Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-23
Tom Days Column
shanahan's Ould shebeen

rhyme which for some unaccountabl
reason has never been given the perma
| nence of publication in a book.
In the early nineties black-haired, well
set-up young man blew into Philadelphi,
from somewhere in the world outside
carrying a brand.new suitcase. whicl
bore the initials ]. @. B. The suitcase
as we have said, was new: and, sine,
everything else about him was bit shop
worn. this newness was painful wher
he applied for Job he was conscious Of
1t. You'll maybe be thinking" said he
to the man to whom he was Offering his
services, that I'm after lifting the bag.
gage of James G. Blaine My name is
John Gerald Brenan. with one n II you
please
Now the gentleman who engaged
Brenan and for whom the lad worked for
a year and q half or more is still in
active newspaper work IN this city, but
he looked blank when we mentioned the
name to him yesterday. Brennan has
passed out of memory. Few of those who
were his mates on the local staff Of the
| Record twenty years ngo can recall him.
Our own recollection Of him Is not very
deeply etched He had a way wild him."
as hi. own people say, for he was no
second CROP, he seemed to be of the
quality" but we never heard him talk of
his family.
We never met any one who could be
sure what had become Of him. We heard
some years ago that he had been killed
by train in Paddington Station, London.
We only know that he left Philadelphia
In 1896 and that about that time Puck
published this human bit OF verse:
sHANAHAN'S oULD SHEBEEN
This is the tale that Cassidy told
In his halls a-sheen with purple and gold;
Told as he sprawled in an easy chair,
Chewing cigars at dollar a pair;
Told with sigh and perchance a tear,
As the rough soul showed through the
cracked veneer;
Told as he gazed on the walls near bv.
Where a Greuze and Millet were
hung on high.
With rude little print in a frame be.
tween
A picture of Shanahan'. ould shebeen.
"Im drsnkfn' me mornin's mornin,-but
It doesn't taste tn same.
Though the glass Is 10 finest crystal, an,
tn liquor slips do,rn Ike crane;
An me cochney tootman brings It In on
soort Of a siluer ptatei-
Shorty an bitters It Is: ,ohishhey 10 out
~ date.
In me bran ne,o bro,onstone n1anshin-
Fur avnoo over tn Dav.
IN Cdthdydral round tn corner. an the
Lord Archbishop to tay.
Sure ought to be sthif 1,td oronde,r
nut me tastes are mighty mean,
An I'd rather mornin'S n,ornin' at Shan
dhdn's ould Shebeen.
"Oh! toell do I mind tn shanty-th rocks. |
an tn field beyant,
The dirt floor yello,o 1vid so,pdust and n,
todlls on a three-inch shlnnt.
ttcelUe-story fiat on tn site
no1o-'t'cns nreselt that builded tn |
same,
An they called 1t The Mont t-,nortncy'-
though I 1odnted tn good ould |
ndmc)
Ne dinner pau under me orther. before tn,
tohistle bleU,
I'd Danish tn drames from, me eyelids md
noootn' or maybe t,oo;
An on! n tods tn Hhoant Uhishkey-its |
IKE haze neuer seen
Since 1oent for me n,ornin,s n,ornin' to |
shdnahdn's ould shebeen.
II dtsrcn,ember tn makers-I couldn't tel,
you tn brand;
But 1t smelled Ike tn ooolden sunuoht
an 1t looked and tasted Grand.
When me throat tods caked ,Dtd northar
an me head toas cracked sc4d n
blast
One drink o. Shanahan's deaodrops an me
many troubles aeere past.
That's Uhy, as squat on tn cushtons
totd dipd q hap'orth to do,
In 'nornin' coat tDtd velutt, an cham
payne lunch at ttoo,
IN men,'ry comes like banshee, meselt
an me toedlth bettoeen;
An long for a mornins ,norntns In
Shdndhdn's oaM shebeen
"A ntornfn coat lined 1otd velpit-on, ,r.
ouh coat used to do
Ahke for ,'norntn' an evenin' tan son,e-
times / slep' In It, tool
An taods diptl a sup 10 sherry that shano-
han kept-no fear;
~ you couldn't AFFORD good .ohtshkey he'd
take yon on trust for beer.
tn ddctntest gang kneao there-Mc-