The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-03-19
LAST ORDER GlVEt, IN MIKE LYONS
 CAFE
FAMOUS BOWERY RESTAURANT, DYING FOR YEARS, IS NOW CLOSED UP, BUT HAD BREAD LINE TO THE LAST.

New York, March 19.-The famous Mike Lyons restaurant, at 2a1 Bowery, is finally dead. Strictly s1eaking, it has been dead for some time, and dy- ing much longer time. Preliminary obituaries have been printed at inter vals in the last five years: But this yesterday sold at auction in connection with Michael F. Lyons decision to wind up the business for all time
 Lyons restaurant started business forty years ago in the basement where the later double building stood It was owned by Cunningham & Lyons, and did a thriving business in corned beef And cabbage. In 1878 Mike Lyons became sole owner.
 Then for fifteen years Lyons, or Mikes place.. was a noted resort of politicians. characters. and s'charac- ters.'' Tn those palny days, when the Bowery was a blaze of light, with 800 concert saloons in an almost unbroken line; when the old Olympic, Tony Pas nightly played to full houses; when the St. Regises and the Wa1dorfs of the day. were the old St; Nichols Ho- tel, the St. Charles. and the Metropoli- tan: when Mike fed from 1000 to 2,000 persons every night. and opened as many as 400 quarts of champagne no less than $50. 600, representing the boys rolls'' after friendly game slowed away in the old safe-in these days Lyons place was a recognized
  cry.
 As Mike used to say, when the town began to move toward Mount Vernon, his resta urant boasted in it's time the biggest aggregation of srna t men ever seen at one time and place" Even in later days you could drop in Johnny Matthews. swapping truthful yarns with California. George. and Broken-NosA Burke a respectful lis tener.
 And there were the camp-foIlowers of Bowery politics then, as in the later days when there was special coterie. There were also brawny men of a particularly brawny police force-Thorn and Dead Line" Byrnes. And John Kelly, too. leader of Tammany Hall, was there, and another Kelly-the original Honest John.''
 Lyons used to say. 'tNone of 'em too good and none of 'em too bad. Ches- ter Arthur came here and William c. Whitney. But none of 'em are left. Lyons would be the total.''
 One of the habitues Mike some times mentioned was Theodore Til- ton, author of that poem, each verse of which ends with the line.
 Even this shall pass away.
 For the last time let it be stated Lyons opened the. place he threw away the key, and not until bad husiness forced diseontinuance of being open all night did he call in a 1ocksnith to make a new one. Al so, for the last time be it told that during the panic of '73 a group of now we'll known Wall Street men found refuge, bed, board. and Irish stew at Mikes Place" And, finally, unto the end the bread line did not assemble in vain at 5 A. M. for the scraps which were freely handed out to the Bowery waifs.
 Mike Lyon'se- place was closed a i week ago. It is expected that credit | prs will get 100 cents on the dollar when the business has been finally wound up. When the fixtures are sold today, they may be the only left of the Bowery's old pride, for Mike Lyons restaurant will have been inferred.
 Requiescat!