Muller Immigration

The Green Wicker Chairs

Because the incident of the Green Wicker Chairs began June 20, 1901, and ended less than three weeks later it is seldom told. Perhaps you too will chuckle over the plight of New Yorkers who were told they had to pay to sit in the parks. Manhattan had a large number of parks in addition to Central Park. However, in 1901 there were only 11,000 benches and many of these were used by "lazy loungers, none too clean, who . . . monopolized the benches.". In 1901 Oscar F. Spate broached the idea of putting green-painted wicker rocking chairs in the parks for which he would charge a fee of 5 cents. He sold the idea to President George C. Clausen of the Park Commission who charged Spate $500.00 for his business. On June 20th visitors to the parks found the green chairs, but when they sat in them gray-uniformed men told them they must pay to sit. Public and city officials alike thought the idea "ridiculous." Randolph Guggenheimer stated: "It is ridiculas . . for the Park Commission to grant such a permit. The parks belong to the people, and should be free to all . . . There is no propriety in providing elegant seats for those who can pay for them, and allow those who cannot pay to put up with poorer seats or no seats at all." The attendants, who had only been on their jobs two days getting $1 a day, were already weary of the "worst sort of abuse that mortal man ever endured. . . The thing, they contend, will never work--that the public regards it as un-American."
Only one in fifty actually paid. When told to pay the sitters would more often than not arise and walk, but not without some argument. As the reporter stated "some talk [was] not fit for publication in every instance, in which the words Tammany Hall and Croker can be frequently heard." If a person paid for the privilege he was given a sort of check which allowed him to sit for the day.	RECEIPT FOR RENTAL OF UNOOCU- PIED ARMCHAIR NOT transferable Show ticket when required by employes. No injury or marking of chairs allowed. Attendants only permitted to move chairs 22 GOOD THIS DAY ONLY 5 Cts

The incidents that occurred over the next eighteen days are somewhat humorous as the citizens of New York City rebelled against being charged for sitting in the Spate-Chairs, as they soon became known. Madison Square, in the hotel district, in the vicinity of the Flat Iron Building, was the home to many of the richest citizens, including the Astors. On July 6th "The Spate pay chairs in Madison Square caused a revolt . . which reached the proportions of a small riot." Tully, one of Spate's employees, endeavored to enforce the pay rule. The sitters refused to move and Tully walked away. When a "volley of curbstone" "oaths and epithets" reached his ears Tully's anger was aroused and he returned, "raised the curved wooden rocker at the bottom of the chair with his foot [and] the sitter turned a back somersault upon the sod behind the chair." The crowd that had assembled first laughed, but then the trouble started anew. Tully gave a fifteen-year-old boy who mouthed off to him a slap across the face, precipitating some men in the crowd to reign blows on Tully's head. ". . .a mob of about one thousand men and boys, splitting the air with cries of 'Lynch him!' and "kill him!' chased him into the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and threw the crowds at Broadway and Twenty-third Street into a fever of excitement for a time." Upon entering the hotel, Officer Meyer and another policeman attempted to calm him, and then accompanied him to his home. The New York City police had been directed not to interfere unless the peace was disturbed. However, a few were arrested. When a man gave his ticket to a small boy Beerman, one of Spate's men, attempted to drive him off. But the "boy kept running from one seat to another, which so annoyed Beerman, that, it is charged, he slapped the boy in the face. A crowd soon collected, and sundry threats of vengeance were made." Talbot was arrested Because of the problems at Madison Square a squadron of police was sent to the park on July 8th to preserve the peace. "Fun began in the early forenoon and was precipitated by a number of young urchins who jeered at the chair attendants and hooted any one who dared to give a nickel for the use of the private chairs." When the squad of police attempted to disperse the urchins, the "boys, aided by many grown people charged the attendants, upsetting the chairs and knocking off the hats of Spate's men." The ensuing scuffle resulted in two arrests, and the addition of fifteen more police at the park, who had their hands full. "At every possible opportunity the chairs were upset by fleet-footed street arabs, who also displayed marked accuracy of aim with wads of paper moistened at the public fountain and hurled at the Spate men." When a burly man took possession of one of the chairs about 4 o'clock, an attendant demanded payment in vain and then assaulted the occupant, resulting in a fist fight. Soon a small riot was in progress with in a number of arrests. The "police started for the station house with their prisoners followed by a crowd which rapidly increased in numbers, and by the time the Worth monument was reached it numbered at least 1,500, the majority of whom yelled and jeered." On the same day the Board of Estimate met to consider an application by Park Commissioner Clausen to provide 5,000 additional "settees" for $20,000.. At the meeting Chief Engineer McLean of the Finance Department reported that "there were at present in all the Manhattan parks 11,000 settees, and that he favored Commissioner Clausen's application for additional settees." The following day, on the 9th, attendant Tully was again in deep water. During the morning crowds again began to assemble in Madison Square park. The policemen, instructed to maintain neutrality, arrived early, "coming from nearly every precinct in Manhattan. Two "fighters" took adjacent chairs and refused to pay. Recognized by the crowd, "things began to look interesting." The crowd began to yell: "Swing on 'em, Terry. Give him a left jab. Poke him one in the eye." The fighters left without incident but another, Bob Fitzsimmons, appeared across the park. The crowd yelled "Give it to 'em in the solar plexus, Bob," was the cry. "Put 'em down and out." But the pugilist just passed on. A German then purchased 5 cent's worth of comfort but kept moving the chair to different places "for a grand stand view of the fun." In the early afternoon a men "picked up one of the chairs and threw it out into Madison Avenue. Others in the crowd picked it up and ran up Madison Avenue, where, before the police could prevent it, the chair was demolished." In the early evening another crowd convened on 23rd Street side of the park. The only attendant on duty was Spate's fifteen year-old adopted son who was arrested when he dumped an occupant out of a chair. Now there were no attendants and the total revenue from the renting up to 7 o'clock was only 90 cents. The whole incident of the green rocking chairs officially ended the same day, on July 9th, when President George C. Clausen of the Park Board announced the revocation of the "privilege of renting chairs in the parks." He also proposed "to purchase the chairs now placed in the parks and to present them to the city and confine their use to women and children." SOURCES New York Times, Jun 21, 1901, p. 2. "Central Park Visitors Charged For Seats" New York Times, Jul 7, 1901, p.1. "Park Chair Attendant Chased by a Mob" New York Times, Jul 8, 1901, p.10. "Keep Off the Grass Order Now Ignored" New York Times, Jul 9, 1901. "'Pay Chair' Men Have lively Time" and "More Free Chairs for Parks" New York Times, Jul 10, 1901. "Park Chair Licenses Will be Revoked," "More Park Chair Riots" and "To Take Their Own Chairs"