The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-13
ALL HOURS In THE BOWERY.
A STREET THAT ExCIrRs rHE WONDER
or FOREf8NkRS.


through that thoroughfare on . horse car In
company with reporter.
1t IL an amazing. bswilderinR panorams-a
world In Itself. have been all over the world.
and have spont much time In the big cities.
but NO ono OF them presents In any quarter or
street. or even In any ono block. 80 strange. 90
varied. 90 cosmopolitan. or % bustling scene
- this. It 10 not In the least American; II IL
rather more German than anything else. and
yet there is nothing In Germany like t.; while
on the other hand. II presents Rlimpses Of low
London. OF Paris. OF stockholm-in fact. re-
minders Of every city. Is II every land was con-
cerned In Its makeup"
He asked his companion what he could tell
him about the Bowery What was there for
New Yorker to tell. except that II IL the main
channel into which tho great cast side currents
OF humanity arc compressed. or that 1t has for
quarter OF o century astonlshd strangers By
It's glitter noise. and bustle2 Il got its pecu.
liar title By taking the Hollandish name for tho
farm or plantat Of tho old one legged Dutch
Governor. Petrus Stuyvesant. whose ashes Ito
Just above and beyond 1t In the churchyard Of
st. Marks. whence A. T. Stewards body was
stolen. and the true name Of which to-day is
st. Marks Church In the Bowery. It is q
straight. broad street. really beginning at Ann
street. for Chatham street 10 o narrow end Of II.
and ending at the Harlem River. for Third
avenue is natural and direct extension OF 1t.
And yet neither Chatham street nor Third
avenue Ii anything like It. They are COM
paratively dignined and sober. and they are
Influenced by business habits. whereas the
a Bowesy u never sober L not for an instant
ti2naities than sailor ashore.
It ID a merry. profitable. rollickinH con:
pfsasSrs. 1t sii,ssfs and aiIafes. but bad
to the core. Being choap aud mixed. 1t Is also
Is the price Of a card chip. shooting at a marx
ssrssd ss%s II t R shssirss t %s"s Of lie asss
That they shove and St bsio s they warm
The early mornlng view Of the Bowery Is tho
hands hands i Is moving ,briskIy up and down the
buildings ioof Shabby: its trappinss. all SO
gaudy at night. are seen to be Cheap and mean
its lat jewellers arS 6les,r;eyed and weary and
ness, There are a few large clothing stores.
shops. dental and photograph rooms hat and
shoe stores, and retail places generally: and a
out notina @ Of The signs Of what Is
to develop there at night; Yet II he was OBJ
he mot fall to n1ss the
mIliS. and variety halls. oi some ' of those In.
in ali New York combined. Nowhere eiso are
SO many drinking places. museums. or beer
are eossd Behind the shades and n Snds tho
gambling goes on. the drinking is kept up. the
ri hs Sanss
ara playing. publicly the oatcasts Of fem Unity Unity
are dragging S1 through r. ,Ef pitItSl existence:
easlIeht and electric glare. Tho neighboring
bands compete with one another as to which
noise. Popular airs are hurled to and fro across
the street, and one lars against another. The
sh"waen ssana at one side on the srstrgs s snd
bawl ut tho thrcngs. man with the lungs of
an elephant cries out such attractions IS a fat
one the countryman who steps Into his place
will fall prey to the envelope game. Two doors
boxing match. which all may witness free. In
side Is to bs found q smoke. befoHged ginmill.
oWdes Who are
cracked voice sings an Irish ballad, anI ayouns
then being whistled most In the Post 0ficc. at
pine KRosf II ana
mans face on The other side Of the door. Say
se5 and Ss Ana
You are IN small room m"S Is deans
faro at a table. another man is calling keno
,ha 1s dro% platform Go o1t and look 81
the daytime. Either the blinds are e' closed or
tho shades are drawn. or. oftener still, canvas
side, down. In the summer these inverted
awnings .'I are common objects; There can be no
place. They are used to prsvent People In the
elevated cars from seeing in the rooms.
hs Ss out
two horses to pull his limbs apart. In the neat
FREQ and the thirty prettiest women In the city
wait upon tho customers. Some Scandinavian
1s aS SS
one one OF the for!orn and evciookinE attsndants
AND Say coed shor es 70 mna ns
Have Sou got lots OF money!" one Of Thorn
and Lend on the soc S
fair to wager that there viii not bo dollar Of
In his rockets IN the TGrnIng; that would BE-
the end 4 dsteesiye stalks in ana SITS down;
a He whis2ers; Sc. See those lads scattered
and thieves y; and the majority are ths com;
s xo aSs .Sf% ne p%st
q ss si e get living Il crowded ssrsst q
seunsrymen and forosners sn 90 ~ the rouads u
osSer hMsas t DscH s
IL tney nro alone these thieves Will scrapo |
Quaintance with them and ply them with liquor |
until 1t Is safe to turn their pockets inside out
as they sit here. or will follow them to quiet
side street and 20 through them while others
Sorry looking fellows they arc; mere boys.
but with old. hard. brutal faces Tho detective |
adds that they make the women supply them |
with money when they need 1t. and beat and |
abuse them besides. Ncyortheless. no says.
outcssts to be abo to boast Of such a male |
Here are half a dozen theatres. |
IN those devoted to variety performances tho |
best minstrel performances are given. In the |
others the finest actors and the most success
full plays are presented. They go to the Bow
cry second hand after the novelty Of each new
play has worn away uD town, and east sders
witness them at less than half price. Ono OF |
the theatres. the Thalia. is tho proud and dig |
nified home Of the German drama. and draws |
70 audiences from tho brown-stone districts.
Here, too, arc great beer gardens. one OF which |
Il better known BY reputation to the people OF
cities Is 70 tho people Of Now York. fhree men
have mads great fortunes in 4. It is a big
room kept Allied with tho melody Of good or
chestra. alternating with. that Of n huge or
chCstrion.. Eyergreens. fountains. shooting
galleries. lunch counters. and bars are It's prin-
ctpal appointments. A thrifty German who
leased the cigar counter In one beer garden
saved money enough to secure It's billiard bus
meas. There ts such an enormous profit in |