1935-06-11
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OO.McInfyre

-. ~ 1SesII1V VS
NEW YORK. June 1.-THE last
three blocks OF lower Fifth avenue.
which approaches Washington
Arch IN such sombre dignity, have
become a tumble OF bright avn
ings. tubbed trees and sidewalk
tables. It is as though a slice had
been cut out of the heart of Mont
! parnaSse.
Here. more than any other sec
I ton of the city, the outdoor cafe
/ has taken root. The short strip is
| almost solidly lined with them on
both sides OF the street. As early as
10 a. m. many tables are comfort
! ably filled with leisurely Slippers -
/ writer's artists. sculptors from near
by studios
/ Lunch time brings publishers to
/ talk things over with authors.
! Stars fortunate with summer en-
/ gagements, have also discovered
! the section. Al one table Helen
Mencken, at another The Billy
| Gaxtons and so on. Also a sprink-
ling of young men with flowing ties
to discuss the Social Revolution.
Joseph Hergesheiuer was q diner
on a recent evening Also Achmed
| Abdullah. iona Gale and the jopg-
leur Hi Phillips. Roaming from
| table to table are the quick sketch
| artists and the silhouette cutters.
| And for q crOWuing touch those
! furtives who flash back coat lapels
/ for a glimpse Of naughty pictures.
| The sidewalk cafe or something
has proved a solar pleXus sock for
the roof gardens. The handful
| that have opened have found GUS
| toners coy after the splurge Of an
opening night. At one the other
| evening there were a patrons, a
band of 18 pieces. about so gloomy
walters and four hapless dance
for-a-dollar boys.
H. L. Meneken, during his Amer
lean Mercury editorship, used to
commute from Baltimore once a
week. After a day at his desk, he
would usually relax for the cocktail
/ period in the bachelor apartment
of George Jean Nathan at The
Royalton. Eugene C'Neill might
drop in. Or Sinclair Lewis along
with lesser luminaries. But Menck-
en- has become only an occasional
visitor now. A month or so may
| pass without his presence. He wears
a derby and puts up at the Algon-
quin.
They were talking OF potent
drinks such as g float of brandy
in a glass of trapped creme de
| menthe and called The Stinger. Tt
was the reputed invention of Jim
Regan of the old Knickerbocker
| and the heaviest lushers would sag
after three. Erskine GWynne told Of
a thin white wine in southern
! France. 1t appeared pleasantly
| mild. but like the after-taste Of
fog had the cling Of gun flint -
| pierre a fusil With an ordinary
meal it was innocuouS enough, but
/ consumed with a raw pear for des-
sert had the kick of an army mule.
! Imbibers began throwing money
away or battling gendarmes The
i cheapest Of all jags, several said,
was q seidel of beer through a
straw. It's still a custom in Bowery
! fly-traps
NY choice for the dynamite
drink is the absinthe drip. I expert
| mented with its potency but once.
The vallian Of the piece had real
-plUCking name, Donald Dun
bar. At the time he was a press
! agent at Col Ike Martins Chester
: Park in Cincinnati. I was on a dull
! routine assignment from which l
rather hoped to salvage a gratui-
tous dinner. So on the club house
porch with CreatOres band playing
Glow Little Glow Worm" I was
persuaded to have an affair with
one Of the smokey libations drib-
bled through a lump of sugar. The
world turned suddenly over, all
rose tinted. 1 recall helling around
in a waltz with a strange and pro-
testing lady at the next table On
the street car going home the mo-
torman suddenly became my hero.
So great was my admiration ! pre-
sented him with my gold hunting
| case watch, executing a grave, low
bow 1t is probably an heirloom in
his family now. Likely his grand
children are teething on it. My
next morning headache was built
for a hippopotamus.
It might be titled The Strange
| Case Of Glenn Hunter" A real life
story as battling as some tales of
fiction. He came up spectacularly,
a mothers boy, to become one Of
| the foremost Of the young theatrical
stars Of his generation. Legitimate
and cinema producers sent him
blank contracts to fill in the salary
figure and sign. The world was at
his feet. His dolent, child-like visit
fulness in Merton Of the Movies"
was one Of the memorable roles Of
the theatre. Other castings distin-
guished him. Then he went out ike
a light. Broadway read Of him in
Variety, playing chance roles with
obscure stock companies Walk-On