The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05
OLD BOWERY HISTORY.
Changes This Famous street Has
C%ndergone In u Half Century.


To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr. Plac-
;pp the elevated railroad structure in the
m ddle Of the Rowery is the beginning Of
an important stage In the TRANSFORMED
,ion Of what was one OF the most noted
streets I'm tho world. The old Bowery,
as does the newer. extended In a direc-
lion somavhat east of north from Chat
ham Square to the junction OF Third
! and Fourth avenues. 1t was never a
White Light Way, but 1t had It's garish
| Lights In spots.
, lust north ST Chatham Square on the
Voc, aldo ~ the street forty years and
more ago was the Bowery Theatre, the
aristocra,ic East Side playhouse OF that
perlod. Further up and on the east sid
were other theatres. in which sex prob
lens and tho nude were never featured.
In the m~elodra,nas presented there in
nocence always trlumphed, however
closely IN. villain pursued her almost
up to the dtnouemen,. still further
! along were windows as bright as gas
| could make them. behind which were
harrnoms that had ut their rear halls
In which piano bumpers marked the
line for dancers not In evening clothes
but stiN adequately enveloped.
Near Grand street OH the Bowerys
east side was Owney G~eoghegans Burnt
Rau. which ended its career before
] Sllfnnl.nK slTtleS tstIlie sttoAit w
more notorious. a little way above
Grand stree, on the same side stood.
after .the elevated road was built. sui
eide post" the nearest railroad pillar to
Mct;urk'. dive, of disinal aspect out
side. whence came men and women dere-
llr.s 10 lean against the post while they
slo, themselves or swallowed poison.
Near the Bowery's upper n was
p,r,ss Hill. of u~nspcakabb repute.
" 10 af many sDrtq
,..ro ,oc,,cd between Chatham Square
aud IN. cooner Union,
rhs Boyery in those days was q
fodder hy night for a number of outlying
resor:s Cnuck Connors met his China
town Summing parties at the Bowery
and Chatham Square. At Hester street
IL WAS a short westward walk TO .Arinory
IInll V,,cre Billy McGlory reigned and
drew the line on shooting and stahbing
within the hall. one evening McGlory.
.t,e,dad hv Mis- orlnclpal bouncer as n
vi,ness went 10 TIIr SvS Office TO COM
,,,i, hacai,se tho paper had said n man
in 81 yincent's Hospi.al reported to the
,,o,icc ma. no was stuhb.l In NcGlory's
..Ue Vas tabled lust outside of Nc
clnrv's" said Rilly. 81 don: permit
s,abLIry and shooting inside" He was
,o,a ,ha, Tn S,,S vas as ayerse TO do
inc NrC;lnrv an Injustice as to doing a
vr,ny 10 any other person. and the next
morning +bc wounde man In the hos
ni,ai having been seen, the proprietor of
Aruory Hall read in the paper that the
n,,ient disayowed the assertion that the
s,,hh,,y tony Mace on the inner side OF
,ba roso,t's threshold.
Houston stree, was the turning off
,iaco rnr Vary uiIrs place of refresh
-, for man and beast" as one Of his
,ndoor sipns said. AT the northeast
nar,a- y, II,us,on ard Mulberry streets.
rhts n.os the mos. notorious dive OF its
aav q, New york. hut the from
20 ma,,ar how FAR back in the tall
,,,nher v,s as safe in Harry H!lrs as
ha uo,,,d baye h4en at Police Head
var,ora a few doors away. Once the
,rtsI,o- no. on the sidewalk he took his
anco
III. no-, s,5awa,k n. Pleecker stree,
nas, ~ ,be American Mabille. kept
!. ~. r.a Alan A short time before THU
IL 900. one,ad Mrs de Barry. wife
uire oren, had her diamond ear.
, IT,, ,n,, from her ears by a foot
ra5 an .bs Fifth avenue sidewalk. The
/, 800 a. ina, time was that police Cap,
! go pr-,es ., ,be Mercer street sta.
i, TO, a~yterw,rd Inspector Byrnes, wa
; - III. ,ha. T., he would permi