The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
BoHEMIAs OF THESE DAYS.
The Failures and the Fakes and Those who
PatrohIEe Them.

The Failures and the Fakes and Those who
FatrOniEe Them.
There are n considerable number Of Now YORK;
ers in whose heads the Bohemian idea buzzes
persistently in spite of convincing facts that
Bohemia does not exist. Those afflicted are
usually young and inexperienced; they pursue
their chimera comparatively harmlessly, and
their sins are more due to weakness of head
than badness of heart. However. as a demand,
no matter from what quarter it comes. invari-
ably creates a supply. 30 various enterprises are
constantly being set on foot to satisfy the long
ing of the misguided ones. The results hitherto
have been, first. a series ofifailures. and. second.
Il series of fakes. The failures. of course, have
been on tho part of those who have taken the
demand seriously. and, blind to actual condi-
tons, have cndeavored to run real bohemian
resorts. 1t is needless to say those thus in
fatuated have invariably been foreigners.
Ono of these resorts existed until very recently.
1t was a last survivor that had long outlived It's
fellows; n feeble and decrepit life. 1t is true, but
one that had been prolonged to an almost
miraculous term by dint of careful coddling and
compromises innumerable to the existing order
of things. The result was p~raiseworthy in its
way. as showing unusual persistence, but tho
resort ultimately succumbed to the invincible
foe of its kind, inanition.
1Ht place was II Il IulC II CSl L "CIlS
fourth street. 1t persisted about two months
ago. The keynote OF its long existence was
compromise, but even to the last it retained n
faint flavor of its original Bohemian essence.
The generally accepted idea of Bohemia is a
place freQuented by semi-intoXicatcd geniuscs
"i'h hcnrds, who talk very loud and very wit
III manner of artistic and literary topics.
IRE no Gcniuses among the habitues of
..lncc, or If there were they kept it quiet.
In TACT it was n quiet place altogether. No one
talked very loud, and art and literature wero
not in the air. On tho other hand. there were
real artists and real writer's among the patrons,
mon who livod by their brushes and pens. Fur
thermore there were real Frenchmen whom
the great majority of the habituGs were able to
understand and be understood by, a circum-
stance which marked this off from the ma
jority of New York Bohemian resorts, giving it
n real flavor of Bohemianism.
Tho proprietress. too. of the cafe was French,
and unique. She looked as IL she had just
stepped out of one of Forain's cartoons. and.
having lived in this country some twenty years,
was of course innocent OF q word of English.
The Mattresses also were French, not only in the
matter of language but manners as %well-that is
osay. they were sprightly, and, though innocent
girls enough. outrageously outspoken and
from frSnea a S SusiIy; point of view TisvytV Who would ,neE kern kern
you waiting half an hour. and when you remOn-
stratcd tell you, that FURRY up, was dead " and
that you, would get your steak next year in
July" with sundry other witticisms of a like
character. But the girls were Frenchy, rather
pretty and amusing, in their way, so that one
forgave them their impcrtcctions as mattresses.
The place also had other attractions not com
mon to most of New Nork's so-called Bohemian
resorts. The food was good and cheap and the
tablecloths clean. You could sit after dim er as
consciousness OF an eXpeCtant waiter lowering
like care at your elbow. And Mt the end or it
al only a very, moderate tip was expected.
ntgnt ~ did n 1NnN IA Dn hnaur ma
fewer and fewer. until only half n dozen old
patrons were lett. II, was too quiet, too unas-
Stunning. too ordinary for the dry goods clerk with
a soul above his calling.
1t is to the clerks and callow youths that the
fake Bohemia owes It's existence. Its hcauquar-
tiers and shrine are situated near Fourteenth
street. Here of a Saturday night there assem-
6 lGS, q large and tum N thronS' al well
with ones knife, ~skilfully hurting pellets Of
bread at ones friends, and. above all, making a
the place. The fare and service could have. no
attractions even for the would'be Bohemian.
Most OF the spirited company have received their
weekly salary on Saturday afternoon, and before
dinner time they are priIncd with a couple Of
have INDUCED in a glass of absinthe. How unre-
stricted and Bohemian they are in their enjoy
wSoIo a InGpf IS a e oNnG IN "I VEN nTaiss eHa Inc 10
yyiEor and volume roars Hot Tine in the old
$3.50 TO II 80 without ceasing. BY IL 80 tho
excitement and abandon have SO worked upon
them that they take to waltzing up and down
lnC lOOlb lhO iHSlI NoIhl tNNlt lOllb.
Absolute license, however. is not permitted.
Dccorum. imposes restrictions. Thus. il Ii one
OF the rules that you must not dine with your
hat on. This regulation is very strictly en-
forced. One day a solitary newspaper man
strayed into the place. Being new to the
etiquette of this place, he did not remove his
hat Immediately on crossing the Threshold. He
was saluted with pellets Of bread and such wit.
tiCisms as You're not so warm" There are
others You're not the only pebble Tho
newcomer was a trihc surprised. and when a
youth stepped forward and ordered him percmp-
torily to remove his headgear he asked the
natural question::
Who are your Are you a waiter 7"
The self-constituted censor OF manners was
somewhat nonplussed. His bearing suggested
that he had been in the habit OF carrying a
napkin over his arm. However, he rctortcd
with II denial.
"oh!" said the newcomer. "you speak like
one"
This place Is not intended for writers or artists.
1t is conducted exclusively for the benefit of
"..BohemiHns" whom i %satisgss completely;
he departs near midnight. knocks the Latin
quarter skyhigh."