A Visit to Walt Whitman One section of this article is titled "New York's Bohemians Long Ago": "After the publication of 'Leaves of Grass' Mr. Whitman became acquainted with most all of the younger generation of literary men across the river in New York, and especially with those who eventually enrolled themselves under the good fellowship of old Henry Clapp, who had been living a free and easy life in Paris and longed to establish a Bohemia in New York like Henry [sic] Murger's 'Vie de Boheme' in Paris. The headquarters--still well remembered--was at Pfaff's restaurant in Broadway, near Bond st. 'I used to go to Pfaff's nearly every night', Mr. Whitman went on. 'It used to be a pleasant place to go in the evening after taking a bath and finishing the work of the day. When it began to grow dark Pfaff would politely invite everybody who happened to be sitting in the cave he had under the sidewalk to some other part of the restaurant. There was a long table extending the length of this cave; and as soon as the Bohemians put in an appearance Henry Clapp would take a seat at the head of this table. I think there was as good talk around that table as took place anywhere in the world. Clapp was a very witty man. Fitz James O'Brien was very bright. Ned Wilkins, who used to be the dramatic critic of the <cite>Herald</cite>, was another bright man. There were between twenty-five and thirty journalists, authors, artists and actors how made up the company that took possession of the cave under the sidewalk. Pfaff himself I took a dislike to the first time I ever saw him. But my subsequent acquaintance with him taught me not to be too hasty in making up my mind about people on first sight. He turned out to be a very agreeable, kindly man in many ways. He was always kind to beggars and gave them food freely. Then he was easily moved to sympathize with any one who was in trouble and was generous with his money. I believe he was at that time the best judge of wine of anybody in this country'" (10).