The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-08
THE TAVERN ECCLESIASTICAL.
CHURCH ART JOINS RELIGION
AS HAND.uAID TO BOOZE.

]
There are great doings in the Subway
! Tavern. just now workmen are busy
scraping the outside of the venerable build
! ing and painting it beautiful. dull yellow
/ The bar inside has blossom as the rose
/ in chaste ecclesiastical designs adapted
! from church architecture
Joe Johnson the tiny Acorn from whom
the Subway Tavern Oak grew. liz nothing
! If not consistent Far be it from him, in
/ decorating the new Subway. TO hire Law
renee McGooligan, that old master who has
painted some Of the great saloon master
| pieces on Sixth avenue, or Prof Sangline ii.
who varies his occupation OF professional
tattooer bypainting the chefs d'oeuvre in the
| altogether which decorate the Might In
Turkey" show on the Bowery. Far be it from
Joe JohnEon TO plant the work Of such be-
side the blessed bar
No. he engaged Mr.. Frederick Stymetz
Lamb, who is a member Of the firm Of
stained glass window men, and is rated in
who's Who" as n specialist on religious
and memorial art Mr.. Johnson would
have liked to follow his predecessors, the
great cathedral builders of the middle
ages, by engaging one in holy orders for this
great ecclesiastical work. but the clergy is
lacking in art sense in these days. Mr.
Lamb was as near as he could come to tho
ideal
On the inside of tho barroom the great
work is done. The upper panels around
the room are painted with views of historic
New York. There are old Bowling Green
and Wall street in the revolutionary days,
with Trinity in the background-Old Trim
ity confronting the thirsty wordngman as
he lifts his head to collar his booze, with
haunting suggestion Of the higher life
There are old Broad street, showing an ex-
panse Of clear. pure water and the Hamll-
ton tree and New York harbor in Dutch
times. Why the other night. a gentleman
of the working classes, who had fingered in
the Subway long enough to be filed with
religious enthusiasm, was heard TO muir
muir, as he was led reverently forth by
Percy Kahn:
I'm Peter Stuy' v'sant t'soo | am. Don
chu see m legs wooden7'
There il one little rift in the lutte. Over
the bar is loaned picture, which repre-
sents five Greolan maidens sporting on the
lea. They're all properly dressed there's
nothing ike a Greek robe for propriety.
But the luscious blonde in the foreground
has bccn--well, Careless-about the way
she hooked up her robe on the left shoulder.
II isn't so very bad: even Bishop Potter
would undoubtedly admit it TO his parlor
without u thought, but yet the Bishop
would hesitate to hang it In church, and
strict church standards are hereafter 10 be
the rule a, the Subway. The glass doors ut
the Nulberry street entrance are loaded with
circular panes
the outside il to be the masterpiece
There Il a dnr, secret about the outside.
I'm not nj liberty to say what the design
will be-" said Mr.. Lamb yesterday. but |
assure you that it will lie something new
and startling something which will make
the Subway Tavern unique Nor can
tell you who is Daying for all this | give my
services but some one else IS paving the
workmen and supplying materials.
There have been a great many suRRes-
tons a bout he outside The mana cement
has adhered strictly TO ecclesiastical and
alcoholic symbolism, however, and this. it
Is understood is the completed design.
The second story right hand window
has been retained by the Edenia Club.
The members intend TO place there stained
glass memorial of Mickey Finn. who will
he represented in an impressionisiic claw
hammer. The background will he Of a
soft claret color. shot with champagne
pink. In the sky will be a suggestion Of a
wine agent in the act Of opening and
Mckey's expression will be rapt.
The window opposite has been bespoken !
by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. II j.
going 10 represent model eagle flying
straight home to his acrie after drinking at a |
purling rill, and beneath will be the new |
motto:
-Nunquam post mensam bibo.- an at
tempt to put into Latin the sentiment, |
means Il never drink behind the bar
Tim Sullivan furnished the Latin. This is
considered the finest literary gem Tim ever
mined and the creations of the white
coated gentlemen all along Fourteenth
street are already being named the post
ricky" and the -mensam cocktail But.
to return, OBVIOUSLY it is true. but finally to
return, to the subject Of the Subway
Tavern.
There is to be a window consecratcd to
he Order Of Acorns. 1t will represent a
great oak licking up its morning dew, with
he motto
Great Jays from tiny ponies grow"
The fourth window in the :. facade
Sill repre- ent water wagon and n good
couchant, surmounted by a weep
ng jag rampant, with the motto:
'Dulce et decorum est in Subvia bibere'
Tim Sullivan was the frt TO remark the
II eliminating latinity and mental ubtlety
displayed by Great Oak johnson in COM
ri ng this seemingly simple little master
,lece. For, as Tim pointed out, -bibo-ere-
-itum' means to drink from natural
hir while "poio, in any Latin diction-
ny Tim ever studied, means TO drink
rom passion or intemperance. It's the
'ibo style Of tanking UP which goes at the
subway tavern. has the potol As the
about TO enter the tavern.
aises his face with a -whoof" OF desire
bout TO be fulfilled, his eye will ever ligh'
n that one word -bibo.' subtle reminder
4 the Temperance which prevails within
The new Idea Is a great hit with the saloon
rade all over town. Tom Sharkey is pre-
airing to remodel. When he was in Japan.
nany years ago, as a humble Jackie Tom
an afoul Of Japanese art at NagaRali
apanesque symbolism for his When.
ext fall his place Ii opened for the Sep
ember rush, it will be papered in neutral
and softly symbolic Japanese
rint. repres enting skew-gee ladies daily .
lg with ak will be pinned on every panel.
"SyInboism's the rage says Tom. 1T
axes a smart man Ia keep up with the new
'rinlles Of the saloon trade. but Tom
harkcy is all there. II eymbolisms tho
o, let CT cymball Watchu drinkin'?'
Inkn Hnch Hack a lhinarn .