Show H ou n n UTER LETIER I D v I i fl B By IT H Rn B D ivr- ivr V NE-V Ice I Iter NEWORK NEW IW VORK ORK July The 9 9 The Democratic national convention I just about put ew ew York theatres out of or business Theatrical m who had bad hoped to reap a rich harvest barvest from convention visitors found their houses houes deserted Instead of or filled Even liberal ot or free freo paper failed to fill the seats and give a semblance of or business Within the first week teck e k of the con con- con convention on no le less s than ten theatres several several of or which had bad opened specially daily to provide entertainment for forthe forthe forthe the Democratic had delegates delegates shut up shop The receipts from front tickets hadn t been cough h to pay the electrIc electric light bills I IOne One explanation is 18 that Newl New NewYork NewYork York Itself was a show to most I of the visitors There tere were enough places to go and anti enough things to see to keep them busy and enter enter- entertained tamed outside the theatres Then the city fathers them them- themselves I selves seles from Mayor Hylin Hyhn n donn do had provided a lot of or special en- en entertainments entertainments en that were wre worth worthwhile and which had the addi addI- addItional additional attractiveness eness of ot not costing anythIng Shy hy hy pay money to be bo enter enter- entertaIned entertained when hen you can be entertain entertain- entertained entertained ed for tor nothing Ith nothing with food n In delegates delegate asked Last but not least the Al AI Smith boosters In his hia old home to n stood ready to stage a party or nI I throw a feed for any delegate who I would accept their hospitality nd these veren eren t theatre parties partle- Then of ot course thereas there was as as the I bIg show bow at the Garden IHn E en I New Yorkers lost Interest In I Broadways Broadway's plays when hen it could InI I see something much more thet neal and holding a II maximum of suspended Interest d down n at the I convention hall An Anybody body that says national convention to a Broadway thea then theatre tre tro manager within the next net g gen gen- n ration will wilt be a brave man While lle the convention ion offered en- en entertainment en entertainment to Now York York part as could get could get a n ticket to e eten een en enone one o cC of f the thO many sessions conven sessions conven convention tion visitors provided an equally Interesting study to the delegates delegate from the hinterland One of ot the most moat regular visitors for instance was tas as Mrs Pel ry Del Del- Delmont mont mont whoso hose presence pre da dai- dai daiby by nel day and p night ht by night con conse conveyed H ed cd to tho the delegates a hint of ot the wide Ide ide va- va I vaI in gO gowns gOns ns and je jewels cis possess possessed ed by New ew forks fork's ork's ultra-ultra ultra set Occupy ing a box to the tho left of the l committees committee's pier MIs Belmont came early and late late- through every session Her lIer and diamonds eclipsed the I most brilliant gems genis of Democratic I oratory and they had the aUdi add additional merit of variety and cash value Just a few of the je jeweled ge gega gew gewgaws ga gaws ws that Inti intrigued d the fancy ot of delegates who wondered how they ere going to pay their hotel botel bills if I the deadlock held out were A diamond chain suspending a pearl pendant as large as a hickory nut nuta q i se strand seven strand en-strand pearl dog collar a diamond and pearl peart bracelet of or four strands and earrings earring of or m black pearls the tho size of or filberts There were ere other displays of go ns and jewels jewel of or course but none more moro varied nor so regular regular- regularly regularlY regularly ly exhibited as Mrs Belmont's While the Democratic deadlock dragged alon along with the final out out- outcome outcome out outcome come growing more and more un- un uncertain Uncertain un uncertain certain word carne came to the conven conen- com convention en- en tion that the Republicans had do- do decided de decided to tip off oft to Calvin altin Coolidge on July 24 the secret ecret that he hu ha been chosen to head the G 0 O p ticket What the convention contention most tIe tIe- desired de desired sired at that time howe er was for someone to lip tip It off oft on what Democrat would be honored by a similar notification some hence Il i iFor l For or while the Democrats were deadlocked the Republicans were ere getting a running on their campaIgn |