Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-02
Silent Men
Best Pals
Of Gabboes
Roosevelt Listed Among
'Wind-J hammers
BY DAMON RUNYON

BY DAMON RUNYON
The most silent man we ever
heard of, bar a mute, ran
cabaret in one of the streets OF
the West Thirties in New York
City for many years. A cabaret
was the pre-prohibition version
of the present night club. This
fellows vocabulary was limited
10 two words. yes and no. and
he used them only on special &C.
casions. He would go along for
weeks at a stretch on nothing
but mods and shakes of his head.
His place, which combined
dancing and entertainment with
liquor and food, was heavily
patronized by Broadway men
and women. II was open all
night and from early in the eve
ming until dawn the silent man
would stand in corner impaS-
Slvely surveying the scene.
1t was accounted impossible
10 draw him into conversation.
Broadway, the gabbiest street
in the world. where silence was
no more golden than IT Is now.
decided that he would not talk
because he knew Of nothing 10
say. He was generally regarded
as silent dope
ONE day he disappeared, drop
ping out of sight between
suns But before going he got
himself a big AK and completely
wrecked everything in his caba-
ret except big mirror on the
wall behind a bar at one end Of
the room. On this mirror he
had written I'm soap.
1T takes one woman 20 years
TO make a man Of her son and II
takes another woman 20 min
utes 10 make damn fool Of
him"
ON digesting these words.
BFead~~ay- came To HE eeheltf-
sion that the mans silence had
been due solely 10 the fact that
he had been engrosed in think
ing. This raised the status Of
silent men on the big street for
spell. 1t was felt that any
one of them might also be think
ing. The new respect for silence
lasted several days, then the
street went back 20 paying moro
attention 10 the gabboes. We
never heard what became Of the
cabaret fellow.
WE ARE telling YOU this story
w because our young friend,
Norman ST. Denis of New York,
requested a treatise on silent
men. Not strong. silent men.
Just silent men. Norman says
men of this type have always
interested him. They have al
ways interested US, too. but for
purSely selfish reason. We
can talk the ears off a mule
when he get going good, and We
do not fancy competition. There
fore we try 10 pick silent men
for companions
Our all-time favorite was the
late Bill Mcclellan. one OF the
most brilliant sports writers that
ever lived. He rarely uttered
more than half a dozen words n
day and. while we sometimes
suspected he was not really lis
tening 10 us. ifrst made no diff
ference. Give US some one 10
talk at. rather than TO, and we
are quite happy Next TO Nc
Geehan we used 10 favor Hype
Igoe. another sports writer. but
we discovered Hype would some
times cross US up.
LIE WOULD listen for hours
IL on end. then he would have
periods OF verbosty during which
We would be unable 10 get in
word edgewayS. We do not like
that. We want our silent men
TO he consistently silent.
We ran into Hypc last week
held him Spcllbound with our
discourseS for some time. Then
he began clearing his throat and
we hastily bade him good day.
However. at our gabby best
we are probably no match for
such tireless conversationalists
as James J. Johnston. the prize
fight manager. Eddie Cantor, the
actor. Fielding n. YoSt. the old
Michigan footballer, Grantland
Rice, the sports writer. John
kieran Of Information Please"
or Franklin d. Roosevelt. We
are told that Mr.. Roosevelt is
an all-star performer when il
comes 10 gabfeSt. Naturally.
he has great advantage. You
cannot cut in on him when he
pauses for breath. a maneuver
that is considered strictly ethi-
cal among ordinary windjam-
mcrS.
As Norman st. Denis points
out. there are various types nj
silent men. Some can he
aroused 10 conversation on some
one subject, though they may
be silent on all other topics. We
know a fellow who seldom has
word 10 say unless you bring
up food and then he will talk a
mile a minute. We know an
other who docs not talk anu