The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-04-26
CABARET BORN !:
IN new YORK
Gotham Can Wrest Claim foi
Entertainment from La
Belle, France.
ROOSEVELT WAS CAUSE
Now Famous Form of advertisement
Originated Ten Years Ago with
O'clock Closing Law.

New York. April 25.-Jesn Pierre
who came all the way from Paris To
study American hotel methods, told in
reviewers that the cabaret had Its
origin in the French capital ten years
ago. Some of the interviewers might
have informed him that the cabaret IS
one of Americas oldest styles of pop
ular entertainment. and that so far as
New York is concerned IL had its ORR
gin with the birth OF ragtime in Third
avenue. near Fourteenth street, with
the advent of Theodore Roosevelt as
police commissioner.
The place was the Crescent Club. in
a large room above a saloon of that
name. which passed out of existence
several years ago. The bar was q
favOrite haunt for actors then.
But when Roosevelt went into pn-
lice headquarters the scenes about tina
Crescent took on a different aspect.
Instead of keeping the room back Of
the har open all night its proprietor
was compelled to close at l o'clock.
It was finally suggested at meet
ing in the Crescent that If club were
organized II members could get drinks
at any hour or on Sundays. and that
they always would have a meeting
place.
RnEtime's birthplace.
proprietor Within a week the room over
the saloon. vacant for years. became the
Crescent Club. duly incorporated. Tables
and chairs were installed. with signs in
forming members that sandwiches,
could be bought The saloon installed a
piano in the cIubrooms. So originated
the cabaret in New York.
Ben Harvey. a clay modeler from Ken
lucky. with an ambition for the stage
and ability to write coon songs be-
came a member. He met Mike Bernard,
then piano player at Tony Pastors. and
the two would sit at the piano at night
and go over songs
II here one night that Harney
wrote Mr.. johnson. Turn Me Loose.'-
New York public. Bernard played it
nightly and Harvey sang IL The club
hogan to grow. Then Harvey wrots
You've Been a Good Old Wagon. bur
You've Done Broke Down Tony Pastor
gave him a week at his house and sent
him and his song on the way to fame.
First Cabaret shown.
Thesis. a notorious place in Four-
teenth street. was running. but its re-
ceipts were falling of. Thesis hit upon
the idea of serving meals in the big back
room of his saloon-an immense han-siK
DAYS a week. He was unable then to gee
a sunday license or to stay open after
l o'clock mornings. He went TO the
Crescent Club and engaged six vaudeville
acts The idea was an instantaneous hit
and the sign Thesis Cabaret" appeared
in front Of the place.
Vaudeville got its prices then. and
one could see at Thesis with the pur-
chase of glass Of beer bill that would
cost from 81 to $3.50 in a regularly licensed
house.
After Thesis success Blanks Winter
Garden. at Thirteenth street and Third ,
avenue. blossOmed into a cabaret Then
Mollie Riordan engaged an orchestra and
several acts for her Garrick Cafe. at
Forty-second street and Seventh avenue
Soon she was turning people away.
Not Popular at First.
Sam Martins. then the most popular
of Broadway restaurants. tried the cab
aret but found il was not wanted among
the better class Of patrons. Other Broad
way hotels also tested the new feature.
but 1t failed. although many of them
put in orchestras for the first time, which
they have since retained.
The cabaret vogue finally died out in
New York only TO return four years ago.
In the meantime it had spread to Western .