The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-17
B-OWERY PICTURES.
SKETCHES OF LIFE ON A VERY RE-
VARIABLE STREET.

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Concert Saloons-Theaters Patron
lied by Gamins-Mott Street and Its
Mixed Population.
From the Washington Star.
NEW York, Sept. 9.-From among the
remarkable streets Of the world the Bowery
should not be omitted. 1t is at once the
Broadway and the Fifth avenue of the east
side Of New York, combining, as it does,
all the attractions of popular promenade
with those Of a business thoroughfare. Dur
ing the day it is busy mart OF trade, where
everything imaginable is bought and sold.
There are three gin mills on pretty nearly
every corner in this quarter OF the town,
and there would be four, only that the law
makes three the limit.
Five cents is the usual price for a drink
on the Bowery, whether it be stovepipe of
hear. a milk punch, cocktail or what not
A common sign is. ''We give the largest
schooner Of beer and the biggest glass of
whisky for cents in the city" II drink
ables are cheap, comestibles are equally so.
Here is a copy OF a sign III front Of an eat
ing house near Chatham square:
Pigs tails and cabbage. ......5 cents
Beefsteak pie. ..................6 cents
Two fried or boiled eggs. g cents
spare rib and cabbage. ..................5 cents
All roast meats. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cents
A hearty meal, too. is furnished with
each Of these orders. But 1t is at night that
she Bowery is in its glory. Then its side
walks are thronged with people who, seek
ing recreation after the days toll, pour out
from the tenement houses and squalid back
streets All the shops are open, the pawn
shops exhibiting glittering displays of uns
claimed and tawdry jewelry, the statesmen
Of the cheap clothing stores soliciting GUS
tom from the pavement and street hawkers
crying their wares. Now and then from
open doors Of concert halls come sounds Of
music, the passerby being invited to enter
by signs announcing that the entertain
ment is free TO all. Ears Of hot corn and
raw oysters are sold at cent apiece on the
corners beneath faring kerosene lights.
Every two or three blocks there is a dime
museum, in front of which are diplayed
huge colored pictures representing all sorts
OF astonishing human and other curiositles.
Before the entrance OF each one of these
palaces devoted to science and art a shabby
man with wonderful lung power capers
about and delivers highly demonstrative
lecture on the marvels to be seen within
He is known professionally and descript-
lively as BARKER" While doing legiti-
mate business in the exhibition line,
these establishments are at the same time
Ghpo AOA VIC Ill OhCu Vi tu6Ll
several Skin games,n as they are techni-
cally koown, are conducted. For example
the stranger, having witnessed the dubious
stage performance and satiated his appetite
for wonders by viewing the fat lady, the
skeleton gentleman and all the other objects
OF blgotry and virtue, is taken aside by an
affable person, who asks him to draw en-
velopes from box. The envelopes contain
numbers and the experiment of betting
that he can draw No. l usually costs the
visitor at least IS. Then another courteous
individual offers to make q chronological
examination of his head, which he natur-
ally snpposes to be included in the price of
admission. and he is charged from 50 to IS
for it II he refuses to pay threats are used,
but he Is fortunate If he gets away with
out further losses through other forms q
cheatery.
DANCE HOUSE AND OTHER DIVES.
On Hester street and other avenues,
around corners from the Bowery arc dance
houses and other dives which are frs-
quented by the tough element, the young
women being Of that class whose impro-
prtety Is only exeUsable on the ground that
1t is professional. The worst of these was
formerly kept by Billy McGlory. On
one occasion few years ago be acquitted
himself in a very heroic manner, where a
young girl and runaway horse were con-
and was accustomed to drive them with
sSlll. One day while he was proceeding at q
leisurely pace behind one of his trotters on
road near town, a horse passed him on the
dead ran, going IN the same direction, with
little cart and young lady in it at its
beels Moilory gave chase, overlook the
runaway, and, while both vehicles we're at
full speed, leaped from the sulky into the
cart, which he soon brought to halt.
The Germans are al WAYS aaDEihla in THAR
smusements. Give them good music aud
neer and they are happy. They mainly con-
sutnte the patronage OF great music hall
on the Bowery, which Is an institution on a
somewhat foreign pattern, where comic
singers OF fair merit and other such per-
formers appear on platformlike stage, re-
spending to encores by ascending short
hight OF stairs from the rear. But the most
remarkable point about this establishment
is That the musicians are women, And very
admirable performers they are. They COM
pose brass and string band which Is one of
the very best in New York II Uncle Sam
should take notion to discharge the Marine
G Iahd, Tor motives of economy, President
harrls)n or Cleveland might do
well to hire this female
organization to play at white
mouse entertainments. Nothing could be
less pretentous than this music hall of the
bJ"ery, where the men sit and smoke and
1rluk Deer around circular tables on the
moor, while ladies with their escorts find 40.
conmodatlon in a sort of gallery. There is
no charge for admission, and the cents
which pays for glass of beer purchases at
Tue same time very considerable amount
Vi pleasure for any one who knows how to
appreciate good music. The walters who
serve the drinks and pretzels are somewhat
aLter The say nothia' or III black your
Eye pattern; but it must be remembered
snat they have many difficult customers TO
uandie, notwithstanding the fact that the
'0Sore Is OF very reputable character.
GOOD ACTING SOMETIMES.
some admirable acting is sometimes to be
sseh IN Bowery theaters, TO which talented
members OF the profession with an appetite
lor drink are apt to Rravitate. There their
senlus nnds employment after they have
:. on cast out OF the higher ranks, and thus
~ happens that one sometimes sees an excel
teut comedian or even walking gentlemen
M M bne boards of these humber temples of
ouespls The plays presented here, of
course, are always Of the blood and thunder
.ttuer' 10 satisfy the gods Of the gallery
oneTe must be plenty of firing Of pistols
S Suu tne Vlllalny must invariably be- of the
uecpest possible dye. Nevertheless --irtue
ever tailed to come out ahead and noble
Suu heroic sentiments expressed on the
sage arouse no such enthusiastic applause
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