The sun., 1878-09-08
MEN WHO MET AT SCIIALK'S.
JOURNALIsTs, POETS, AND WRITERS or
fICTION AT LEISTRE

fICIiON At LEfbtRE,
Where Hsyard Taylor, Artemss Ward, Miles
UReiiiy, and, Occasionally. Horace Greeley
Spent Many Hours Beside Round Tables.
Not many days ago THE Sun recorded
the death Of Carl Schalk. whose namo was once
familiar down town. especially among news
paper men. Mr. Schalk was cousin OF Her
mar and Rudolph Sohalk the Newark brewers.
and was related by marriage to Mr.. Oswald
Ottcndorier Of the Stats Zettno. In carly lfo
he was an active revoluuonst In his native
country, from which he was expatrited at
about the time that Carl Schurz. Gen. Franz
Siegel and other we'll known Germans sought
refuge here. Early In tho late war Mr.
Schalk. aided by the capital OF his Newark
cousins opened q restaurant In Nassau street.
Just below Beekman. The location was in the
very centre Of nowspaperdom. and It was not
long before Mr.. schalks patrons included
many Journalists and literary men. In those
days tho sale OF lager beer was not by any
means so common as II Ia now. tho charactcrls-
tic boast being that straight whiskey was good
enough for Americans. From the start Mr.
Schalk's business proepered. His beer was
actually lager beer. that had Rono through tho
necessary fermentation. His lunches were
plain and plainly served. but he had the knack
Of buying the best Joints OF meat and the
freshest vegetables, and over and above this ho
had the good sense TO charge reasonable prices
What with good beer and good cheer II was no
wonder that the brain workers took kindly To
him, nor was IL surprising that he should make
money rapidly.
II was not unusual say from 1865 to 500 to
SOC from twenty tO thirty journalists seated in
Schalk's in the afternoon duafllng beer, or cat
ing lunches. and there were times when twice
!hai n9mDer made ,c demands upon il the hospi,;
known nt length that in any unusual rnrr-
grncy when the newspapers were in want Of
ready writrrs. messengers were at once sent to
Schnlk's. II IL not OF record that they were
ever disappointed IN finding what they sOugh ht.
Lost il should bc supposed. however that
S'hnlk's was the headquarters Of u registering
party of Bohemian hacchanals. IT may be well
70 plain that lollty, was meyer allowed TO 40
cellar. on the contrary. the Bohemian Club
comprising Artcnlus Nard. FiH James Bricn
was a succession of maudli dehauches that
have boon made famous by the fame ut the
i-~.l'r ~ the rcvels. poor Charlie Brown lArto-
one Of if.s-halk's constant guests was Bay
ard Taylor. traveller jSurnalst. poet. and di-
plomatst. Since those rulcs Mr. Taylor. inn
proving bv constant practice. has been known
To- put down 300 glasses. ot beer at y e,E;Ie sill
ting. but then his outside limit was 100 giass"A
II has been suggested that Mr.. Tayior's 300
glass exploit was an effort OF patriotism. He
was accredited 10 Il hrrr-drinkng court. and
naturally wnnted to qualify himself for the du-
An occasional visitor was Horace Greeley.
who sometimes shuflled down from the ntbune
ofllcc when work was press ng. and took a hur-
ried lunch III roast beef and potntoes He alb
horred beer or liquor. and WAS never known to
drink except when the boys on on" occasion put
sticks" of brandy into his lemonade. They
were Hight sticks" " but they lent flavor To his
lemonade that the old gentleman ever aterward
Charles Char g. H@ipine Miles 0'Rciyl. although
not stendy customer, was freqcnty TO be seen
at Srhalk's. as he was. indeed. at any place
whore jovinl good fellows met. He was not
fond Of beer. although he wrote n charming
little song in honor OF Gamnrlnus. hut rather
than hr "A bar to good fellowship he would stake
his thirst with stronger liquor, or more often
with champagne. No matter how great his
troubles-and he had plenty Of them IL the last
and repart"e. and oyeriiowng with wit and
humor. Many u poor scrlblcr who had made a
mistake in MS profession essayl,ng to WELD a
Il yard stick. had reason 10 bless the genial
kindness and ready generosity of Miles
After the Bohemian Club at Pfafls broke up,
two or three oi is SURVIVING members driited
naturally Into s,aaS rIy + Tne most sons,Sn. na IN IN
the most noted paragraphisis on the press OF
New York; He was one OF the founders OF the
its members. although he was comparatively
an old man when II WAS started and the others
were Young. Harry's efforts toward the last
were fltful and irregular. but he never ceased
to be a genial and enters ming companion.
Frank CAhill, who was also Bohemian. having
been admitted " tn n the charmed circle shortly
before the dissolution OF the club. could BE- seen
nearly every day seated In front Il "A fuaming
nagon, or hohnobblng with Caleb Dunn.
prolific writer OF npion aud poetry for
The Ncr York W,eky AMI the Ledger.
William Ross Wallace and Thomas Dunn
English wrrs among Sehalk- steady patrons.
as one Nat shepherd. who wrpt" many heauti-
ful little poems; James DAVIS known AS
Sivad ~. who wrote the Red Flannel Hoax
for the World that stopped the Manufacture II
that material for some time; james T. Munson.
the author of a system Of strnography William
H. hose who did the translation of the best
parts of " Lee MserHhles. and received no
credit for IL. Prof. Waworth, now of the Cni-
Judge Davies of the Court Of Appeals. .abrillHnt
young wrltcr. and author of " The Gain Of IA
Loss :" Ned lut"rn!ll, An old.tlme reporter.
| who afterwArd became ti"ts ot the Assembly
| Fred. Gedney aud Col. sheridan, who are now
| civil Justices; Frnnk Ouarson. for many years
| Ter. then an assQ'iate. hut now the m1naging
| editor of tho World; and last but not lensS.
Mortimer Thompson, known 10 lame rs o. h.
philHndor Doesticks T. b.. oi No Hall, Nowhere.
| Ii was in Schalk that tho Press Club now a
| nourlshing institution. was started. -Four
| members Of the Journalistic Fraternity, and
announced that their objects were mutual i'm
provement and rational enjoyment For some
| time the Fraternity. which increased rapidly IN
membership, met in Schalk's and moisened
| its solemn deliberations with draughts Of beer
but in the course Of time room In the Astor
| House was rented. and afterward the club re-
| moved 10 its present quarters. From mem
| bership of four II has grown TO be more than
| 800 strong.
| Mr.. Schak was never. in his palmest days q
| thoroughly genial host. but. being courteous
| ing the advantage Of central location. lie met
| with great success. His death is sincerely re-