The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-25
BOWERY DEPRESSED.
Strangers Don't Carry Money
Now.
Business Is Bad and the Song "The Bow
cry" Helped TO Do II.

last at the Real Estate Exchange, and are
fass samples OF the depreciation in value
of property on the Bowery. While these
two parcels of property brought less than
goo, 900, they could not have been bought
six years age for half million collars.
The Spring street corner could nave
been sold at that time for s135, 200, such
an offer having been made ana refused.
For the Grand street corner siUo, ooO oau
aeen refused, but this was before harry
Conor sang the song entitled The Bow
ery'' at the Madison Square Theater In
"a Trip 10 Chinatown The words OF
the song were written by Charles III. Hoyt
and Percy Gaunt composed the music
According 10 many property owners along
the Bowery the song rad great deal 10
do with causing a drop in the value OF
Bowery real estate. These property owners
argue that even the first stanza OF the
song was enough 10 kill business on the
old thoroug hfare, and that IL had serl-
Gus effect upon the retail clothing busl-
ness. Here is the language used In the
first staBza:
"Oh the night that sirucx New YORK.
went out for quiet walk;
Folks who are "On 70" the city say,
Better, 10y far. that took Broadway;
But was ought GO enjoy the sights:
There was the Bcwery ablsze with lights;
had one OF the DEVILS own nights
Ill never 20 there any more
ssThere is now no business man on the
Powery who Is making the amount OF
money he m aie a few years ago, said
one of the clothing dealers. "ln fact,
the majority of them are only earning
their expenses. The result of this is
that many are moving away and stores
remain Vacant SO long that the property
owners are glad TO get tenants at low
rents. This being the case, other prop
erty owners are compelled to lower the
rents OF their tenants, except, OF course,
in certain instances where long leases eX-
list. But long leases on the Bowery are
things OF toe past. Nowadays, when a
five years lease expires the tenant refuses
TO renew it, and viii only rent store for
year. i remem ber the time when 1t was
out of the question TO rent store any
where on the Bowery unless the tenant
was willing TO pay extraordinary pre-
miums in buying lease. i blame 1t all
on the song. Take that chorus, for in
stance:
"The Bowery. the Bowery;
They say such things. and they do strange
On the Bowery. the Bowery-
I'll never go there any more"
"The words OF that chorus have travel
led all over the world. and strangers COM
ing to New York are afraid to carry a
dollar with them when they walk the
Bowery nowadays. these strangers simply
stroll along and look for the strange
things said and done on the Bowery, but
they have no money with them TO patron
ize the Bowery tradesmen. lake the deal
ers in gents furnishing goods. There was
time when they all made fortunes sell
ing neckwear and underwear to the gro
Gerry clerks, bartenders, and railroad men
OF JERSEY City and Brooklyn. They sold
n al - I<xus 81. =. .aall
profits, but had plenty Of sales. They
were satisfied, snd-so- we're the CUSTOM
ers. But that third verse of the song Kill
led of their business:
al went into an auction store:
Inever saw any thieves before:
First he sold me pair of socks
Then ssid be. how much for the box
Some one said, Two collars, i said 'Ihreel'
He emptied the box and gave IL 10 me
i soid you the box. not the socks, said he
I'll never 20 there any more
"Those words may have sounded funny
to theatergoers, but they are not funny
to the ears of the gents furnishing
goods trtdesmen on the Eowry. Nova
days even the Italian laborer from Null
berry street guys the stcrekeeper when
buying socks. Next door here 1 was in
my neighbor's store on Monday night
when one Of these Italians came in. He
wantei 10 buy socks. The storekeeper
offered TO sell him two pairs for twenty
five cents. The Italian grinned and said:
" you sella de box or de socks?
sThis is a mule Of the insults hurled
at the Bowery furnishing goods dealers.
who are actually boycotted on account OF
the third verte OF the song. The fourth
verse tells Of the concert halls. They were
all driven out, but the song was not re-
epons bic for this. The reform admins
trstion drove tie concert balls away
1~nfx he lfHs b =
ruined the old-fashioued German barriers,
who han gone 10 the expense OF putting
in raths. 1iege aths were ratroniZed
by the poor people On tne eat side, and
after the soMg ceme OFT IL got 10 be
conmon thing thing Tor one nan 10 quiz
another by sayiDg.
" Is that a Bonery scrape?' and then
singing, 'pIl never 90 there anymore.
Now there are more bot Italians running
barber shops on the Bowery. Here Is the
part of the song that killed the trade OF
the Bowery's German barriers:
ssI went into a barber shop:
He talked til ihOuTht he would never stop:
said cut ~ short. he misgnderstpod,
Ciipped down my bair !ust a. close az he
he shaved with razor that scrgtchsd like a
Took ofT my whiskers and most of ny chin;
That was the worst scTaps ever gOt Ia
III never 90 there any more"
"Nowadsys," 4" said Sir. IngIis "tbers
are oniy four landmarks that recall the
Bowery OF other days. One of these j.
the London Tbeater. Then there's hin
er's Bowery and two Of the old Bowsry
museums. The same old sttfact i0ns sle
put on the bosrds at these place..
At all Of tire museums ne old blood
and thunder Bowery drama II stiIl pro-
duced, but the curio hall j. not what Il
used TO be. The monstrosities are re-
placed by more startling features, such
as the "three. headef songstIeBs," I" a most
marvellous living creature. having three
heads and one body. She j. katinka
Gessler, and has two looking glass heads.
the delusion teing produced by mirrors.
When she lived on east Houston street
her name was kathrina. Then they maze
such things as the Austro- hungarian lady
athletes, who are described as "six rosy
dam.els from over the sea- Two of
them are Cherry Hill girls and tho other
four are natives OF Fifth street. Business
here, as at the theaters, Is not what it
used 10 be in the good old days.
John " ilson, VINO has had a museum on
the Bowery for over twenty years. SAYS
a n, h.l. LII