The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-11
JOHN [. IN BUSINESS
Mr.. Sullivan to Open New Cafe
in New York.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10.-'T am getting
ready-never you mind, son, about the
date for the opening" said John L.
Sullivan. when my cafe swings its
doors wide, there will be things doing
from yours truly. Will I do a cash
business? Well, guess.
Il am going to say to the old boys
who are there with the glad NIT and
some little change that they are good
and my friends as long as the change
lasts. But they must remember l am
now out for the long green. 1 have
quit being a philanthropist on the
Bowery. My roll won't stand for it.
Maybe if l had the dough Rockefeller
and the other Standard Oil fellers have
in their kicks, I'd turn him loose again.
But, son. yours truly is In no condi-
ton to furnish booze, beds, and beef
steaks for all the hasbeens that will
come my way.
Mind you, / don't say that if a good
one comes along without the coin and
tells me he is just minute ahead of
a fit and that the fit'll catch him if he
don't have spirits to throw it off the
track, that 1 won't set out a glass.
Any saloonEeeper that would throw
one of these sort down amt my kind
How much did lose in my last
venture? What's. it to you? Some
body has it. It's not out of circula-
ton, because haven't heard of that
Shaw man. or squaw man, or wha tever
you are mind to call the Iowa chap
who took Ii Cages job at Washington,
retiring any currency, have you?
You can't never tell about these
chaps that sneak UP to the bar before
the cold gray dawn of the morning
gives way to watermelon peddlers and
dago hand organs. Member one time
chap blows in on me and says he's
Bob Purdy, of Dallas, Tex. Well
says, L didn't say you wasn't Purdy,
did 1? Whatll you have?
HE explained that he was a friend
to Dan Stuart; that he was in town
with no more home than a rabbit, and
hungry Would 1 take him out for
breakfast?
His nerve won me, and 1 took him
by the hand and walked to a restaurant
where napkins stood up on end and the
walters talked like English funkeys.
The first roll out of the box from Mr..
Purdy calls for quart bottle. Then
picking up the bill of fare like it was
a sporting extra, he says, slowly like,
that Nittenberger steak, with truff1es,
French peas, young corn, pint Of
coffee, and another quart bottle would
fill the bill.
when 1 went to sleep at New
Orleans did not feel as dizzy as when
Bob Purdy put down the bill of fare
and asked if that was too strong for
my pile. It wasn't, and I told him so.
If he had gone a hundred I'd have
stood for it.
His nerve-Bob Purdy, stranger
was the finest that ever happened
along New York way. 1t did me good
to look at him eat, and when he had
finished and lit cigar that was billed
at a dollar, he said that he allowed
that 1 had better slip him a twenty till
he came around the next day, and 1
slipped it.
when we parted I had no idea 1
would ever see him. But along about
noon the next day, when business was
on the bum, who should walk in but
Purdy. First glance at him and 1
knew he was travelling with the coin.
Shaking my hand like a long lost
brother, he handed me century spot
and told me to give the change to some
charity organization. Then he COM
menced to buy wine, and before mid
night 1 had sold all the white stuff 1
had and that could borrow from my
neighbors.'
For four days Purdy loafed about
my place, and in that time 1 should
say he spent a couple of thousand.
He wouldn't let any one that came in
spend cent.
He was Bob Purdy, all right"