The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-02
In New York
Q IWs HeA

New York, Dec. 2.-Fashion Note for Santa Claus: Old Kris Krin- gle's beard will be worn down to the chest this Christmas and will end in a point instead of the outmoded square cut. His snowy locks will be worn shoulder-length. Stomach padding will provide a paunch to match his height but must never protrude more than eighteen inches. Chimney stacks must be getting leaner) Proper footwear will in- clude woolen stockings and puttees, in place of any old pair of boots that bother bunions. These are the new sartorial decrees of Dame Fashion and the dame, in this in- stance, happens to be the Brooks Costume company which outfits more than 1000 Santa Clauses every year.
 Although Brooks is called upoI chiefly to supply costumes to Broadway productions, 8 bulk of its business consists of renting masquerades to practical jokers. such as the fellow who hired a skeleton skin so that he could sneak in the rear door and give his family fright. Brooks heard the next day that the fellow wound up in the accident wards of Bellevue hospital because one of his family, with more caution than good humor, had crowned him with @ water pitcher the mo- ment he made his entrance.
 Memorial day is usually the signal for big business from war veterans whose khakis have long ago been 8 feast for the moths. Uniforms of f1fty-three national armies are available on the racks. For thirty-flve cents per day, Brooks hires out Victoria Cross and Croix De Guerre medals, but the Distinguished Service Cross and the Metallic Militaire run from forty to fifty cents.
 Policemen and flremen's suits are slow sellers, but Brooks bit- terest disappointment is the line of Louis XIII costumes. The jinX is on them. There hasn't been a show set in the period of this odd-numbered monarch that hasn't failed before the dramatic critics could say Seat" Maybe there is something in this thirteen business. Because it seems that Louis XIV and XIV wigs and brooches are in- variably successful.
 
 High Hat Tickets
 The right to picket peacefully has now been taken up by New York's best people. Six well-groomed gen. tlemen, from swank employment agency, marched up and, down Broadway the other night, carrying this inscription on their placards: Peter Arno is unfair to organized society in his new book, For Mem- bers Only Newport Local No. l." Several nights ago, a mustachioed fellow who looked like the oldl colonel off the old plantation but who turned out to be Sicilian, lparaded the street with a sand wich sign that read: "The new show cMulattoD at the Wander bilt, is unfair to the old South" {. . |. All of which proves that the press agents aren't on strike.
 Which reminds me of the fel- low who phoned the box office of @ war movie that was being pro- tested by a street crowd and asked the cashier to reserve two pickets for him at the afternoon show.
 And there is the store owner downtown who, tired of the men parading their signs before his shop, chalked up on the wall of the building next door, Picket Fence"
 Fare Enough
 I have just heard, with some sorrow, of the plight of Leona Marsh, one of New York's few women taxicab-drivers. Hailed in- to court for not keeping to the right, Leona told the judge that things have been going SO bad" she couldn't pay the $2 fine.
 Several years ago, Leona came down from Canada where she was the winner of a beauty contest and started hacking. The papers made a fuss over her and fares were plentiful. Then, the novelty died away and Leona's income ldwindled. She has carted me about on numerous occasions and has proved herself to be a canny front-seat driver. But New York CTS still distrust Q lady at the wheel and Leona, though Q beau- ty contest winner. has found taxi piloting unprofitable.
 But here's the pay-oH. When she left the court. Q fare hailed her for long ride to the Bronx. And Leona earned enough to pay 1.-the dna.