The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-01
SUBWAY TAVERN COST $4,000
HACKERS FOUND THE "POOR
MANS CLUB" EXPENSIVE.


6se johnson Sadly Announces the PassinI
OF Bishop Potter's Experiment--Loca
ton had and It's Hard 10 Com
pete with Law Breakers, He Eek. lains
There remains OF the Subway Tavcrr
little more than a beautiful dream. Bill
Skidmore OF Brooklyn took 1t over yester'
day from Beautiful Joe johnson, who
tanned the Demon Rum year ano
thirty days and gave up exhausted.
Mr.. Skidmore, whose motto L. Business
IL business" met the president OF the Sub
way Tavern Company at II o'clock yester'
day morning, and at 1l03 was boss OF the
Potter experimental station for the spiritua
refreshment OF the poor man. MIR. Skid
more issued orders concerning the future
policy Of the place. The lone bartender
digested Mr.. Skidmore's instructions. and
to the questioning Of the curious he re-
marked, shooting his chin over the bar:
went away, went awayi We've cut
out the Doxology and the lallspaloozahs.
We're on the level and we stand for nc
kiddin'. See1'
Some time afterward johnson was sitting
I'm the Office of the Order Of Acorns. To a
caller who asked II 1t WERE true that the
Subway Tavern had cashed inf there
were no hope Mr.. johnson said sadly that
there was none. To the low music Of the
johnson patented graphophone dor the
Encouragement Of the love Of harmony
in the homes OF the lowly) the Great Oak
sang his swan song.
It was true, said he, that the venture had
been a losing game from the start. There
I were numerous reasons for the failure.
First OF all, New York Is full OF sinful gin
.mills 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, did the tavern sell In
forbidden hours.
In these wicked saloons, said Mr.. John
CON, 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 Joseph,
Itsnd We never got the drinker to the point
where he became reckless Of his money.
Just as soon as he became profitable to
,hs we sent him away"
Most potent Of all causes OF failure, the
Great Oak thought, was the disinclination
ole to being rubbered at by delegations
bf W. G. T. U. Too much publicity had
helped put orimp in the tavern's business
MT. Johnson thought that mex perience
en 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 1t was hard to inject that ideal
q ho
kegs and did the sweeping out. Bartenders
became peevish when they were told that
Q job in the tavern meant the simple life
for them, and that II caught taking q sly
hooker they would be bounced. Porteys
day mildly soused resigned on the spot.
Mr.. johnson seriously injured his eyesight
keeping cases on the cash register.
Still another reason the tavern didn't
: prosper was it's unfavorable location. In
have been-but oh, what was the use
Later he gave out this formal statement:
Tho promoters must express their graft
eude 70 Bishop Potter, who braved food
of publicity by lending his sanction to the
enterprise, and who suffered q flood of
who were ignorant Of conditions in New
York city conditions which still impera-
lively demand q better regulation OF the
liquor traffic. There would have been
some slight excuse Tor this vituperat ion
had 1t come from men trying as honestly
and az courageously as he to solve this
burning problem-simply the problem of
She recreation Of the poor.
Mr.. johnson said that about $4,000 had
been dropped In the experiment of mixing
pure rum and religion. At the outset
$4,000 was put UP by r. Fulton Cutting, r.
Rayard Cutting, Herbert Parsons, Acosta
Nichols, j. j. Farnsworth, E. r. L. Gould,
Harvey j. Luce and Albert NJ. Hirshfeldt
When that went. johnson secured about
100 more to keep the tavern running. It
wasn't any use
The Subway Tavern Company decided
20 30 out Of business some weeks ago, and
Skidmore, who had run the rathskeller
profitably. got the first chance. Bishop
Potter never had a cents worth Of interest
In the tavern, said johnson.
No more Subway taverns for mine"
eaid the Beautiful One. 1Henceforth I
ehall devote myself to the johnson phono-
graph
The work Of revamping the saloon began
yesterday. When Skidmore gets through
with the place it will be plain ginmill.
The works Of art which adorn the walls
will be returned to their hopeful owners;
90 will the works on theological subjects.
All, yes said the Beautiful One, lit Is
but too true, Skid ia q wonder at running
2 business, but fear he has not the high
ideal"