New-York tribune., 1909-12-26
THE B0WERY EATS
BIG TIM" IN GLOOM.
Thousands PartGce of .SuIIiran
Christmas Feast.

Tney were lu.t the regular Bowery
crowd, tough looking citizens some OF
them, sno others q them fairly well
dressed. clean sn5 neat. hut Big Tim
suilivan didnt look az them for more than
minute or two hefore 10 turned away
and made q great show % blowing his nose.
some ono spoke 10 the ''hig fellow but
rhers VAS no answer. and friend saw
IA tears rolling down his face snd .tsis
Tim" left the hsll quickly. That Nas about
nooutime vesterdsy and tho sullivan
Christmas dinner for the men Of the Bow
cry. the ''unterrihed Democracy q. the
BoVery." ss Congressman sulzer called
Them. had been going or for an hour snd
half
u wasn't much as dinners 80. and es-
necisly as Christmas dinners 20. The men
didn't even sit down: IN fact they lust
walked in and then Waded into the food
and drink that was put before them. Al
that there wasn't a man % the I'VE thou
sand-odd that were fed that didn't have the
appearance % being thankful for the meal
For hours before the n O'Clock scheduled
s-arting time the STREETS adjacent 10 No
e- Bovery. the headquarters % the I'm
othy = sullivan Association. were alive
v1th orderly lines. al pointed 70 the door
Nsy ~ the clubroOms. Inside the hall the
fs0les were set up m three long rows each
tsbie accommodating about sixty men al
time ON the middle % the south VA
Vas large portrait of Little Tim" aud
80 the diners passed out after eating. IN a
>lugie line. each dofed his cap or hat as
no passed the crepe draped picture
Do wasn't tho crepe drsped picture of
ia'tle Tim alone that brought TIE tears
-o hig Tins" eyes. however. as his friend
fo1 n ate but Just the general look ~
fre hardened hungry men n their Christ
THs cinner. which IN former wears had
swavs heen managed by Little Tn
no vas slNsys 20 D. seen standing around
80 6ais IN the front o. the room or lend
n hand with keg OF the Bowery ;
national Drink
JUS last yea" sAid TINS friend ~
r1s sulhvsns, 'the Big fellow was stand
i~ right here with Little Tim and some
one asked Big Tim n he'd be sayin' a
vord 20 the boys. ana he looks al him an
saEs. These roosters here want 20 eat.
fle3 - hungry. they don't want 10 hear
a-T bum oratory,' an thsts The Big Eel
l7V a. Over lie gives tbs himself out
'f ais oVrn pocket; Won't let the club here
rre anything. except tho hal and their
services 10 help nN things up one ~ these
charity workers saw Big Tim a few weeks
$50 he continued. and said he Was doing
such . good piece of business feeding the
P0very- boys that he'd hire Madison square
Garden for Big Tn 80 he could feed a
l0f more of them
You dOr't Eet the ides, friend vas
PE Tins answer I belong around the
FoWery. and the fellows ] give this dinner
.. are from Just around the BoWery. and
most likely they couldn't see going up 20
-1r Garden Al all they'd sooner est down
-e-s right on the BoVery'"
There were supposed 10 be tickets for the
s-IHvsn dinner Yesterday. but beyond the
faeJ that a doorkeeper who gloried IN the
ramf of Riley collected the tickets from
-lch az handed them 10 him. there Was
r.o other evidence OF their eNist-noe. Hun
.rels ~ men got m the line without tick
f-r - any kind. and they went through the
cinner and got their package of tobacco
and pipe, a. wei a. the ticket which IS
Eood for oDe pair of shoes and one pair
~ socKs on February 6, 1910 slong with
-heir friends Who had the tickets.
% vlas simply q case q feeding a. many
ss came and as fast as possible. and when
each batch ~ one hundred and eighty men
would 10 lined ap az the tables, the man
sr the head % the stairs would shout down;
smut en- on. Riley" and Riley would
close the door for fifteen minutes. and then
.e- ir the next bunch.
along about 4 O'Clock = little brown
rs.-ed girl about hfteen years old got 20
-.. head % the line shat vas Haiting for
r-r n.xt round.
HoV q sou get here" quizzed Riley.
Please sir. live over on Orchard street.
a. trrrss siX OF us an We amt cot no
-rrsuls dinner or nothiu"
Slf heard of tho sullivan dinner in
'sEIe Vsy. ~ appeared, and her name hap
rerel 70 be- Mdrs sullivan. They sent her
auar with 4 bag fun of TURKEY. and bread.
H.r sud coffee enough for SIX enc 70 spare.
Abou, the only thing that distinguished
resrerda1 dinner from thsf % Other year.
zuz-- from tHs absence of Little Tim.
u-- -fs lack of tho usual cheering of tie
s.ursu name Dr. NJ r. Feeney, who
presided mace tho same short speech 10
rs.h group of diners senator sullivan
p.hss sou 81 . merry Christmas and good
IlrL fo. the ucV year. and eat az much
ro. cant ana a. fast a. sou car, -
r.r Other f''ioVE vh0 are waiting can ger
some too. and please don't cheer, boys
40 other reference vas made AZ any time
-H fns recent bereavement BOB tie sullivan
.ar. and none vss needed. for the BoVery
-..- vlo Vere eating the c'nuer knew that
--te TIM" wa gone. and those of them
had s.er Big Tins" tears told the
--.rrs in line about II.
5 ra-.uE the dav political friends OF the
~rIfrsrs dropped Ir. looked on FOR feV
r-.r.f.s ard went away. among Them he
.-r Justice ErlauEer. Judge Diueen biro
D0Ier and Alderman Reggie' boulL
srnug those VINO cleared away the dishes
.-. -s .oaoed the tables after each group
.F reH rad eaten were ''Larry" Muliigan,
..s.z' Fitzgerald. Br. Joe creamer,
..r z White and many others Of tie
Timothy D. sullivan Association
Nrt. fhe d,lth - Aldermen sullivan
rrs fes~ was oppressed by the benenciarles
- hit charity that tho annual Christmas
dinner ro tho Bowery VOuld cease
= shEI continue giving this good cheer
tr ITO Houerv a. long as live. and after