Show I NEW YORK A YORK A sinister note at attaches attaches attaches at- at to the prevalence of bodyguards bodyguards bodyguards body body- guards in Manhattan A few years back a bodyguard w was wasa as asa a Joke something joke something connected with the eccentricities of Harry Thaw for Instance But the vengeful hand of the racket has brought about th the employment of scores of protectors pro pro- The bodyguards are re recruited re- re for the most part from the prize fight tight or the gang world Time was when little differences of opinion were settled by an invItation in invitation invitation in- in to come out in the street Fists flew and blows fell A fair fall fight tight was staged But the gang methods brought a startling and thoroughly un outburst of cowardly attacks from the dark Which reminds me that I 1 h have vc wondered why those hundred p per percent per percent r cent Americans who were so active ac no- tive tivo a few years ears back haven't done something about this new breed At iH any rate any number of men mennow now go about with a n shadow While some of those who need protection protection protection pro pro- are arc themselves engaged in racketeering scores of others are business men whose particular trades have been Invaded by rack racket et methods Thus for many months an undercurrent un- un dei current war raged in the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York fur tur belt In the Twenties mid-Twenties within half a a. block of tho the most heavily trafficked streets policemen policemen policemen police police- men traveled ii in pairs pairs ever ever a menacing menacing menacing men men- acing sign In broad daylight po police police police po- po lice could be seen scattered over a a. small area looking for trouble Some of the most powerful were employed ed by opposing sides sides' In the war They seldom appeared In person person per per- son ion son working through sent forth to do a little jacking black-jacking or shooting Other trades have seen similar wars urs Hence the gradual growth of the bodyguard bodyguard-a a strange sight indeed 1 In a supposed metropolitan and civilized co community I Lower Four Fourth h avenue is the secondhand secondhand sec see ond hand book store storo belt of New ew York Here Hero cluster little shops made to order for tor the bookworm hookworm Books lie in dutsy piles about the floors they overflow the tho 25 cent and 50 cent shelves they tiley are stuffed awa away untidily in corners they must be mined out like gold And there seems to be no end to them them hence hence the magic magi of their appeal to the browsers who find stirring adventure ture lure In pawing through the dusty treasures In lower Fourth avenue I its it's s 's possible possible pos pos- sible to see eG sights that bear the tile flav flavor or of unreality Bent little men looking like the people le of a Thackeray Thack Thack- eray Cray or Dickens novel come ambling ambling am am- bling In out of the city carr carrying ing a few volumes under their aims and I stop to bicker tind nd bargain for tor the few pennies the will receive he On winter da days davs s 's shabbily dressed men with finely chiseled features come out of the cold to browse browe in dark corners They do not buy but they lovingly finger leaves of their fa fn- fn Young Youns book reviewers trying to lIv Hyo liyo In New Kew York o on a meager Income in income In- In come arrive b bearing suitcases and baSs bags tho the tilled filled with novels hovels 0 8 late lato fr fron m pi press for ess for which they will ill receIve re- re nn 0 as' as much as as 75 cents or 1 1 per coP copy TIlls This excl makes it Possible possible pos- pos and nJ sible ie talk for to c exist They stand with each other the tho over ver books 8 they e ey are Writing or to they write argue argue- over the o newest literary VOgUe or the oldest literary problem T They ey leave wIth dream turn dust glistening In their eye W eyes to return re re- From turn to coffee or back bek roon rooms ISS such ranks rank are aro re recruited scores score of our younger younge writers a for wh S n first 1 t met Louis Instance he was plugging Posing away at a J job b with a Publishing publishIng Publish publish- Ing house It was not a particularly W well ll ft paid jOb but ob- ob It afforded him Tree time to wrIte The Tile Green Bay which to tills this day day- seems to m me to And be the best ot of J his 1118 books I have known a dozen others with similar stories GILBERT Y S SWAN AN Copyright 1928 Service Inc IlIc I I |