The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-20
LAST GLORY OF
BOWERY PASSES
"Little Stock Exchange
Haunt of Takers, Is
Closed.


the name of the Bowery and have It
their own way The last stand Of the
underworld has been made and has
ended by succumbing to the work OF
fight law. The little stock exchange
at Bowery and Bayard streets. went out
Of business yesterday at P. NJ. and will
be closed. except for some few weary
hangers on in the o:d taking game. for
the period of the war.
The little stock exchange" has been
the resort. a quarter century or more
for the street beggars. the bunco men
the light fingered gentry. the towns
broken down fiddlers, and the scrubby
brokers who will sell real diamonds
| over their stuffy counters for 81 up. The
| section Is probably better known to up
Staters who come to get a sight OF low
life. than to the natives, but in its day
1t has been a novel resort, though a
| risky place to patronize II one values
the contents Of his purse.
Home Of the Dollar Suit
Behind the dirty panes of dlrtier
shops more suits OF clothes have been
| sold at the little exchange for so cents
and 81 than lin any other spot in the
country. The clothes were patched, but
/ suited the needs Of the trade. because
the trade in business hours donned the
| castoffs. and went uptown with crutches
| or smoked glasses to lure sympatheti,
pennies into their tin cups. More artfu
| patching was done to supply those who
were not in the aims business.
In tvfr ut hat hn
| early began their round up under tn,
| work or fight regulations, and two
| weeks Of 1t has practically depopuiatet
the quarter. The disposition OF the up
town public to patronize smoked glasses
| that pass for blindness or the cripple
| whose off leg Is tied to his back has also
dwindled. and most of the Bowery- Bay
ard colony has decided definitely OF
retirement or has surrendered to tn,
! horrors OF toll.
Dan the Fiddler" a long haired Irish
man, known up town by a sign tina
reads "Signor Puccini." by popular re
port both deaf and dumb. signaiized hi.
| retirement yesterday by pawning hi
ancient violin and haggling away hi.
| big black wig for so cents Man anC
boy. Dan has been a familiar figur,
year In and year out at the exchange, IL
back rooms of Coney Island cafes ant
in back rooms in the lurid Forties. Hi
repertoire was chiefly Irish reels, 18th,
Last Rose Of Summer" and a weird Sc
lection that he squeaked out as Italia,
opera.
| Gets SIS for % strad.
| Dams withdrawal from the old haun
was celebrated by wonderful bit O
| trade at a pawn shop. He passed of
| tha xun thar haatan x,io
various for SIS. and later confessed tina
It wasn't worth SIS. He was rather an
noyed that he could get only so cent
for his wig
Back rooms on tie Bowery are nov
practically deserted. Zone Legged
Louie" has united his hidden leg, ant
was marched of to jail. to work or fight
Dago Joe has parted from his hand or
gan that invariably played "Swee
Marie" and yesterday Kotn Dalmas
legal adviser Of the exchange who Dor
rowed his surname from a lawyer o
prominence. was busy advising, for tn,
price OF a cigar or no fee at ALL wha
constitutes a legal occupation. Dago 10,
insisted long that playing In cafe bacl
rooms was q necessary occupation, blu
Kohn said no. and Joe sold the terrible
instrument OF torture.
In tie scattering OF the clan no on.
noticed the passing of a character o
long standing. 'Tennyson OF the Bow
cry reported to be graduate OF a,
English university, whose poetic i'm
provisations kept him alive at the ex
pense Of summers for many years. HI
disappeared several days ago
The most astonisf Ing fact. reported
yesterday. was that those OF the ragge,
colony who hadn't gone to work, wer,
seeking out the Municipal Lodgin,
House on Twenty-third street for tn,
first time in Il cir lives and demandln,
not only a bed but a hath. clean clothe
and thorough fumigation.