The morning call., 1893-04-02

night, when Shark alley is deserted and the
Police Court lawyers are absent counting
up their gains for the day. when no sound
is heard save the plash of the water. the
rawlings, mutfled by distance, of a drunken
prisoner in the cells of the neighhOring po-
lice prison, or a drowsy bacchanal trOlled By
many-cupped drinker in one of the tav-
ems hard by. There are several Of them in
this lane-like street.
X is of the old building once called 1.-THE
Wy Green" l am writing, and tho history
I which l propose to sketch as briefly as
possible, when, in its pride early in the
sixties, it was kept by Mistress Ellen Moon,
and was of Its kind one of the beSt-known
places of resort in the city. Enough Incl
dents have occurred here, rough, some of
them, and all racy in their character, to
form an ample and certainly most readable
volume, Forlorn as the old Ivy Green
looks now, and gone to the dogs in the
shape of Chinese laundrymen, il was once
the scene of light and life and the concern
trating point Of the choicest spirits of the
town.
The genius loci Of the place, the presiding
divinity, Mistress Ellen Moon, was a good
: looking Welshwoman, as British as the
cliffs OF Dover, with hair that shone like
black satin; teeth Ike pearls, protected by
the reddest OF lips; eyes that in turn were
soft, scornful or severe, and a complexion
like milk and roses-the rose, from the ia
ture of her business, predomnatiEg. She
was not much as regards figure; your
WelshwOman rarely is when nearing middle
age, as she had done. l was reminded
with some OF her clients of the ivy
Green" of Miss Abbey Peterson, mis-
tIess of the six Jolly Fellowship
Porters,"" described by Charles Dickens in
"Our Mutual Friend" because over q
certain class of her guests-and the Ivy
Green's patrons embraced nearly all kinds
and classes-she exercised a sort of mas
terry, and they had to do as she told them
-. ~ 10 -
snapped her black eyes. The locally famous
John c. Ceremony, author of what the press
boys of the time called barroom litauy,
May the Lord love US and not call for US
too soon," was once a subject OF her author
ity for some indiscreet remarks be had
made in her hearing, ana she would not
restore him to favor till be rendered an ample
apology.
Bat there were others of her visitors of
whom she stood In awe, and dared not offend
in any way. This feeling may, In some de-
gree, have affected her action in the sad
finale Of her career. l found out that she
was at one time the wife Of Henry Moon, an
extensive lumber-dealer in Sydney, New
South Wales. In an outburst of her Welsh
temper she tore up her marriage lines" as
we call a marriage certificate, and threw
them in her husbands face, and then drifted
of TO seek her fortune in the outer world.
She found portion OF that fortune IN the
Ivy Green, where, sometimes, In her softer
moods, she would relate this incident, and
then the tears would come into her eyes,
making them look like wet velvet, and
tremor to her red lips. The woman at that
late day regretted, m ost assuredly, her rash
act as wife. For she had good heart this
Mistress Ellen Moon, despite her tmpetuous
temper. She used TO care. In her own COM
Portable quarters, for The child walls and
straYs that the police officers some times
picked up in the streets, protecting and
feeding the little ones till their relatives or
parents claimed them.
The Ivy Creep, at the time of which l
write, might with truth have been called,
small as it was. Cosmopolitan Ex-
Change meeting place for people of all
nations, all professions and occupations
The law was represented in It's parl0rs,
medicine, commerce, journalism, police, art,
TIE drama and the opera.
Here came Judge Samuel II. Dwinele,
p Judge Alexander Campbell, Judge TiBgley
and others. They held a sort of supple
mentRry court alter leaving the bench in
the adjacent city hall, but there were no
legal questions decided; the quality of the
wine served was gen orally the subject of
discussion, and they were as Jolly as if the
severe study Of the law was unknown to
them.
Here could be found day after day the
venerable DR.. Colt aud Dr. Gerry; the for
mer was the father OF Howard Colt. who in
bis heyday was the caller of the first board
during the hush stock times on Pine street.
The doctor used to fight over again his bat
ties with the cholera In New York when
that uDwbolesome iend invaded the United
States in 1882, as 1t threatens to DO again
in 1898.
Here came Captain Dick Lowrey, the
famous old stevedore. lie always dropped
in during the evening with a lot Of English
ship captains in tow. whose presence i'm
parted sort OF saltiness to the atmosphere.
They generally had an innings every night
and spent most of the time in damniDg the
stars and stripes and drinking three-star
Hennessy. A boister0us man in his cups
was Dick LowIey-a roaring fOrties" sort
of MISUNDERSTANDING by bis hoarse
voice and rough actions the stormy ATTITUDES
of which we read. MenZles, his surviving
partner, can testify to his peculiarities.
Then. again, came the gentler influences
of dramatic and operate art in the persons
of The actors from Maguire's Opera-bouse.
on Washington street, just beyond. Uncle
Dave Anderson was an hablue, SO was
Mayo. his chum, Harry Courtaine. Charley
ThorBe and Bill Stevenson. They and
their kind are always sure to find out
place where the wine is good and the
hostess pleasant; the operate people were
there also. in numbers. The bury Fred
Lysler, with his unetuous but carelessy