The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-28
fHE East OF TIE DANCE HoUaRa
10 DraGs Ont . Ltneersag Eststensa IN -
Old Bond street Nasstou.

olo-ttme dance houses There are dance
houses on the east side and In the sailors
quarter along Cherry aud Water streets. but
they are an entirely different class OF places
weii.dressed men are never seen in them.
Uptown cabmen do not knox them. They are
only parts OF the sluns. liks the opium dens in
Pell street and the italian two.cert beer dives
IN Mulberry Bend. The police arrest the
proprietors time after time. !ust as they resu-
larry raid the opium dens and the stale beer
dives. but In these parts Of the city there is .
demand for such places. and they reappear
after every police raid. The police th.re End
their work as transient as does the street
Cleaning Department the results of its Efforts
in the Polish jew quarter along Hester Suf-
folk. and Essex streets. The department.
gees through and cleans the streets in the
morning only to have them as dirty again By
the next morning. so the police regularly do
their cleaning out OF the low dance halls only
TO have the inmates return to the same Life -
soon as ,he.. term on the Island Is over.
Tho Bond street dance hall Is dinsron1
kind OF place. It!saremnant faded diminu.
tive remnant. Of the Glories OF the dance house
Of the past. the Empirs. the Haymarket the
Slide. A,mory Hall. the Excise Exchange. and
the others. AS q relic |. is q curiosity. Just -
It Is disappoLnsmsn. to anybody who eoss
there expecting to see something shockingiy
wicked. Is SO carefully conducted that Il -
hard 10 SEQ what law It violates except In
selling beer after ! o'clock 1t night. but -
shuts up on time and anybody e get IN afsss z
i. fhis dang: Ssil s ssETqan ss5 VII. III r.n,n...
street running from the Bowery to BroedVsy.
At the Broadway end there are big publishing
IN s Il.
there are shs ot 5 OF the Excise Bos.d d.
of Il. shOpS HatwAan thu AndA Of thu
street are still the old III q ar. s.osrac houss~
There was a time when Bond street wss oQe
was wha, North washington square or Ruthsr.
ford place became in later days 1t was
This houses on Bond stree. are still the foss
entrance door Tn. pillars used to b White
the IN ana stSaDd
the ersyises q the pedessals has not been dis
There are, 10 street. up town with houses
Ike the cid fashioned ones on Bond street
ss Ss Tbsy thar fhs on
which is tn. ordinary family dining room. IN
81 s5on e. There h are gray stone step. dSxS e
o vide st nabs sses =. f *:
fa wS ass Thsls
are small panes Of glass diamond shaped. be-
or mahogany. with the oid-.ime brass knocker,
st
ths house. with large room to the right rum
ming the !-pgth q the main Part OF the house
white column. o. suted aud painted wood.
The stairway rises from the main hall Al
white. and the wa. paperts light Of color. with
IN ha ,rS1 a
=. Hardly any changes have teen made in
these houses They are now used for all kinds
feather manufacturers. ooartinc- use keep
ers. and others. who let the property run
ments 81 several there are saloons OF an or
dinary class. where the usual drinks arc beer
sns roon main snsrane has BEEN S cut IN
the basement wall and the side entrance IL
Bssk one saloon. i, tn.
dance hall Like the sli :s IN bteeckes street,
room back o; that. which used to be, the Hitch.
four or five steps from the basement floor. so
that it IS about on Isvel with the street.
Dpring the day the front bar is used as aye the
other barrocms along the street. At night tho
dance room begins 10 be hl!ed. There are
equally between the sexes. Ths men are OF
the kind who used to be found around the big
dance halls. except that they are more SUBJ
won en are, more faded with that prematurely
dresses are Old tinery. with the glazing coIors
toned By age and wearing
The music IS piano assisted sometimes By
a violin or harGonlca- The pianist plays reGu.
Larry Gur.sc the eysn ,, ana until the lisht:
musician. who plays ind!aetenty almost any
instrument.
Of he IS s2PS II SITES s. X.
Is comfortably allied. Around the room are
every table. Ths women come IN from the
cold street ara sit around the tables to
ss s a lss ds tF: In f TSa ;%Ha:
elan tanc- away on the piano. Three
dance with one another. Between the dances
Young nan With raucous voice stands on
dialect songs. fhs dialect son % are supposed
70 be humorous. and the pathetic songs have
eoani?y lie y o. se: 81 s9H n
and clear skies AMI sunshine which makes
then popules IN place Ike this
hat m his right hast by tn. brini. Between his
thum Q and forsanger, or with his Little finger
His LETT arm is stretched out stiit,y holding her
hand. Both hands rise and fall with the N usie.
h. al rests his 81 uder. IL she is tall enough.
otherwise i uestles at'ecsionateIy on his breast
Somewhere near her front har. In this atti-
tude they whirI round and round IN the FASH
lonable Ems sh style. with II LSture Of long
Cl.des aud without reverse. The faces are
always serious. A certain lad and solemn air
usually appears on the faces u freIuenters Of
such place. but the sadness AMI solemnIty
are intensified when they dance. 1t seems to
be bad form g su lie or 10 seem to be having
good time, The impAssiysress and sto,itity
IN many ways recall the description OF most
Of the fas nlonabls dances in London.
The shades 10 the front basem Mt are pulled
down abour midnight. and thera i no light to
indicate that Their, Is t. dance within or to
show where the entrance i. The main door
is lock az. alt any one 10 GO in has 10 be con.
yersant With the SIDE entrance under the
area. w5sA a. t-st looks ike a solid wall
There are few whits-spronet walters who
serve t4eT cns ortwo ha-tenters who stay on
tGty. az few men Sit arount in the back
r0om. No ops seems to tax. an oarticnlar
iniarest IN what IA goinc on. There is a gen.
erai air of d-pre>S lOn aud sadness. an about
.6.rle aspect as Il tn. end Of the last dance
hal! n New York were soon to come and the
ng-rlsrs al the funeral were AZ hand.