Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-05
BISHOP POTTER TAVERN FAILS
Famous jag Joint BECOMES an OrdI-
nary saloon.


The famous New York subway tavern
designed by Bishop Henry c. Potter aud
other reformers as poor mans boozery.
which was opened with the Episcopal bene-
! diction and singing Of the doXoloEy some
thirteen months ago, failed to meet the ex-
| pectations Of the promoters and has been
| sold to an experienced saloonkeeper No
| doxology. no blessing frightened the dark
closing hours. The management had no
occasion for Joy. A deficit OF $4,000 was
passed up to the promoters, and the fact
that they are obliged to dig up the
wherewth made the occasion smack more
| OF profanity than prayer.
The purpose Of the tavern was TO provide
a poor mans club, place where the worker
could drink without getting drunk, where
all the liquor was pure. where the surround
ings were pleasant and tending to refine
and where soft drinks and good meals could
be obtained at reasonable prices.
The controversy reflected upon the tavern
an immense amount Of gratultous advertis-
ing. AS a result, New York's upper class
and the thousands of visitors who are con-
stantly coming and going in the city
thronged the unique saloon to see the
"other half" for whom 1t was designed.
1t was probably this influx of the curious,
as much as any other one thing, which
hindered the tavern. But, whatever the
reasons. trade at the tavern has languished.
Skidmore, who is to be the new manager
and proprietor. thinks he knows why. "A
saloon" he says, rs a place for drink, not
worship. Religion follows rum; It doesn't
go hand in hand with It. A man thinks
Of religion the morning after"
Mapager Johnson avptafps IN he Cur tb,
causes of the faiure II was true said he,
that the venture had been a losing game
from the start There were numerous
reasons for the failure. First of all, New
York is full Of sinful ginmills that play
hide and seek with the excise law and get
the goods twenty-four hours out OF every
seven days. Never, said Mr.. Johnson, aid
the tavern sell in forbidden hours
In these wicked saloons, said Mr. John
son, the favored customer was the person
who entered all lighted up. He was meat
for the foxy rumdealer who profited largely
from selling "tapered drinks" I'VE never
allowed a succession of drinks" said JOS
eph, "and we never got the drinker to the
point where he became reckless Of his
money. Just as soon as he became profit
able to us we sent him away"
Most potent of all causes Of failure. the
OF the plain man dallying with mug of
ale to being rubbered at by delegations
of Womens Christian Temperance Union.
Too much publicity had helped put a crimp
In the taverns business.
Mr.. Johnson thought the inexperience
in the management might have had some-
thing to do with the passing of the great
idea. AS for himself he had always the
high ideal set by Bishop Potter in front OF
him. but Il was hard to inject that ideal
into the lowbrowed ones that tapped the
kegs and did the sweeping out. Bartenders
became peevish when they were told that
job in the tavern meant the simple life
for them; and that II caught taking a sly
hooker they would be bounced. Porters
who found they couldn't go through
day mildly soused resigned on the spot.
Mr.. Johnson seriously injured his eyesight
keeping cases on the cash register
Still another reason, revealing saloon Sc
crets, is expressed in these words: 1--WE
never allowed a succession Of many
drinks" he says, and therefore I'VE never
got the dritker TO the point where he be-
came reckless. OF his money and where he
began 'tapering' his drinks. wherein lies
the profit. In other words, just as the Gus
toner was about to become profitable to
us we sent him away" And once sent
away, a profitable drinker never came
back. Another cause Of failure was that
the tavern sold only pure liquors "Our
profit on actual material sold has been as
low as 30 per cent whereas the average
saloonkeeper could not exist unless he
made from 100 to 200 per cent" Finally,
the tavern reformers closed shop on Sun
day and obeyed the excise law. which was
a heavy handicap on profit taking
Mr.. Johnson said that about $4,000 had
been dropped in the experiment of mixing
pure rum and religion. At the outset $1O.-
900 was put up by r. Fulton Cutting, r.
Bayard Cutting, Herbert Parsons, Acosta
Nichols, ]. j. Farnsworth, e. r. l. Gould
Harvey ]. Luce and Albert NJ. Hirshfeldt
When that went Johnson secured about
5000 more to keep the tavern running. It
wasn't any use.
The Subway Tavern company decided to
go out of business some weeks ago, and
Skidmore, who had run the rathskeller
profltably. got the first chance. Bishop
Potter never had a cents worth of interest
in the tavern. said Johnson.
Mr., Skidmore issued orders concerning the
future policy of the place. The lone bar
tender digested Mr. skidmore's instruc-
tions, and to the questioning of the curl
Gus he remarked, shooting his chin over
the bar:
Went away, went awayi We've cut
out the dokology and the lallapaIooEahs.
We're on the level, and we stand for no
kiddir'. see?"