New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-19
BOHEMIANS IN NEV-YORh.
TIE CHARACTERISTIC AND CUSTOMS or APEcclIAF
FOREIGN COUNTRY.

TIE CHARACTERISTIC AND CUSTOMS OF FhO' iiN'
FOREIGN COUNTRY
Tbero aro ohou+ 5000 Bohemians in New
YORK. Tbcv arc neone whose modes of life, opinions ard
no+co sentiments dier widely from those o otherloreleh
resdens They are more clannish than other foreigners
and more tenacious of their national manners customs
and language than even the Germans OF Tue "orhI"s
classes They live exclusively among themselves Iho
neghborhood which they have selected for ther own Hes
between First and Twelfth sts, First-aVe ana East
The thoroughfares including within these limits aDoahu
In houses and whole blocks especially in First
Second Third Fourth and Fifth ss.. are inhabited en-
tirev by bohemian families Within these HINTS may pc
found all the BOhemans in the city eNc'P'hs IL"
families who migrated uptown and estaDhshe' pIahcn
settlements After the tenement cigar law tooK chec'
several months ago, few families moved to Brooklyn
end Jersey City, where they are now "orAS III ne ~
baccO business without mOlestaton.
The writer was told by one who lives among these PEG
pe and knows them well that II is for one 81 them
to live AT any distance from the rest OF the COLONY! ana
that even those who moved away make regular ana ho
ouent visits the parent settlement
large proportion OF the BOhcmans are engaged IN
cigarmaking while others are tailors, shoemaKeiS'
artisans and saookeepers Almost without exception
they belong to the working classes In the neghpooou
where they live Bohemian is the only language heafd on
the streets or seen on the shosgns. They have nner
ous benevolent musical and social societies. exact copies
of those which make up large part OF the life among inc
working classes in their country. Prominent among
these is club composed exclusively OF women ana estap-
sbed for the purpose of mutual relief and assistance III
times Of illness or other distress This club numbers
some 800 members and at the rooms III f0rtn-S'' "h'ic
the meetings are held there displayed banners anu
INSIGNIA hearing mystic emblcns and Bohemian notices
and large frame containing the portraits OF ABOUT IVo
of the most prominent women III the society
dramatic society gives periodical and invariably wen
,d.dn orf,rr in
or another of the halls which ABOUND IN the bohemian
quarter.
The laperboer saloon as SUCH does not exist among the
Rohenians: but the Cesky HOstnec, or Bohemian
tavern takes it, place and ulfls all Its functions ana
more There is at least one Cesky Hostinec to every
three tenement houses 1t serves not only as peeShop
but also as q rcadng-room resort for lis patrons
after working hours, and answers all the purposes
of a cafe. Here may see the Bohemian when ne Is
trng class Of beer l,v his side and occasionally his
newspaper I'm front OF him. Here too especially on sat
urday nights, the women come Tor thclf Wtehy &
weekly bill for The Cesky HoStnec by WAY OF retaining
its sect t e look when he sends to The place
with every ORDER the order Is entered In the Door u az
the end of the week the account Is made up ana pad
The Cey Hosncc Is used also as the meeting room OF
fhe iunucrahe bohemian societies. and in most Of these
taveTns are TO hanging the walls calls notices.
etc iu the Bohemian language and banners flags ana
other Insignia The most important OF these places are
those Of NepivOda, at No Jog ionThst huDSck' ~ ~
533 Stock No. 81 Thirdst and the head
quarters of the uptown branch col9nI-ltney t me
Hostinec Of Peter Stastny at No. $50 East FHly-
fOur;l-St. -, NJ.
With The exception Of John SWt0Hs Paper. the Bone
mians do not read American papers, nor as RUE Ger
man papers. They have daily published III thelr own
language the DciicEe LStg, or woIklngmens paper,
which describes itself The organ OF the Socialist
wOrkinemcn's section In the United States ms
tile shows the character OF the paper and the opinions
held v its Subscribers and readers. It's columns cOnta
besides the current news editorials on Bon mah ponies
on inc excise qucstion and the labor troubles II prints
the platform OF the Social WOIkngmcn's party list OF
ali Inc bohemian societies orders and lodges ana ohtf
matters of interest to these people. The Denickc Isy
is found in every hosnec and read 10y all the jewellers
i'm the y, hcmian quarter For the most part the Zone
lunS are INTELLIGENT and courteous people. colnnuuCa
tive and nteresHg. In appearance they are n0' ukr
the German w0Ikunan, except Tor tendency tlF liey
have TO crow long mpcriaS." majority OF mem, AZ
cordng 10 the statements OF the popreos OF tie taN
erps hold SocRlistiC views, aud ialg number belong
uo.ninaly al least TO the Socialist WOringnens party