Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-27
BoHEMIANs IN NEW YORK.
The characteristics and Customs of a Pc
cuIiar Foreign Country.

~Nctc AOIN LFAE@he.
There are about 1900 BOhemians in
New York. They are people whose modes
of life, opinions and political sentiments
differ widely from those of other foreign
residents. They are more clannish than
other foreigners, and more tenacious of
national manners, customs and language
than even the Germans Of the working
classes. They live exclusively among
themselves. The neighbOrhOOd which
they have selected for their own lies be-
tween First and Twelfth streets, First
avenue and East river. The thorough
fares including within these limits
abound in tenement houses, and whole
blocks, essecially in First, Second, Third,
Fourth and Fifth streets, are inhabited
entirely by Bohemian families. Within
these limits may be found all the Bohe-
mians in the city; excepting a few fami-
lies who migrated up town and established
branch settlements. After the tenement
cigar law took effect, several months ago,
a few families moved to Brooklyn and
Jersey City, Where they are now working
in the tobacco business without mOlests-
ton.
The writer was told by one who lives
among these people and knows them we'll,
that it is rare for one of them to live at
any distance from the rest Of the colony,
and that even those who moved away
make regular and frequent visits to the
parent settlement.
A large proportion of the BOhemians
are engaged in cigar-naking, while
others are tailOrs, shOemakers, artisans
/ and salOOn-keepers. Almost without. eX-
ceptiOn thew belong to the working classes.
! In the neighborhOOd where they live BO-
| hemian is the only language heard on the
streets, or seen on the shop signs. They
have numerous benevolent, musical and
social societies, exact copies of those
which make up large part of life among
| the working classes ia their own cOun-
try. Prominent among these is a club
composed exclusively Of women and eS-
tablished for the purpose of mutual re-
lief ana assistance in times of illness or
other distress. This club numbers some
800 members, and at Che rooms in Fourth
street, where the meetings are held, there
are displayed banners and insignia bear
ing mystic emblemS and Bohemian mot
! toes and large frame containing the
portraits OF about 100 of the most promi-
nent women in the society. A dramatic
society gives periodical and invariably
well attended performances in the Bo~
hemian language at one or another Of the
! halls which abound in the Bohemian
! quarter.
The lager beer saloons as such does not
! exist among the BOhemians, but the cesky
| hOstiEec or Bohemian tavern takes its
/ place and fulfills all its functions and
! more. There is at least one cesky hos
( tinec 50 every three tenement houses. 1t
! serves not only as a beer shop, but also
! as reading-rOoRl, resort for its patrons
| after working hours and answers all the
/ purposes of a cafe. Here one may see
| the Bohemian when he is best pleased
| with himself, his long pipe in his mouth,
| his foaming glass of beer by his side, and
/ occasionally his newspaper in front of
/ him. Here, too, especially on Saturday
/ nights, the women come for their weekly
( recreation, Interchange of greetings and
| the payment of the weekly bill, for the
( ceskv hOsnEec, by way of retaining it's
I steady custom, gives weeks credit.
| Every customer is provided with a little
! book, which he sends to the place with
! every order; the order is entered in the
I book and at the end of the week the ac-
( count is made up and paid. The cesky
/ hostinec IS used also as the meeting room
! OF the innumerable Bohemian societies,
! and in most Of these taYerns are to be
seen, hanging on the walls, calls, notices,
/ etc., in the Bohemian language, and ban
/ nerS, flags and other insignia. The most
/ important of these places are those of
! NepiYOda at No. 1872 Fourth street; HUI
| back. at No. $50 Fifth street; Stocek at
/ No. 232 Third street, and the headquarters
I of the uptown colony-namely, the hos
! tinec of Peter Stastny, at No. 800 East
/ Fifty-fOurth street.
/ With the exception of John StUjHt0n'S
! Paper, the Bohemians do not read Ameri-
/ can papers, nor, as q rule, German
/ papers, They have published in their
! own language the DeJnicke LiSty or work
/ ingmen's paper which describes itself as
| 1.-The organ of the Socialist workingmen's
! section in the United States" This title
! shows the character of the paper and the
! opinions held by its subscribers and
/ leaders. It's columns contain, besides
/ the current news, editorials on Bohemian
1 politics, on the excise question and the
1 labor troubles. 1t prints the platform of
! the Social WorkiEgmen's party, a list of
all the Bohemian societies, orders and
/ lodges and other matters of interest to
( these people. The Delnicke LiSty is found
( in every hOstinec and is read by all the
/ dwellers in the Bohemian quarter. For
/ the most part the BOhemianS are intelli-
/ gent and courteous people, communica-
/ tive and interesting. In appearance they
/ are not unlike the German wOrkingman,
! except tor a tendency that they have to
! grow long ''imperials." A majority of
4 them, according to the statements of the
/ prOprietOrs of the tayerns, hold SOcialistic
! views and IA large number belong, nOmi-
/ nallv, at least, TO the Socialist Working
/ mans party.