The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-26
LITTLE HUNGARY'S CAFE.
FRIDAY MONT GATHERINGS 10
HEAR WILD GYPSY Music

INV AOWNNVh ~ VI
e,.ps snd Their Audience-Muaic that
stirs the Biood-The RnkoeAy March.
THE place itself is not much 10 speak Of. II
In called n cafe because one can got coffee there
~ he wishes 10, and can get a meal, too; but
most Of It's patrons stick to.beer which Ia none
too good. IL is away down on East Houston
street. east Of Avenue A. and in the heart OF
little Hungary, and its chief fame comes from
tho Hun Iarlan band that plays there every
Friday night.
Hungarian bands, or. more correctly speak
Ing, gypsy bands. are no longer n novelty In
TINS city. Most restaurants OF any preten-
sions have a hand Of four or Ave or ak gypsics,
attired In gay uniforms. who play sousa's
marches and the street songs OF the day, and
every now and then some wild. weird piece Of
gypsy music full Of strange. barbaric mclo.
dies, that make the ordinary nearer wonder
what II Is all about. But ask any Hungarian
what band plays n cZnrdas In u way TO make
the eyes brighten and the feet tap impaticntly
on-the floor, or the Rakoczv March In n WY to
make the blood course swiftly through the
veins and render the temptation 20 shout nj.
most Irresistible, and he will tell You to 20 10
the little cafe on East Houston street on n Fri
day night. The players there ore gypsics yet
unspolled by misguided Americans who want
to hear popular airs; gypsies who are still play
s"R O'aJ ~ lthAho viz W lu uluNlt VI llt
native land, and are content with the tumultu-
Gus applause of the beer and coffee drinkers,
who sit around in absolute silence while the
music Ia going on. and stornly hiss to quiet any
stray American who thinks that conversation
is the proper accompaniment Of music.
The east eide, around and about Houston
street. Is full of little cafes and restaurants
patronlzed almost wholly by Hungnrians.
One finds occasionally u German or some wan
dercr from up town. In search of local color,
and there is plenty OF II there, but the Hun
garlan: predominates. One does not see many
poor Hungarians. Nor does he see many of
the rich once, for they refuse to go down to
Houston street. but bctake themselves to tho
big cafe on Second avenue, where therc Ii also
q band on Friday nights. The people one sees
who, after the days labor, go into the cafe.
drink. their beer or coffee. smoke their cigar
cites, and listen to the music that brings to
Danube, and the pretty faces of Buda. pesth.
Nor Tei are the Hun aTians that go , to the fafe
and children at home, but fetch, them, along
to hear, the music. And everybody knows
nights this cafe becomes q sort of clearing
house OF, tl,e, news of the district, The hus-
of the ward. The mothers, talk about the new
babies IN the street, of which there seems to
be an inexhaustible supply, and tho young
ists they are, Next to the marriase parties;
5 ocial events of the colony.
,1 The sE re- where hs,,oa all this sRnn happens !, b has nothing u
Slssin GsnT to naf HmnEn GREns IT. for II PShis a n theS
have shed their blood many a time. 1t CON
sists of two big rooms. On one side of the
Of marble-topped tables. while its chief deco:
Washington crossing the Delaware, and every
Hungarian who goes there can tell you who
r MSshi fr9@ ,b 49, REAR am a ln the s0p reap room ahe w ifGls
Is of goodly size. are more marble-toppcd la
bles.. and on Friday, nights, in the middle of
strument of the gypsy band. About the Gym
bad are grouped the PLAYERS; There is The
wears patent leather shoes and good clothes.
and fondles his violin as If II were to him the
ssnEs rem 1einss on nh s%Fi he aid ID not loi p tGS; to- tor he he
almost before he could walk or talk.
There are the two second violins, serious look
leader while they are playing. and the man with
the viola, VINO keeps his cigarette in his mouth
the d soe t," ba ss Ri Is a tall, d dH msa EHD osaSs
fellow. with IA dark olive skin and a pointed
beard. who looks as If he might be an exiled
The man who plays the cymbal looks indlf-
fercnt, but makes marvellous runs oyer the
Last OF all. there is the man who plays the clar-
How he Goes enjoy it,. He's n great big
ISs!o fat. NAT fat nose sea" and hi his 's che eaSs, WI" Wien f he Is
playing, resemble balloons. When he is play
ing a lively air his little eyes twinkle with en-.
when he gives a long trill, so long that
one, wonders how he can ever get his breath
About o'clock the patrons begin to arrive.
Some go there every night to drink and to talk;
D mhsio' e Tb "ni gla %e IS + FI Maym nis stiiiin TO d near a t iGs
The air is blue with tobacco smoke
and reeks with the fumes of beer and cooking.
of them take iced coffee in glasses. others
hot coffee, some beer; some eat strange look
Ing cakes that are good to the palate, and all
smoke their cigarettes. They. sit about and
until the dapper leader. Of the bana steps
into the atchway, and raps his fiddle, with his
1 tTNn silence I'm : sn nom rs near" Tbs an musicians Tyer 5Ge p sm,ic @nd
preciatlvely to each OTHER. the big, cordial pro-
Drictor mods approval. the white-coated walters
music begins.
1t is a queer strain. full of odd minors. trills.
yet hiled with a sensueus beauty that
alternately quickens and lulls the hearers i'm
Now it seems to be the tenderest
again a lullaby, or q lament. The leader as no
,lays sways to and fro, rs If unconscious of all
Use but his music. The fat clarinet PLAYER
makes the most marvellous quips and Qulrls,
,mIling NJ the leader throughout. while the
ymLal player bends over his instrument bring
ny out nov plaintivc littla tinkling sounds.
n mass Of chords that seem to come from
patrons sit at the tables, their heads
to and fro with tho rhythm OF the
music, their eyes half closed. drinking in tho
ANU tN'iy NV anu 'll'l lltIlIlB I'LL |
ngry hiss whan a careless dlshwasher lets a
late or cup fall with IA discordant clatter. Or
some one from up town will begin to
ak. and then there are more Kisses. An
american is made very welcome at the cafe. The
seat in the place Is given to him. but IL he
to remain popular he must be quiet
lille the band plays. If he refuses TO heed
warning hiss the chances are that the leader
1ill stop in the middle of the strain and give
Drth an indignant "Sh!" while the regular
atrons scowl blackly at hima and make voluble
.mments on his bad manners.
When the music Is finished there are shouts
I approval, stamping of feet, clapplng Of
ands, and the r%attlirg OF glasses on the tables.
he leader lights his cigarette and smiles,
be fat clarinet player chuckles with delight.
nd II he has had a particularly difficult part
, play tho Others come mp and pat him on tho
ack., which makes him ,chuckle all the more.
he dishwashers go back to their work with
edoubled vim, the walters scurry about from
able to table filling orders, and still the APP
keeps up. Then the leader, with an
ldulgent smile. picks up his fiddle again, the
IT clarinet PLAYER sucks the reed OF his lnstru-
tent, and with a sharp rat,tat.tat from the
silence again comes over the place.
This time 1t may be q dance, a wild. blood
irrInU lanra- and II ia appnmDanipd no Tho