Imperial Valley press., 1936-04-29
NEW YORK
DAY by DAY
By O. O. Mcintyre

NEW YORK April 29.-Students
of athletic calm and poiSe declare
the greatest exponent of these oual-
tiles is the 18-year-old New York
school. girl Ruth Aarons She was
the recent winner of the national
championship in her first table ten
mis- ping pong) tournament without
losing a set.
Miss AaronS is the daughter of a
theatrical man and entered the play
at Prague for the world title and
won easily. No American has ever
reached the final rounds as Euro
peans. especially Hunagrians, have
long dominated. A crowd that would
have filled the Garden looked on
starkly amazed.
The girl, who weighs 100 pounds,
plays in long trousers and drives a
ping pong ball with the speed of
bullet and always smiles as though
having heaps of fun. Though a
masterful defensive player, she is a
relentless attacker and when she
lays one away" her opponent makes
no effort to return the shot.
In winning the title in the first
attempt she overcame mental haX-
ards that seemed insurmountable.
1t was her first trip abroad and she
went alone into a country where
ping -pongists are supreme. And her
debut was before ten tthouSand
aliens. She was as cool as ice.
Upton Sinclair, next perhaps to
Gil Patten of Frank 5Merriwell
Fame. was in his formative days one
Of the prolific nickel novelists.
Under the pen name of Ensign Clark
Fitch. USN.. he recounted weekly
the heroic adventures of Cliff Farra-
day for the True Blue Library. He
occupied a top floor bedroom in the
West 20's and was student at the
College of the City Of New York.
He was paid $40 an installment,
which gave him more spending
money than any person attending
his school.
A spy in Denver reveals that
Damon Alfred Runyon-or maybe II
was Alfred DamOn-was a daily
Wearer cf / caination in the Whipper
snapper days when his journalistic
pinfeathers were sprouting. So much
so he was known on his reportorial
heat as "CdlrGtion Al" He also car
ried, as did most reporters IN that
Wild and woody era, a six-shooter.
So says the informant.
Two of New York's liveliest bon
Tivants are the Missouri born Broth
ers McCrory, Sam and VIII, who
haberdash largely to the stage,
screen and literary crowd who like
their cravats lustrous and collars
wild. Silver haired, edging so, and
snappily clothes conscious, they
make luncheon a daily event in the
snowy cafes of midtown. And are
usually ring siders at the fights,
hockey games and ether sporting
events. Bachelors, they carry on
the credo Of a yesteryear Broadway
the Whooping, story telling era of
the eXtravagant MINERS, Diamond
jim Paul Armstrong and unforget-
able Tad. They are among the last
Of the thinning valiants who gave
enthusiasm to trivia and made the
Roaring Forties more than a Dor
roWed nautical term.
Gus Edwards, who gave vaudeville
a percentage of stars, has been try
ing TO apply the pulmotor TO that
impoverished amusement. There
was time when there were a half
dozen Gus Edwards acts touring the
circuits. A roster Of his grown up
baby stars reads like a Who's Who"
Of Hollywood and the radio. Gus,
who looks little changed from 30
years ago, can 90 on at any bene-
fit and become a show stopper. Just
singing School Days" one of his
many hits He lives at the Astor, pa
rades the Rialto with a Dockstader
minstrel sWagger and believes firm
~ that the tWo-a-day will again
come into its own A noble dream
that is not likely to be realized in
this generation.
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