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[[image - on the blocks / DOINGS AROUND THE NIGHT SPOTS, KEEPING UP WITH LOCAL CELEBRITIES, / With C. Melvin Patrick]]

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These are just a few of the many awards, and certificates, and plaques awarded to Mel Patrick during his lifetime.

On THE PASSING OF 1924 IN MOUND CITY

  To see a hectic year pass in retrospect before one's eyes... To realize that in a few more minutes 1941, the year that saw Negros sit anywhere in the stands at Sportsman Park... a year that almost saw Joe Louis, the greatest piece of fighting machinery the squared circle has ever known, come within inches of losing its most cherished crown, only to come back with one masterful stroke and completely obliterate his opposition... the year which brought out Ray Robinson and Lem Franklin... a year which gave us the "BLUE ROOM," 'CAFE SOCIETY," the new "WEST END TAVERN," and the B AND B TAVERN... A year which brought such outstanding attractions as Andy Kirk, Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Hines, Gene Krupa, the band leader who will fight you in a minute if you slight his pal and ace trumpet man, Roy Eldrige; Erskine Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, and Dorothy Maynor to Mound City; and by no means "Native Son" with Canada Lee and his great cast... only to close with the goddess of war, Mars, plunging these United States into the second World's War, a predicament which caught us napping but not for too long; and the gruesome murder of little Geraldine Brookfield, an industrious little newspaper vendor, for whose death, William Mitchell is walking up and down town offering two hundred dollars reward for any information that might shed some light on the apprehension of her murderer... a year which found out citizens reeking with indignation over supposedly made statements which appeared in the dailies of the city... a year which, though crammed with much treachery and misgivings, bowed out by finding these United States more unified than a beehive... One nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all... pass before one's eyes...
ON THE PASSING OF 1941 IN NEW YORK...
  Here in New York as the clock was proclaiming the death knell of 1941, Times Square, the greatest street corner in the world, though jammed as ever, was not too gay, the crowds were very somber in their celebrations and two new figures, making their public appearance for the first time on the great White Way, THE AIR RAID WARDENS, and Negro soldiers guarding N.Y.C, were seen wending their way amongst the revellers... The theatres on the street did terrific business with the Paramount Theatre, whose feature for the New Year was "Louisiana Purchas," starring Bob Hope and Victor Moore, and whose stage attraction was Gene Krupa and Band starring Roy Eldrige, grossed $87,000.00 for the week. A little further up the street, the Ubangi club, sporting sepia entertainment hand standing room signs out early... In Harlem at the new Clover Leaf Room of Smalls Paradise they charged $7.50 per Couple to come in. The idea was for you to try to get in
  At the La Mar Cheri, up on the hill, it was old home week with so many people from Atlanta and Washington seeing the new babe being born... Sis recognized Hugh Paye of Miami and Atlanta, Richard Kidd, whose first words were, "How is Emily Russell?"... George Campbell, Herring, Harold Hart, and George's girl from Boston, who showed all of us that ring George had just given her... In Canada Lee's chicken shack they charged us $1.20 for two pieces of ham and four eggs, but I guess we showed them too much of our red snuggies, so they knew we were visitors from the sticks... At the Theresa Hotel the out-of-towners for the Joe Louis-Baer fight flocked the Theresa Bar... Sis spotted Brad Griffith, the Budweiser Negro ace salesman, the man who is responsible for putting their products in all the bars in Harlem... Brad will be in Mount City this week... In Daniels' Bar the boys were holding a testimonial for the owner, but a few of the joy juicers were discussing the forthcoming Robinson-Zivic Fight, after all Ray only grew up on this corner... At the Renaissance Ballroom the Q.C's. whaled the daylights out of the Apes and they promptly sent notification of this fact to every Omega in the land... Ran into Lucille Rochester, a former Mound City dweller, who wanted to be remembered to Sara Turner and the whole Steve Adams' family... and last but by no means least, Miss Fannie... Muriel Smith united with one C. Melvin Patrick in Holy Matrimony...

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Wherever Mel Patrick went,he was usually accompanied by two ladies he called his "travelling companies" from the Pan Hellenic Council. They are Marsha Knight and Viola Harvell.