Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-12-10
0WERYDELMON|CO'S
Incidents Recalled by Reopening
Lyons Noted Place.
OLD new YORK RESTAURANT.
Glimpses of the East Side Resort When
1t Was In Its GIory-Popuiar With
Police, Firemen and Bowery Weddinq
Parties.

Fo'ice, riremen and Bowery Weddino
Parties.
Mike Lyons famous old restaurant
on the Bowery. in New York. has been
reopened and the key thrown AWAY
once more.
Lyons place, at 259 Bowery. near
Houston, on the east side, was opened
IN 1872. Then Lyons threw away the
Key, and the place was never shut
day or night, Sundays or holidays.
HE can't close because he threw
away the key when he first opened
up" said the knowing ones. But two
years ago the Bowery was shocked one
night to find the place closed up at
midnight, says the New York Post.
English Harry" the head waiter, who
started in with Lyons as a bow. OK.
planned.
Times was when you couldn't get a
seat here at 2 o'clock in the morning.
and we had room for 300 at that" he
said I'VE kept six walters busy until
breakfast time. Now there's only one
waiter on the dogwatch, and he spends
half his time asleep. Ny son, the Bow
ery's on the blink"
The old restaurant man. who used to
a pride in being around his place
Tor about twenty hours out of the
tWenty-four, seemed to lose heart after
ne saw the lights go down, and he got
out OF the business last January, when
ne sold out to his eldest son, George
washington Lyons. After his son took
charge Mike went down to his old
nome In Louisiana for a long visit.
and after he returned he spent most of
his time on a little farm he owns on
Long Island. The restaurant which
Mixes good management caused to be
known as the "Bowery Delmonico's''
saw little of it's founder after he turned
his back on it.
In August last year a deputy sheriff
appeared, and Mike Lyons was shut,
whereat the Bowery sat up and took
notice, and the part of Mulberry
streets police outfit that had to be on
the job at or around dinner time went
TO other restaurants and grumbled
when the goulash had queer things in
1t II the ham and eggs failed to
come up to the requirements of the
pure food regulations.
Ever since there has been a bare
spot along the street to which the man
o-Wars mar always turns, because it
has been man-o'-war's man habit. But
the wide thoroughfare is different
very different. y few years ago there
was always something doing" at "Sui-
eide corner" where First street i'm
plnges on the Bowery. The girls who
Killed themselves there came mostly
from McGurk's Suicide hail." a bit
north OF Houston, on the same side of
the street as Lyons.
Then. next to McGurk's, was the
Germania. Il famous music hall where
you could sip beer beside strong arm
teams. cadets and Jack tars, for whom
was created and sincerely chanted that
BoWery war song which meant all
that 1t im~plied-more than can be said
OF the average song of the day-'Strike
Up the Band; Here Comes a Sailor"
over the tables at Mike Lyons the
shifting tide Of the Bowery was faith
omed, and it was at Lyons that one
went, be he cub reporter or plain
clothes man, to get the latest gossip Of
any precinct, not to mention the poll
ties churning behind the impassive,
dirty gray front of 300 Mulberry, DO
lice headquarters.
In days when Lyons was in its glory
a dozen inspectors, to say naught of
captains, each with revolving satellite
of sergeant and wardman and a hand
full of fire department battalion chiefs,
sat down to meat daily, while the
Bowery haberdashers' clerks and even
the banana men, with push carts ca
reentng over the curb in front of the
wide open doors, whispered that this
one was Captain Smith of the Steenth
precinct and that one was attached to
Inspector Jones' staff. Even English
Harry" and the small fry of the wait
ers-and they made good tips at Lyons
knew when fire commander or police
man was "in bad or Gin right"
Many an important ''shakeup'' not at
all "for the good of the service was
framed up over the linen at No. 259.
When the bipartisan police commits
sioners held sway. when Theodore
Roosevelt was learning to know and
like Jake Riis in his little cubbyhole
Of a room across the street from the
green lamps and splintering lances
with keen enjoyment against the i'm
pervious front of Commissioner Par
ker, a special Roosevelt antipathy then,
Lyons held many n police council.
There was always a fire alarm gong,
the kind they have in the regular en-
CINE houses. back of the cashiers desk,
where there was a comfortable chair
or two. rallied off. and room for a
pleasant chat between Mike Lyons and
some ~favorite crony. So when police
commander-whose reserves might be
needed at some big blaze-or fire bat
TALON chief sat at food and the gong
%sounded-it always buzzed, never rang
loudly enough to annoy the lunchers-
either Old Man Lyons or his son
George. who is again in charge Of the
old Y1ooo' would 1oo1y ,,o 4lo 1ln-~o t.