The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
PASSING OF FRENCHT.
An Artist In F1sh Sandwiches Has Left
the Upper West Side.

Residents Of the neighborhood about
Sixty-frst street and Ninth avenue are
mourning the departure Of Frenchy. the
man who could fry fish better h any
one else on the upper West Side.
For years Frenchy. who was known by
no other name 10 his patrons, kept a res
taurant lust west OF Ninth avenue on sixty
first street. behind the saloon on the corner.
There he cooked nothing but fish and
oysters: but he cooked them to perfection.
His fish sandwich was one of h insti-
tutions of the locality. Day and night
but especially at night, his little restaurant
was a study in black and white, the popula-
ton IN that region being largely colored,
and even the doctors and nurses from
Roosevelt Hospital would drop IN coca
sionaly for a bag Of his hot Ash sand
wiches.
The little place was always mmacu-
lately clean. with snowy table linen, and
either Frenchy or his wife did the cooking.
They flied a great frying pan two thirds
full of fat and the fish was cooked by the
heat Of the fat in which it fDated.
To this method Frenchy's old customers
credit the d~electableness Of his fried fish
When lone the fish was served hot be-
tween two slices OF bread, without butter.
A sign on the wall said, 'Gent!omeh
desiring butter will pay the waiter FIVE
cents extra"
Frenchy's assortment OF signs would
have reioiced the heart OF the college boys,
who collect such curios. please pay the
waiter before you are served and. IF
YOU want TO be served. pay the waiter
when you order, : were the most salient
ones.
The patrons Of the place the reputable
as well as the opposite, were very much
disgusted when Freuchy adopted his rule
IL lad boen one Of the attractions OF the
place to soc Freuchy and his wife deal witt
:, recalcitraHt customer, who gObbled his
sandwich, and then refused 70 pay, Or
rendered a fake half dollar.
FrenChy alwayS carries a gun Ia his in
side pc,l.et, and Ibis wife carried one In her
bosom. These guns were never Ia evidence
until trouble arose over a hill.
Then Freuchy had his man covered IN a
inv; and while thu victim s'ood with hands
h. the air, The wife would 20 through his
pockets until she found tac desired .'"Sel
or dime. with nm ease and cespatcn, u French
sGpOir fare, which provoked rodrs Of
augnter rom the onlnokcrs.
tTenChy's viis was a great ~faNortte
with the mon, and SO gentle VAS her way
Of handling them ,hat II was rarely ina
even n drunken man gave her any trouble.
Sac ran the place whenever trSr"ry was
' absent.
l~'Tcncly was devoted 10 hor, aud Il was
on her account that he posted various
! other signs about the ruOU, all addressed
to men, who Were his only patrons. Dis
! orderly Mon No, Served NO Profanity
1 Allowed Ia This Room," III Women Are
the Sole Topic Of Your Conversation Please
Step GU" were samples, and they were
strictly obeyed, Discipline was never re-
axcd GA these points.
coffee Not Excellcd in New York, OK
. pressed the lrde belief Of Frenchy's hoard
I'd his coffee was certainly good. 10
served only ole other ordcr-pic. But his
heart was not in his pie. II wa n conces-
hiJa 10 AnerpCaui,m.
Fre.chy Was an artist ~ his way There
! are traditions that be wa. once a ciet Tor
a Fr'nch Marquis. II is also sald mat
he once managed the cuisine a the yacht
Of a duke or d -ertue hlgll,ss or some
such exalted Parsonage on the other >ld".
Frcnchy wore tine decoration oI "a"
Legion Of Honor and said he won II in thu
! CrDean War. There were several things