Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-04-07
RUINED BY A SONG.
A POPULAR Dirty BELIEVED TO HAVE
MADE DULL TINES ON TEE BowERY.

A native OF the Bowery il authority
For the statement that song Is response
| bic for the present depression that exists
| in that once famous street and district.
That the Bowery Is going to the dogs Is
made apparent BY the fact that two par
GELS of property that could not have been
bought six years ago for 81 900, 600 were
knocked down one day recently for less
than s20O,OO0. Before the song entitled
.The Bowery' was written 100000 was
refused for one of the parcels. 'rhere
is now no business man on the Bowery
that Is making the amount OF money he
made few years ago. said one Of the
clothing dealers to Pittsburg Dispatch
correspondent. "In fact, the majority Of
them are only earning their expenses.
The result Of this Is that many are nov
ing away, and stores remain vacant so
long that the property owners are glad
to get tenants 1T low rents. / remember
the time when II was out Of the question
to rent a store anywhere on the Bowery
unless the tenant was willing to pay ex-
traordinary premiums In buying a lease.
| blame IL all on the song. Take that
chorus, for instance:
"'The Bowery, the Bowery,
They say such things, and they do strange
| things
ON the Bowcry. the Bowcry-
I'll never go there any more
1.-The words Of that chorus have trav-
elled AL over the world, and strangers
coming To New York are afraid TO carry
dollar with them when they walk the
Bowery nowadays" sadly remarked the
dealer In clothing, rs he gazed at the
string OF strangers that strolled by look
Ing for the strange things ssid and done
on the Bowery, but without any spare
change In their pockets TO patronlze the
trsdesmen there. Both property owners
and business men swear that the song
has killed the Bowery, but the song pub
fishers blame the reform administration.
The advent Of Roosevelt did IL, they say,
and the closing of the concert halls drove
trade away To the new Tenderloin that is
springing up along Eighth Avenue.
However that NAV be, between the song
and reform, the Bowery has certainly
suffered.
4 man who has speculated In Bowery
real estate since boyhood tells me that
values there have dropped 30 per cent In
ten years. He saws the song il surely one
Of the causes. He named the four land
marks that now remain 20 recall the
Bowery of other days. one OF these i:
the London Theatre. Then there:
Miners Bowery, and two of the old Bow
cry museums The old attractions ARE
put on the boards AZ these places. At al
museums the old blood and thunder
Bowery drama Is still produced, but tn,
| +, A.. l.. H. 10 20 80, "a.
, mcnsirosities are replaced by more start
. ling features. such IA female wood saw
yers, lady athletes, BARRIERS, bootblack,
and that sort of diversion.
In the good old days the theatres, mu
seums and concert halls on the Bowery
simply coined money. One manageI
, states that his house used 10 do a bushes,
never less than $500 day. Now the plac'
Is only taking In about quarter OF tina
sum. II blame that song for good dea
: OF our hard luck said he. "Why, IL hai
hit every tradesman on the street, yot
know, and strangers are actually afraiC
To show any money or make any pur
chases, simply because they believe ths
z they will be either robbed or cheated, oi
both. The insults hurled at the Bowerl
In that song. the words Of which maj
, have sounded funny 10 theatre-goers
have cost us all good many dollars, anC
| doubt II the street Will ever recover iron
. the blow dealt by the men who joint!
composed it, les. the Bowery has beer
> sold for song, as II were, and we're get
, ting Il In the neck" There were tear
In this old Bowery boys voice as he Ut
. tered these seemingly truthful words.