New-York tribune., 1902-01-05

! scnle day There were artists whose names were
known to those who live without the pale OF
Bohemia and have never had the lint from table
q note Hnnen" sPrinkled over their clothes
Ihere were reporters with Jobs and those who
mad Just lost them. There were a banI or or
t"o' and a prosperous broker who for once for
sot 10 buy champagne, and was content with he
NnIahu and other Italian wines more within
the reach Of his friends of the evening There
We're actresses who had never risen above East
0lce vaudeville and perhaps later in the evening
star from one of the Broadway playhouses
would float in for the sake Of old times. There
were sure to be several chorus girls
All who could got places around the several
big family tables, for there was the most fun
Inc others sat at smaller tables and We're
equally happy. 1t started quietIy-this New
Years celebration at "Mara's." The long din
her came first, and from the soup. which was
brought into the room in the kettles in which il
was cooked, to the tarts which made the dessert
| II was feast. The drink catalogue was long
one, and there was danger that the supply
would run short After dinner came cigars for
the men and cigarettes for the women who liked
| them And then the wine more wine, the eff
! feet of which was to appear later. No one
| drank too much. unless by accident and every
| one happy
| There were men of sharp wit about the tables
and they tried to outdo each other in telling
stories A singer would command the attention
/ OF the crowd for a moment, and a ripping chorus
would follow, for every one joined in the cho-
ruses at "Maria's" Playful bread fights from
| time to time added to the excitement, and there
was general interest in a wine drinking contest
which two foolish youths were holding in one
corner Pretty girls. dancers in rival baIlets
stroVe to surpass each other from neighboring
table tops And so the fun went on increasing
after midnight until the climax was reached
| at an early morning hour.
| The Bohemans who had been going to
"Maria's" for years were Jealous of their rights.
and lntruders were usually treated without
mercy They tell Of invasion of "dubs' a
few years ago, and how one of the crowd, a
reporter drove them away Some chap with
more money than brains, of the kind VINO
never had learned never could learn to be a
good fellow drlfted into ''Maria's'' and liked the
place so well that he brought many others Of
his sort Soon the 'dubs" and bucks" were in
the majority. The reporter knew much of the
personal history of the invaders, and was fortu-
nate in having some power as a ventrioquist
He took his station outside a window at the
rear of the big dining room and directed his
remarks with much skill A purseproud banker
fled in dismay when from some unknown quar-
ter came the story Of his early experience as 4
ragplcker. Another man departed in much haste
CT tue !I!tiIIOu OI the brand or hair dye which
kept his locks raven black. a callow youth was
sent away with very red face when the man
in the window told of the foolish things he had
done through his love for an actress one by
one the iutruders were driven into the night
and not one Of them ever came back The
Bohemians held a reunion that night and the
celebration riyalled the one held last Tuesday
Nine years ago Maria de Prato, for that IS
the fun name of the Comely woman who gave
the place its name, had little restaurant at No.
l46 Macdougal-st. Then she took the big dou1l.
house in West Twelfth-st.. and it was not Iou;
before some member OF the Bohemian crowd
discovered her At first the two big rooms in
the basement We're large enough to hold the
patrons. Then the floor above the street was
fitted up to give more table room. She had just
finished thorough renovation OF the place
when the owner sold IT, In less than two months
the BUILDING will be- torn down. But 'Maril's'
VIII not be lost, except 10 TwelCth-st- In some
now quarters yet to- be secured. a res IT
viii Dee fitted UP and the HohrmilnF who fire.
queutrd the old one Will follow uptown