The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
IT STOPPED THE SHOW.
CROCK OF ACES" roo MUCH FOR
BoWERY RETELRE.
A New Years Eve Incident In ono OF tho Typi-
cal Tough East side Concert Hniia-The ola
Hymn Ecorned BY the Drunken Crowd.

tho coming In OF 1893. when the old Now Yorker
wandered into the toughest OF the music halls
oftho east side. Many times at about that hour
had the old New Yorker been into tho place and
finished up an evening watching tho curious
crowd which finds pleasure in listening TO the
entertainment set forth on tho stage, and won
dering about the hopes and aspirations or cir.
cumstances which led the army OF women
who are in that business first upon
the stage. There nre hundreds OF these
women. and most of them aro young,
many Of them handsome and clover. There arc
dozens Of music halls in this city. Brooklyn.
Jersey City. Hoboken. Wcekawken. Newark.
Patterson, and at Coney Island in the summer,
and even in more distant places, among which
tho girls make tho rounds. stopping q week. as
a rule, in each, and working for mere p!ttances
of salaries and under conditions which would
be risky to the virtue OF even the best inclined.
Ordinary nights admission to these places is
free, and the only revenue which the proprietors
get from the general patrons is from tho sale Of
beer at s cents n glass, and of other drinks for
which prices far in excess of those of ordinary bar
rooms Is asked. On Saturday and Sunday nights
and on holidays admission fees ranging from 10
to 10 cents are demanded, and New Years eve
was one of these nights. Tho buff waistcoat and
tho white hat of the old New Yorker were. how
ever, recognized as belonging to a regular patron
of the particular music hall to which he took his
way. and rs he approached tho temporary rail
ing where the ticket taker stood, the manager. n
spruce young Jew. motioncd to the ticket tnker,
saying All right!' ut the same time, and the
old New Yorker passed In without n ticket. AT
that hour on ordinary nights the place was
usually but about half filed. but on New Years
eve almost every scat was still occupied.
After the old New Yorker haG found q scat he
looked about, as was his custom, to see tho peo.
pie who made up the audience. Nowhere. per-
haps. except on the east side in New York,
could such a gathering be found. Nearly every
face was German, but almost all were OF types
which showed that their owners werc swayed
by nothing but the coarsest of animal passions
or tastes. The body OF tho hall was filed with
men. Many of these were dressed in common
working clothing. and the majority OF these
| kept the single glass of beer which they bought
standing upon the table at which they sat, half
consumed, until they got tired of the show and
wandered out to make room for the stream
of others which came dribbling in constantly.
Others of these, however, were celebrating Il
holiday and drinking plcntifully. Many were
already showing signs of drunkenness. and one
young man at n front table had fallen asleep.
with his head bent low over the remains of the
last glass of beer which he had ordered. From
time to time a waiter would r9nsS nm, ne would
after taking but II sip Of the contents of the
glass. There was a gooaly sprinkling Of men
in evening dress. but the faces Of thcsc men were
of no higher order than those of the others.
gallery which runs around three sides of it,
were women. Perhaps there were a dozen in
late passcrs in tine streets OF tho ncighborhood.
Not more than one or two sat at n table. and tho
about from table TO table, hut IL n man sat down
beside them they were eyer ready to talk or
sat one in a red gown who was a regular fre-
quenter of the place. She was drinking with
Her face was flushed, and at times her voice
could be heard all over the hall as her mood
ehTF wS Gu fFom r mglFr Ent t. }S 9gTrTe fS9m the stage on
that side. In the corner opposite that in which
sat- he girl in in , thG red ed gown wi was a family, mi party tj
there and with tho, grown persons were two
children. girls of perhaps = and 10 years OF age.
Back by the entrance. where he could watch
the audience, the evcr.moving walters. and the
girls on the stage, sat the repnted proprietor of
the place. No man is better known In the bust
ness. For thirty years or more he has tran!ckel
in the shame and degradation of women. With
he watched everybody and everything in the
place. Few persons who have, frcQncntcd the
him. at least by sight. His shoulders are broad.
and his big head. with a bulldog Jaw. droops for
curls toward his shoulders. the top of. his head
Is bald, and his b%ristiing mustache is always
watches he Keeps a paper cigarette glowing be.
The stage is large and brilliant with much rcd
worked into supposititious flowers which grow
among painted palms and other plants. which
make the whole stage setting into a tropical
sits n little in front OF the main scenery. ana
from the space between the singers emerge
when they come ont to do their turns.
Two men furnish the music for accompani-
mcnts to the songs and for in'crludcs in the
R @eii niong in 9' years. stms." and S" his 4 balG head G is su rs
rounded By iron.groy hnir. which cnrls and
St steal sl' Girs on re RTTh,e e SthsSF F0s 3 Sd&Ier. IL. IS yon %s.
with "A long. sharp face. Both seem to take
their work with perfect seriousness.
II had been a hard night for The girls who fur,
any extra entertainment provided for the pm
irons Of the place. according to the programme,
we're less understood by tho patrons. a fow
months ago. there was printed along the margin
full-faced type which read:
Patrons who wish TO interview the girls on tho
stage between the acts can only do SO by getting per.
mission from the manager.
1t was just between the turns on the stage
when the old, New Yorker entered the hall.
From behind the scenes came sounds Of rcvellry.
Mems and wOmrn'S voices were heard, singing
bits Of the naughty songs OF TIE music halls, and
the sli iinE q g g, s Se,I Vas hssS s%a tSG b at t., ,im mes ra ThS
facing the street, summoninT the waiter to
every Every mig Wight M0' Until I'll ia:ao S'f Tho i no%t morning. riG9s
seven days in tho Week for a salary Of is or
$1oa week. pay heir living expenses and provide
| IlcIllbtlNCS III lItbil 'DSIunltS - u hIdRb
every few weeks, must have other sources of
income. One OF these. provided in this, music
hall. Is a percentage upon all the drinks sold
behind the scenes. Prices IRE high there. and
the girls must drink as much and as long as any
patron will continue to spend money. Tho girls
do not come and 90 In this music hall as they do
In most others. There may he n change of one
or two from week to week, but the company is
usually either the same or else The changes are
confined to u few who are all well known to the
patrons.
1t was the beginning of the last turns of tho
programme when the old New Yorker arrived.
There were thirty-onc turns on the programme.
and of these eight were so'called musical So
were given by the girls. There were six girls
behind the scenes. Five Of these were down for
four turns each. when each one either sang two
songs or gave u song and dance. The sixth girl.
who goes QUITO lunch every night after the
pear only three times OF a night. It was
her, turn next: and, this was announced
stand. That she was n fnvorite with the patrons
of the place was evidenced by the applause
which greeted the preliminary notes OF tho mu-
siCians. playing part of the accompaniment to