Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05
MURRAY,S MUSINGS.
Two Dives Tint Are Alike in Nothing but
Their Wickedness - An Oversupply
Doesn't Affect Restaurant Prices "A
Cousin of Boulnuaer Selling Cigars.
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

PAS-SSS
known as Clark's and Tom Gould's, re-
spectively, on the same street, have achieved
the proud distinction of the toughest in the
metropolis. Gould's dive is below the level of
the street at Twenty-third. 1t is big place,
with restaurant, bar, dining room and private
snuggeries. The latter run along under the
sidewalk on Sixth avenue, where they are
lighted by day through rough and heavy glass
like so many coal holes, are furnished with
table and half dozen chairs each, and are Sc
cluded from the large, common rooms by
swinging doors OF lattice work. Gould's, like
Clark's, is never closed. day or night, Sunday
or no Sunday, law or no law. For Tom Gould
is, as are the keepers of all of these resorts,
man with a'pull." He is now to De candi-
date for alderman of his ward on the municipal
reform ticket.
His place at night-say u o'clock and after
would be circus to the unInitiated reformers
OF any out-of-town municipality. There are
possibly 1900 people who trip daily over these
glass sky-lights who do not dream that just be-
meath them are the little dens. Otherwise
they would probably shudder and step little
quicker, If. indeed, they ever came that way
again. Not that Tom Gould is personally su ch
terror. or that plenty of respectable men do
no go there at all times of the day and night,
but because the idea of these unconvicted
shock to the innocent mind.
Now. the place called Clark's is open and
above ground. and at night its double front,
ablaze with gas, exhibits the crowded interior
to the unrestricted gaze of the passing world.
There is nothing mysterious about it-nothing
hidden. Looking in casually late at night you
see couple of score or more ladies and gentle-
men sitting at small tables. eating
and drinking and smoking. That is.
the alleged gentlemen are smoking.
perhaps, the alleged ladies being satisfied
to get square meal and plenty Of drink at the
a. 6. IS expense. The latter usually retain their
hats and overcoats. rather as a matter of pre-
caution, let us hope, than through want of
politeness. There are always a number of men,
about-town. college young men and out-of-town
people lingering about, slipping beer and look
ing around them curiously, under the satisfacs
tory impression that they are seeing New
FORK life." This style of cafe is a Partisan i'm
portation, only the l-o'clock-in- the-mornIng
rule OF closing continental places is rigfdly en-
forced, whereas in New York the all-night
house rules the roost. To the casual ignorant
observer everything at CIark's is all respect
able enough. Whenever a customer gets TOO
much aboard to keep up appearances there is
an able-bodied corps of walters to gently throw
him into the street and the proprieties are Of
fcially observed.
Surplus of Crabs.
"C RABs cr-a-a-bs 10 cents dozenr' It is
not an uncommon cry of the huckster in
the residence part of the city Just now. His
wagon will probably contain three or four bar
rels of these succulent creatures, or they lie in
a great scrambling. writhing. crawling heap in
the open bed of the vehicle to the delight of
the street urchins and the cynosure of house
keeping eyes. Driving from house TO house
and filling the air with his resonant cries, the
h apid 10 Nf
Well. should think so! One would think that
for less than l cent apiece it would scarcely
pay to haul crabs out of the water. What is
still more confusing to stranger, however, is
to find that indulgence IN brace Of crabs for
lunch at your downtown restaurant costs you
almost invariably the round sum Of so cents.
The New Yorker has already found that the
most abundant supply of any particular food
product does not change the retail price,
served. When bluehsh are cast back into the
sea by tons as unsaleable he must pay 30 to so
cents for bit of broiled bluefsh at the res
taurant, Just the same as at any other season.
And this may be for bluefish caught last year.
When the huckster comes around you know
the market is glutted and that this is the es-
cape valve. So that the man who sells crabs
at 10 cents a dozen to-day probably paid but 10
or Is cents a barrel for them. Within ten days
they may be 81 or 81 a barrel. Just at present
and for a week past the Harlem river is full of
crabs. and the noble Hudson and East rivers
swarm with them, They are the forerunners
bring the winter. The logic Of the 'longshore-
men is unanswerable:
Argument Not Go be Refufed.
ONE day was riding along West street
along the wharves in company with phil
osophical friend who was commenting on the
grand mystery of the tides. Pretty soon a
nautical looking gentleman in somewhat bat
tered uniform came into the street car and
dropped into the opposite seat. He was not
more than half full and apparently took much
interest it what we were saying. My friend
had Just remarked the extraordinary influence
of the moon on the ocean currents.
II have often marveled," said he, "while
fishing on a river fully two hundred miles from
the sea, to note the rise of th e tide at my feet
And all this time the current of the river so
swift that could scarcely pull boat against
ltr'
"It don't do it-no sirr' exclaimed the sailor
man, suddenly breaking in. You're all CUFF
say you don't know nothin' about It'll I've
been listening to your guff about as long as I
can stand it! I've been on the sea pretty near
all my life and 1 say you fellows don't know
nothin' about it. You haven't been here long
enough to get naturalized yet Talk about the
sea and the tidesr' CONTEMPORARY. "And
He spat on the floor of the car.
81 bet you don't know where Hoboken isr'
Of course we laughed, but my companion
mildly suggested that even q sailor might be
since we were both homemade
Americans and could pass the crucial test of a
of the whereabouts of Hoboken.
To which he retorted that he could take US
both out on the nearest pier and lick us with
one hand. That logic was irrefragable. We
gracefully acknowledged the corn and present
ly stepped of into the glad sunshine, leaving
the tides to take care of themselves.
Cousin of Boulanger.
ON Eighth avenue, near Twenry-eighth street,
is a small cigar store kept by Frenchman,
NJ. Boulanger. He is a cousin of the famous
French General of that name. The portrait of
General Boulanger in full uniform is promi-
neptly displayed in the show window. Inside
are a number of French battle scenes and the
walls are covered with celebrities of the court
and stage. M. Boulanger IS rather taller and
thinner than his distinguished cousin. but there
Is much resemblance of feature. When the
General was in this country he frequently
visited the little cigar store on Eighth avenue,
and sat in the little back room discussing
French politics to the delight Of fayorfte
coterie of Frenchmeu. He had not then
achieved the notoriety which has since made
the name of Boulanger household word
thouehout the world. Boulanger, the cigar
man, doesn't seem to feel stuck up about his
cousin, the General, recently.
Machine Talks n Fraud.
A NEW nickeI.in-the-slot machine has made
1 its appearance this time the Edison pho
1t is an expensive affair, apparently,
and attracts but little attention from hotel
oungers,~ Greenhorns are afraid of It, having
A vague idea that 1t is going to shock some
body. while those who know anything decline