The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-07
AT AN OLD CAFE.
Interior of Place Near the Former
French Quarter in New York.
(From The New York

| Nfron the New ork sun.
When the old French quarter, centred
at the corner Of Bleecker Street and South
| Fifth Avenue, began to dispense dozen
years ago certain cafe on the northern
| edge of that region set itself to stem the
| exodus northward. Even now that the dis
| peTsal or the French quarter has been for
| some years an accomplished fact that
| same cafe remained as it was a raIIyine
point for all that is enthusiastically Cal
! he No matter that the restaurant hard
| by, known to all the world, has ceased to
De typically French in its clientele. the
| cafe tenaciously clings to its old-time
| character, and counts among its patrons
only small proportion of English speak
ing persons and few of those who seek
| the French quarter from curiosity and in
| search of sensation
| Yet sensation seekers might we'll wait
| and watch az this cafe, for IL is as foreign
| in personnel, appearance, and suggestion
as anything in town. and that. too with
out any of the self-conscious bohemian
ism that marks the foreign show Djaces of
| the city. Early in the afternoon, while
yet the native inhabitants of this city are
| toiling in their daily vocations, the cafe
\ has gratifying air of leisure A pleas
ant light falls in over the. clustered plants
| OF It's great front window. The long and
somewhat narrow room seems at first
| glance a confused glitter of vanished
| chairs. mirrors. and handicapped tables
Then the observer, rid of the dazzle that
| accompanies his first brief inspection
notes the details OF the apartment-.the
files of Partisan Journals ION grey paper
with blunt type the lsfge photo engrav-
ed copies OF famous modern French paint
ingS, the dark-haired cashier in her little
box against the wall. looking Partisan and
homesick. the strange aspect and occupa-
ton of the men scattered about the ia
bles. There are bread Gallo heads and
Gallo mustaches, carefully dyed and
waxed. Here two such men play at back
Cannon with shrugs and ''maise outs,
One drinks eau sucre, the other black
coffee. Here a young fellow with caIiow
face, conscious that he has been caught
admiring himself in the mirror at his ell
bow, suddenly pretends the necessity of
further self inspection, not as graft
f1cation of vanity, but for a specific pur-
pose CT the toilet
Man in clothes of slightly peculiar cut
lounge in and out OF the room exchanging
mods and smiles with the occupants OF the
tables. Little groups form and reform. as
men come and go. It is not company OF
small men. Notwithstanding the current
American conception OF the French as an
understood race. Indeed, large men CT I'M
usual height and great glrth are common
anu me tdppBT FTEuClilRE OF AngiO-SaNOI.
imagination is unusual There is no loud
talk. but low hum in different Key from
that which marks the conversation In most
such places Of public resort. Silent ges-
lures indeed. often take the place OF
speech. A few sit long over their absinthe,
talking. reading, or quietly smoking AS
the match is lighted for the first cigarette
the contents of the goblet are nearly
opaque clouded white As the thin blue
smoke ascends from the half-consumed
cigarette. the liquid, more and more di-
luted with water. takes on pearly lustres
and then opalescent hres. The drinker
twists his mnstache to a sharper and
sharper point; the cigarette. held idly be-
tween finger and thumb. emits a malignant
dying spark; the roar Of the street outsids
and the hum OF the electric fan within
deaden all other noises; the cold light from
the great window grows DINNER; the at
tenuated liquid in the goblet CLEANS in
shadowy rainbow hues. while the man who
thus sits browsing over his drink has mock
ing dreams OF other cafes. or gayer streets
In distant town. Of brighter lamps and
lighter crowd.