The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-18
In New York
BY GEORGE ROss

New York, May 1S-This was to have been @ quiet, contemplative piece about Manhattan but solne- thing happened. The telephone rang. The telephone rang not once but necessarily. A double-faced in- strument, that phone can be both a curse and blessing. At one mos ment boon companion when Q fact figure or matter of spelling is be- irig investigated, 1t can be a rue- full, changing monster when the fin- gers are flying smoothly over the typewriter keyboard.
 Anyway, this was to have been an unhurried digest of Manhattan's daily doings. I remember vaguely having started a sentence about an ice skating carnival they are stag ing on the dance floor of hotel grill room. There seemed to be something in that.
 Illuminating Interruptions
 But, as I said, the phone trilled @ lively Interruption and dulcet female voice crooned into the ear- phone. Pardon me-" the voice said apologetically, "but could you be induced to come for e hay ride down Fifth Avenue? You can wear 0 pair of overalls over your tux edo if you prefer it." Not having been prepared for such Q sudden, bucolic bid, your correspondent de- clined as hastily as possible and went back to his knitting.
 But not long enough to set down Q paragraph. Barely had that been begun when 1t again got the gong from another caller. T was just passing Broadway and 44th street. said the anonymous agent, land noticed that Q bulb blew out on the new chewing gum sign. Thought it might be an item for your column" Since bulbs have q way of extinguishing themselves without shaking the world from It's pivots, the considerate fellow was disposed of politely.
 Garbo, Joyce Again
 And so 1t went halfway through the evening. A chap called in Q frenzy to report that he had seen Miss Qarbo enter a Fifth Avenue shop, without smoked glasses or veil and entirely unnoticed. And fresh- man on furlough wanted to know how to take his fiancee to dinner, Q show and q dancing spot after- ward, on Q half-week's allowance.
 Then, ballyhoo artist for midtown bar-room who mumblcd excitedly that Peggy Hopkins Joyce had just stepped into his clients premises for a dry mar tini and could at least he have Q headline.
 A slight pause followed, prob. ably because Central was confused by the busy signals. And after an- other false start on de luxe ice skating with a table d'hote dinner the darned thing set up one more insistent tinkle.
 AnnoyingIy Ambitious
 Excuse me-" a shrill, little fem. mine voice trebled, q don't like te be taking up your time like this but wonder if you could help me. ] notice that you write @ great dea about actresses and maybe yol could tell me how to go about be. ing one. Unfortunately. I have hat no previous experience"
 Having had previous experience with aspiring Katharine Hepburn or Katharine Cornells, it was youI correspondents brutish impulse ts hang up on this one with a cur. sorry "Wrong number" But discre' ton is the mother-in-law of self preservation. So after 8 survey ol the dramatic field, the imminen Duse hung up with histrionic am bition and renewed yearning for glamorous career. . | Well, there went the Manhattan miscellany column. Let my bos' take it up with the shades Of Alex ander Graham Bell.