The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
ALL THREE GERKENS GONE.
ONE DROWNED, ONE FELL DEAD,
ONE IN A SANITARTUM.
Looked Like Elderly Amiabie Triplets
-Thcir Law.Abiding. NeiEbboriy.
Centre OF influence IN sixth Avenue
No Drunk ards Could Get Drink There.

booheU LIN Elderly AmihDie Trtpiets
Their Law.Abiding. NeiEhborly'
Centre OF influence IN sixth Avenue -
No Drunk ards Could Get Drink There.
John Gerken. one Of the brothers who
used to keep a barroom at II Sixth avenue,
fell dead on Second avenue car on Friday,
as was related in THE SUS yesterday. The
body OF the other brother. Carsten Gerken,
was found In the upper bay, near Bellows
Island. on Thursday. A third brother
was sent to a s%anitarium during the week
before, and probably does not know to-day
OF the end of the lives Of John and Carsten .
The Gerken saloon at II Sixth avenue
was one OF the few saloons in this city where
the letter Of the Excise law was obeyed.
II was at the corner of Waverley place and
Sixth avenue. II had beer under the
management and ownership of the Ger
kens for years. They had no business
or blood ties with thu other Gerkens h
own so many drinking places in the lower
part OF the city. The brothers were Sc
date, rather corpulent Germans and looked
enough alike TO be triplets. They had
snow-white goatees and slow ponderous
smiles for all that was good and cheerful
In the world, but swift and incorporating
frowns for all that was unhappy or bad.
The saloon had n back room, but no
woman was ever admitted to it. There
was n sign on the side door, inside the
vestibule, which said that no goods were
sold to women to be drunk on the premises.
As a matter of fact only such women as
were known to the Gerkens az respectable
residents of the neighborhood could get
their "growlers" filled while they waited
In that little vestibule. The sending Of a
child or even Of a full-grown girl of doubt
full discretion to the side door on a growler-
filling errand was greeted with a stern
rebuke from one of the brothers and an
intimation that il the family could not
send better messengers for it's dinner sup
ply Of beer it had better seek some other
source than Gerken's.
The place was also something of an EN-
ployment agency. If m householder Of
the neighborhood wanted a heavy moving
job done and knew not where to get a man
to do IL he went to Gerkens's. The boot
black was sent out to one of the lodging
houses in the ne~ighborhood or TO a tene-
ment and brought back some mar who
was trembling and shaking for want Of
work to do. That mar could not get a
drink in Gerken's. because they would not
take he money of such a man across their
bar, but they were always ready to show
their good will by finding work for him.
No drunkard, no man whose wife ever
went around among the saloons with tears
in her eyes asking for him, was allowed TO
drink anything intoxicating in that place.
He might sit in the back room and read the
newspapers or discuss affairs Of State il
he pleased, but If he asked for beer or
whiskey he was treated as If he had put a
deadly insult on the proprietors.
The Gerkens were not without q certain
sense of humor. One Of the neighbors.
during the time of the Tammany Ice Trust
scandal found hat his refrigerator had
melted out late Saturday night. He went
to the Gerkens as a matter of course. They
gave him a hugo piece Of ice.
How much?" said he.
, Get out. now!' exclaimed old Carsten
Cerken. Go away from here out! The
saloon business, il isn't the most respectable
IN the whole world, but il is not a robbery.
We do not sell ice, no. Not yet"
The place was at its best ia the summer
time. Then oil the chairs in the back room
and pretty much all those in the apartments
above were moved down to the sidewalk
under the tree by the side door on Waverley
place. From shutdown until | O'Clock the
sat out there with the substantial
folk of the neighboThood slipping beer and
Rhine wine at the rate of about one drink
an hour and getting far more out of life
han do the members Of some OF the finest
Until within six months the place was
open on Sundays. II was closed as
light as any bank, The shades were rolled
up and the chairs were put on the tables
rom midnight Saturday until 5 O'Clock
morning. Las fall. however, n
sign was hung from the second story win
lows saying the place was for sale. After
awhile il was taken down. The Gerkens
not much TO say about the matter,
except hat they could not get a buyer at
heir price. The neighbors sand that Carsten
ierken's wife felt thai money enough had
been mad" out of the business and that it
vas time for them To move up into the Ger
nan neighborhood uptown and devotethem-
more to society. II was also under
'tood that those who made offers for the
business said that the price the Gerkens
Isked was too high for a place where there
no selling after hours or on Sunday.
was talk Of pressure from other
TO make the brothers disregard
he law. So the shade were drawn tight
'ver the windows on Sundays and young
men who had not been seen in that corner
began 10 make il their Sunday loaf
ng place. Then the place was sold. The
moved away about two months
20. They were not seen in the ~neighbor-
Iood again.
But when lower Sixth avenue read OF the
ragedies of the last two days il said:
That's what we thought would come
4 that high-life business.