The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-05
Man bout
Manhattan
By George Tucker

NEW YORK, Feb. 4.-There are
two Billys in New York whose es.
Establishments go back a long way,
back to that little old New York of
the mellow, sentimental days that
your grandfather remembers, per-
haps with a nostalgia sigh. One is
Billy Condor, whose Grandpappy,
Michael, built the famous old Gas
light Saloon back in 1870. The
other is Billy the Oysterman, who
for SIS years has been a dictator to
Manhattan epicures, high and
low.
The old Gaslight Saloon, which
is really a restaurant, is still on
56th street at First avenue, just a
wave of the hand from the East
River wharves. 1t was set up 70
years ago by Grandpap Condor,
whose design for success was based
on the premise that no restaurant
could fail if the victuals we're tasty
and cheap. Consequently, moderns
rub their eyes when persuing the
old menus Of those early days. Steaks
were Is cents. Liquor was a dime
a throw. You gave your order and
you drank your ale by the flare of
the old gas lights. z
Well, it isn't much changed to-
day, except as to prices. You can't
get a good steak for a quarter any
longer, but So will get you a first
rate dinner, for two, with all the
trimmings. The fare is still served
across the original rough boards.
There is the same massive, black
walnut bar, with it's far-flung mirror
and its reflected whiskey bottles. The
present Billy still uses his grand
pops big old eyesore of an icebox,
and the only light you get still comes
from the original gas-jets.
Now for Billy No. 2.
In the old days his dad, the origi-
nal Billy, had a little slip of place
down close to the waterfront where
he sold all the oysters you could
eat for a dime. The Tammany boys
used to drop by, and the impresarios
of the day came too. And the fame
of Billy the Oysterman began to
grow.
Billy was a bluff, big-hearted Eng.
lishman with walrus mustaches and
an abiding faith in the future of the
oyster industry. He wanted his son.
the present Billy, to take UP the
oyster knife, but young Billy had
ideas about real estate until the
panic of 1907 caught him up and
flung him back on his old mans
doorstep.
He hasn't strayed since. He has
served something like "a, ZOO, 900 of
the things since taking over shop.
Billy has a fine big place uptown
now, where almost everybody who
edibles of the sea goes sooner
or later. In the years that he has
bossed the joint. presidential candi-
dates, governors, stars, and diplo.
mats of all nations have consulted
him on questions of seafood.
He likes to recall a strange trio
that f%requented his place in the old
days, a fellow named William Fox.
clothes sponger, and two compan-
.ons, who were mostly broke but who
dreamed of the fortune they would
some day win in the movies. One
night Fox's shop burned, and he
never went back to it. He went on
rom there to his adventures in the
Billy today is a thoughtful, some-
what stout about the middle, pro-
You see him strolling about
MS restaurant, putting big brown
having a bite now and then.
But he never touches oysters. Not
hat he doesn't like them; he does.
But, being continually surrounded
~ them, he has built up a sort Of
immunity to them. In all his deal.
ngs with oysters, not a single pearl
If value has he ever found.