The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-04-24
CABARET BORN
In new YORK
10 YEARS AGO
First One Was Crescent Club on
Third-ave., Frequented
by Actors
GREW OUT OF ORDER FOR
ONE O'CLOCK CLOSING
There Ben Harvey Wrote and
Sang His "COon" Songs
to Ragtime Music

who came 81 the way from Paris to
Stody American hotel methods, told
inierrssWsrs thar the cabaret had its
origin n the Preach capital ten years
ASc. Some o. the interviewers might
have informed him that the cabaret
u che os ths Americas Oldest styles
@ rc2GS- entertainment. and that SO
fA- as New York is concerned 1t had
II crzg.z with the birth OF rag-time
N skr6Gye-. near Fourteenth-st with
The kevs2i OF Theodore Roosevelt as
r0a1cs commissioner.
The Place was the Crescent club, In
. large room above a saloon OF that
HAne which passed out OF existence
several years ago. TIE bar was
tzFoziie haunt for actors then, Four
tsenth-st. being 10 the profession
- those days what upper Broadway
- today. Some of the familiar faces
enc saw In the Crescent were the late
George Fuller Golden. the late Rich
ard Golden, Jimmy Thornton, Kelly,
.the Rolling Mill Man." Doney Has
kel neA> manager 81 the. Victoria
Il fAeetes. thu reso, I&nAy> swsso.. -.
Russell Brothers, the Rogers Brothers
: and scores Of others mostly OF the
vaudeville, but some OF whom gradu-
aeed into the ''legit."
But when Roosevelt went into Po-
lice headquarters the scenes about
the Crescent took on a different as
pect Instead Of keeping the room
back OF the bar open all night It's pro-
a. Ill ~ 4
o'clock--the hour at which his best
customers we're wont TO arrive. The
lid" was clamped tight all over the
neighborhood and the actors were in
distress. II was finally suggested at
an afternoon meeting in the Crescent
that II a club were organized its men,
bers could get drinks at any hour OF
the night or on Sundays, and that
place.
The idea commended itself to the
proprietor. who had been thoroughly
informed as 70 the manner OF getting
outside members. Within a week the
room over the saloon, vacant for
years. became the Crescent club, duly
incorporated at Albany. Tables and
chairs were installed, with signs in
forming members" that sandwiches
could be bought. To make II more
attractive the owner of the saloon In
stalled piano In the clubrooms. So
originated the cabaret in New York
Ben Harvey, clay modefer from
Kentucky. with an ambition for the
stage and ability to write soon"
songs, became 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
sonPs.
II was here one night that Harvey
wrote "Mr. johnson, Turn Me Loose"
the first ragtime song known 20 the
New York public. Bernard played IL
nightly and Harvey sang it, In con-
sequence, the membership OF the club
began To grow. Then Harvey wrote
You've Been a Good Old Wagon. But
You've Done Broke Down." and gained
50 much popularity among the club
members" that Tony Pastor9 gave
him a week at his house and sent him
and his song on the way To fame.
Meantime the owner OF the Crescent
club found himself cramped for room
upstairs, and others in the nelghbor.
hood were complaining that Roose.
welt had killed business
Thesis and Blanks.
Theirs, a notorious place in Four
feminist, was running, but its re-
ceipts were falling on nightly. Thesis
hit upon the idea OF serving meals In
the big back room OF his saloon--an
immense hall---six days week lie
WIS unable then 10 get a Sunday
license or TO stay open after o'clock
mornings. Then he went TO the Cres-
cent club and engaged six vaudeville
acts to appear there nightly. The
idea was an instantaneous hit and the
sign "Theiss' Cabaret" appeared In
front OF the place. After a year the
smallest paid act on his bill was OF
Williams and Walker, who, few
months after leaving his employ, be
came stars at the Casino, then under
the direction OF George w. Lederer.
Vaudeville got its prices then. and
one could see at Thesis n bill with the
purchase OF a glass Of beer that would
cost from 81 TO $3.50 in regularly
licensed house.
After Thesis success Blanks win.
ter Garden, at Thirteenth-st. and
Third-ave., blossomed into a cabaret.
Then the smaller cafes along the low.
or east side took up the idea, but Il
NluU bttul 10 gam any nOlu
uptown until the advent OF Mollie
Riordan She engaged an orchestra
and several -@aets" for her GAFrir-i,
cafe, at Forty. and Seventh.
ave Very soon she was turning peo
pie away.
Billie McGlory, the keeper OF noto
rious dives downtown, leased a vacant
building where the present Victoria
theateT stands. reconstructed Il into
a music hall and gave free vaudeville
performances. the only charge OF adj
mission being the price OF glass oil
beer or a sandwich. McGlery also hac
q large dance hall here. and thrivet
for n time. but the character OF hfl
place came under the ban OF the DO
lice aud he finally was compelled e
qnit business.
Sam Martins, then the most popu
lar OF Broadway restaurants, tried tn,
new feature, but II failed. although
many OF them put IN orchestras foi
the FIRST time, which they have sine,
retained
The cabaret vogue finally died on
In New York, only 10 return 20 New
York four years ago. Tn the mean
time Il had spread 10 western cities
0dfldron Cru