The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-09
In New York
cw,lishl isii. Nel
BY GEORGE ROSS

New York, June g = People of the Big Town
 Few convivial guests at popular New York rendezvous know that the fellow in charge of the oasis goes by the full name of Major Francis A. c. Forbes Leith and the abbreviated titles, FRSC and RARC Sitting over their small talk and a cool drink, they are little aware that their host, upon waxing autobio- graphical, spins the most exciting stories of the evening; or that his life is a thousandfold fuller than than theirs.
 In confidential moments, the Ma jor will tell you (and confirm the facts) that he taught King Philip of Portugal to play tennis /. that he was with the ruler on the day of his assassination or that he once had served with Gen eral Dunsterville (Kiplings immor- tai Stalky) and fought under the banner of Lawrence of Arabia. An ex-soldier of fortune and adventur- CT, the suave barman came to this country to live quietly, First thing he knew, he was entangled in the ganglife of Chicago while employed in cafe there.
 He has been wine steward at the Waldorf Astoria since coming here and once went to work for ChriSto- pher Morley as culinary and gusta- tory advisor for the Three Hours for-Lunch Club. And to top of his fanciful career, he also happens to be an authority on Persian political affairs, having lived there for five years following the war. During this interval, he managed to fill in as major domo to the Sadar Akrarn. who ran PerSia's affairs. The State Department still takes him away away from bar management now and then to consult him about Per- sian internal matters. Incidentally, his first chore after landing in America was to testify before deal CTS as a rug expert.
 
 Critical Development
 Some of our most interesting New Workers are barnnen and here's an- other of the clan: Gaston Pietson mixes drinks and sarveS them at the Bedford Bar for his living. After hours he is a portrait painter and he specializes in nudes. Quite good ones, too, according to professional draughtsmen who have happened in there.
 Well, when Gaston went to work at the Bedford, he found the walls bare and nude of any kind of deco ration. So he offered to place his work at the disposal of the man. agement, free of charge. Ten of his nudes were hung and for the next few years Gaston was delighted tc hear customers remark favorabiy about them, unaware that they were painted by the bartender who was serving them.
 But the great tragedy in Cas- tons life has just occurred. A dowager stepped into the bar one day, called for a double lemonade and her eyes alighted upon one | VI O4AO NAAAVdooSo' 0lIC LlChSJ in horror, hurried to the manager and complained that the paintings were extensively obscene to visi- tors. So Gaston's murals have been withdrawn from irnpres. sionable eyes and he no longer hears the comments that encour. aged him.
 Prosit!
 We carry on with 8 final not on yet another interesting barmar of Manhattan. Tom Horton tai been mixing drinks at the Hote Astor for the past half century During these fifty years. he alst has been official mix master for thl Astor's administrators, the Mus. chenheirn family will the fiji. tieth anniversary of old Toms loya and devoted service was observed the other day. And representative. of the Muschenheim clan Wouldn't hear of Toms going back of the bar They served the cocktails to him. | -. -. genuine, humane ambition to ben.