Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-01-30
NEW Y0RK'SB0WERT.
Old Timers Lament Passing Of
Famous ThOroughfare.
No Longer Do Easy Marks With
Plenty Of Money Frequent lie Gilt.
terlng Resorts-"Dart Game"
Passes Into Oblivion.

New York-"The Bowery's on tho
bum Say. you can so out any night
with cannon and fire q grapeshot up
and down the street and not hit a
sucker; there's nothing doing. Strang.
ers don't come here any MORE" was
the first thing an old timer said when
the report went up and down the
other day that John H. McGurk,
Wnilom proprietor of Suicide Hall"
and OF other unsavory dives. was dy.
Ing in California.
OF course the Bowery is not entire.
~ dead. There are still plenty of
saloons with back rooms on It and on
the adjacent streets and alleys where
the underworld gathers and matches
gun plots and plans gang feuds. but
the times when the street was
tnronged with sailors and countrymen
apparently eager to be trimmed"
nave gone and none know 1t better
than the trimmers themselves.
The dime museum used to flourish
on the Bowery and the places were
source OF great profit to their own.
ers. You paid only a dime to get in.
but unless you were extremely lucky
you paid a great deal more to get out
Inc blood testing apparatus. the
phrenologist and the envelope
game" with its promises of valuable
prizes. as gold watches. If you
guessed right. separated you from the
rest OF your property. They -four
1sned for years and did a big trade.
out the police got after them and they
gradually were forced out of business.
Lately three or four OF them have
started up again. but to Judge from
appearances and from the admissions
OF the "cappers' of the places them.
selves they are not making any
money. They all display outside the
same garish Autographs of scantily
dressed women and underneath is the
same old sign Of Men Only" which
served to attract thousands for so
many years and which never fulfilled
the promise It seemed to make. Also
outside some mechanical musical con.
trivance jangles noisily and tuneless.
ly.
A reporter went into three or four
Of these places the other day and the
prospect was dreary. At one of the
places. on the east side Of the street.
when the reporter was paying his
admission, the ticket man impressed
on him the fact that this isn't a
moving picture show" 1t certainly
was not. The SHOW" consisted Of
the old time hideous anatomical ex-
hibit Of diseases and freaks. ending
with the "two-headed Chinese dragon
brought to this country fifty-five years
ago and worshipped by the people Of
that heather land. And now. gentle
men"-the reporter was the only
visitor-'T have shown and explained
to you all these interesting specimens.
and that is ALL" concluded the ex.
hibitor in his sing song voice.
Isn't there anything else?"
You can stay and look around
again II you want to-" replied the
Snowman. as If surprised that any one
should want to stay any longer.
The paraphernalia for the dart"
game was sin evidence, but there was
no game. THE man who runs It."
explained the Snowman. sis at the
bicycle show this week. He's a bike
fam"
In this pastime you throw a little
winged dart and try to pin one Of q
hundred or more tickets hanging on
the wall II you succeed you get as a
prize some article corresponding to
the number on your ticket. On the
wall also were hanging gold
watches. opera glasses. bracelets and
other things. and in old days these
articles used frequently to be won