The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-16
In New York
BY GEORGE ROSS
o iaas MA

Miscellany: A new after-dark diver
sion in Manhattan are those Com
munity Sings, which are nothing
more than REVEALS Of our ancestors
rural songfests. Next the town will
be ging in for hay-rides, quilting
parties and taffy pulls.
The most cheerful members Of
the city's police force these days
are lucky gendarms who guide
the traffic in the vicinity Of Wall
street. From now until Christ
mas, Ticker Canyons constables
are all smiles. Last year one Of
them had to call his brother to
come with an automobile - In Or
der to get his gifts home!
Alexander Woollcott's lectures
on journalism at the New School
for Social Research are packing
the place the first time pro-
fessor has been forced to hang out
the 8. r. o. sign.
When Noel Coward and Ger
trude Lawrence gave a special mid
night performance for the benefit Of
the Stage Relief Fund, Alfred Lunt
and Lynn Fontani1e played host to
the back-stage crew. They donned
aprons and servee. coffee and sand
wiches to the entire cast.
The odds are that when you hear
stripling's voice on the radio these
days 1t belongs to Walter Tettley.
Walter, only IA years old, has work.
ed on so many Of the larger pro-
grams that last summer he went
out and bought himself yacht
which Is more than some spon-
sors can do!
Then Broadway has had q play
catching up with the home life Of
Sherlock Holmes. 1.-THE Holmeses
of Baker Street" 1t Is called and
1t is not so concerned with the
great sleuth himself as with the
detective work Of his daughter,
Shirley. Yes, according to 1.-THE
Holmeses of Baker Street." the
mightiest ferret Of them all was
the proud papa Of girl and &C.
cording to the play she was no mean
detective herself. For 1.-THE HolmseS
of Baker Street" is all about Shir-
ley, rather than about the old man
CQuick, Watson, the reedlec and
besides, 1t isn't a very good play.
Seals Sing Sot Song
A certain young woman who lived
on the thirty-first floor Of a hotel
facing Central Park, acquired q
queer case Of insomnia recently.
Seems that every night her ears
were assailed by curious noise not
unlike the booty braying Of an in
|corrigible alcoholic. At first she
thought 1t came from the occupant
Of the next room, but when the
sounds continued night after night
she became worried. During the day.
time she brooded upon the ruinous
behavior of her scotch-and soda
neighbor. and at night the tumult
began anew. 1t took her two weeks
to discover the cause Of 1t all--and
the nseh moved.
The noises were the nocturnal
singing OF Mayor La Guardia's
seals In the Central Park 90.
Sound, 1t seems, travels UP. The
young lady moved down. She
lives on the second floor now -
quite happy with nothing to dis
turb her slumbers except the
steady evensonG Of Gotham's
taxis, buses and street-cars.
Santas Sour ON Xmas Cheer
John J. Woelfie, the manager of
the Hotel McAlpin, is one of this
towns most sentimental gentlemen.
Every Christmas MIR. Woelfie throws
party for the city's professional
Santa Clauses those ttinerant
masquaraders who don whiskers and
North Pole regalia for Manhat-
tan's department stores and char
itable agencies. Mr.. Woelfle. 1t APP
pears. was once besieged with the
idea that while these gentlemen
dispense Christmas cheer to New
York's millions, no one takes the
trouble, to wish them O Merry
Christmas.
Each Yuletide invitations are
extended TO i've hundred Santa
Clauses to come over 70 the Me-
Aipin and have dinner on the
house. Last year only nifty showed
up. The rest, It Seemed. were weary
OF Noel and, according TO Mr..
Woelfie, spent the holiday In q con-
vivial reunion Of their own. A near
holocaust was anrrowly averted last
season, anyways the corps OF
costumed Kris Kringies parade into
the McAlpin dining-roori. There
were q dozen or 50 small children
at dinner ut the time - and the
sight Of 80 man: cantA Clauses N
a body caused whoIeeale terror ana
delight. This year the boys VIII be
f'tsd Ia Q special rne,m.