Here is a list of Chairs that can help set the mood in your home!

Types of Lounge Chairs:

Need to create the perfect mood for a room or for your office? Check out a few chair ideas below.

Listed are a variety of lounge chairs for your home, office, restaurant or bar.

Here are a few to choose from:

1. Leather Barrel Back Club Chair. This chair has a curved shape similar to a barrel. It is considered somewhat of a luxury and extremely comfortable. Stitches are reinforced to last which is a definite plus.

2. Executive Side Chair or a Reception Chair. Impress your guests with this sophisticated chair. You won’t believe how comfortable it is! It is totally upholstered. Black leather is a great choice.

3. Hour Glass Lounge Chair. This chair is created for excessive use. It’s easy care fabric makes it a cinch to live with in any type of setting. Tools are not required. Comfort is a definite priority.

4. Tufted Chair. This chair has Easy-To-Care-For Fabric. It’s one of those chairs that are quite sturdy but yet comfortable. Many are built with Kiln dried hardwood frames. It is quite contemporary. It’s foam padding is dense and it has arms that slope.

As you can see there are a variety of chairs you can choose. The styles are endless. Check online when you can and find a reputable company with a huge selection of tables, chairs and barstools. Look for quality as well as affordability.

Source by Justine Jordan

Facebook Games – List of all social games on Facebook network | Free Browser Games – New Browser Games

Restaurant City is a 2D social restaurant management game that allows players to start and run their own restaurant from the ground up. Re-arrange and design your new restaurant with a variety of decorations. Hire a complete staff made up of friends, set the daily menu, gather ingredients, and keep the customers happy. Although comparable to other games like Café World and Pet Society where players can cook up savory meals in Restaurant City it’s all about the ingredients. Players buy, earn, trade, and even grow necessary recipe ingredients to create meals. Work with or compete against neighbors for the position of the top restaurant on the block.

Starting Your Own Restaurant, the Gameplay

In Restaurant City players are in charge of their own fully functioning restaurant. Each player starts out small with several tables, chairs, and stoves. Before the game can begin users have to hire some of their Facebook friends to work for them. A quick click on their avatar and then desired job will accomplish this task. Once all of the waiters, chefs, and janitors have been assigned players are ready for business. Restaurant City has a helpful Open Hours feature that allows players to choose opening and closing hours to fit into their playing schedule. This option prevents users from having to rush and log back in simply to check on their restaurant. There are various shifts available for managers to choose from. Each shift has a coin fee. Shorter shifts earn more profits since they’re cheaper. Players can schedule their employees to work any length of time from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Employees complete tasks automatically following their assigned duties. Janitors clean up spills, waiters serve meals, and chefs stay busy behind the stoves cooking. Players take on more of a managerial role so the gameplay is fairly slow paced. Coins and XP are earned through leveling dishes, serving customers, and visiting neighbors. Players spend most of their time using strategy to boost their rank, collecting necessary ingredients, and decorating. Each restaurant has a popularity number. The more satisfied customers the higher the rating will go up. Users have to figure out how to balance the staff in a way that will serve all of the incoming customers in a timely manner. Customers who have to wait too long will walk out and decrease the restaurant’s popularity rating.

The Ingredient Hunt

Restaurant City has a very diverse menu. It’s divided into four categories consisting of a starter, main, dessert, and drink. Players can serve customers Tuna Steak with Vegetables, Russian Cappuccino, Lobster, Hamburger and Fries, Pink Lemonade, Mango Pudding, Pork and Apple Chops, Chocolate Cake, Beef Enchilada, or Strawberry Milkshake. In order to cook a variety of meals, ingredients are needed. The ingredient market is limited and very expensive. There are only three items are on sale per day for coins. The rest of the ingredients require Playfish Cash to purchase. If a player doesn’t want to spend real money for common items like water, ice, bread, butter, flour, sugar, cheese, and eggs than they have to rely on their neighbors and other methods to obtain them. Players can receive ingredients daily for free by logging in and correctly be answering the Food Quiz. The questions often vary from real life cooking techniques to food trivia. It’s quite challenging. This is a unique feature in the game that educates players in a fun way. In Restaurant City an option to a garden is available similar to the game Pet Society. Players can grow their own fresh ingredients. The garden lot expands as a user levels up. Although it’s a nice touch there is no choice in the type of seeds that you can plant. A mysterious bag of unmarked seeds will produce random spices, vegetables, or fruit when ripe. New dishes can be learned and leveled up to increase XP when all the required ingredients have been collected. Neighbors can assist in the hunt for ingredients as well.

Checking Out the Competition

In Restaurant City friendly competition and friendship work hand in hand. Players can visit their friends’ restaurants to help out or take a trip to a random street to see how other restaurant moguls businesses are operating. Visiting neighbors can earn coins, XP, and a free ingredient. Remove trash from their floor like spilled soda cans, discarded pizza slices, and banana peels by clicking on them. Sometimes their restaurant may have a nasty leak, a blazing fire, a penguin invasion, a sleeping bear scaring away customers, or giant mushrooms in the garden that requires immediate attention. The first time a player visits a new neighbor they earn one free ingredient. This makes neighbors an essential part of gameplay. Users must rely on friends to earn a significant amount of XP to level up and to receive ingredients which can be tedious at times. Players can also trade ingredients with each other by clicking the Ingredient Trade icon. For some players who do not like to depend on their friends to advance in games constantly joining neighbor adds lists and bargaining for ingredients can be exhausting. All neighboring restaurants on the street are ranked in order by popularity. This system lets players know exactly how their restaurant measures up when compared to their buddies. Restaurant City takes full advantage of its multiplayer aspects allowing users to travel to random streets with players who are not neighbors and rate their restaurants.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

The customization in Restaurant City is exceptional. Everything can be personalized from a player’s avatar to the minuscule details in the building’s exterior. Users have the option of keeping their avatar basic or personalizing it. Give your avatar a rock star Mohawk, a Princess Leila hairdo, villain attire, or cool shades. The game has dozens of various themes to choose from including a Roadside Diner, Saloon, Moroccan, Medieval, Eastern, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Psychedelic 60s, and Victorian style. There are also some fun unexpected designs like the UFO, Zombie, Ghost, Anime, and Princess available. It’s possible for players to create any kind of restaurant they want. The necessary basics like chairs, tables, stoves, toilets, and even drink dispensers come in an assortment of customized styles. Depending on the theme or desired look users have hundreds of items that they can add to renovate their restaurant. Click and drag new patterned tile floors, colored wallpaper, arcade machines, dividers, walls, aquariums, stereos, and arcade machines. The outside of the restaurant can be redesigned also. Change the building size from a small size to a behemoth building base. Attach various roofs or use decorations like a roving spotlight, balloons, lanterns, flags, flowers, canopy, menu signs, bouncer, benches, robot chef, and a magical unicorn. A very cool feature in Restaurant City is the music player that can be customized as well. Users can change the default elevator melody that plays over and over again to a catchier tune. Choose from the classic Pineapple Overture, upbeat My Irish Heart, Asian-inspired Delicate Spring, Latin Fiesta Brothers, or the cool mellow Lounge Lizard Slide.

Final Verdict: Great

Players participate in a competitive world overcrowded with restaurants all vying for top rank. In Restaurant City users have endless possibilities for customization. There are also some very cool features that keep the game entertaining. Explore the virtual streets in search for ingredients, listen to the music player while menu planning, message friends, or test your knowledge as a foodie in one their quizzes. It goes beyond other similar games like Cafe World or Pet Society by adding more social multiplayer options like the ingredient neighbor trade system. The slower paced gameplay with the Open Hours setting for scheduling play makes it perfect for busy gamers.

Source by Zdravko Lukic

Kauai, the Garden Island, is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and provides breathtaking scenery to visitors. Kauai’s seemingly endless, beautifully soft beaches invite people to sit back, relax, and take it all in. Take a hammock, beach chair, or a simple towel and find yourself consumed by the beauty of one Kauai’s beaches.

1. Maha’ulepu Beach: This beach is on privately owned land, on one of the last undeveloped shorelines, and has breathtakingly beautiful blue water. Maha’ulepu is also a record of Hawaiian history; it is there that King Kamehameah sent his troops in an unsuccessful attempt to capture Kauai. Maha’ulepu can be found at the end of Po’ipu Road after a 2-3 mile trip along dirt roads. Take the time to walk the beach and rocky ridgeline to find a perfect place to set up for the day and enjoy the stunning views.

2. Ke’e Beach: Ke’e Beach is on the north side of the island where the highway ends. Parking for this beach can be difficult, but entirely worth the walk. Ke’e Beach is inviting because of its beautifully soft sand, crystal blue water, and nearby shade trees. Ke’e Beach is surrounded by a reef that breaks up the oncoming surf providing calm waters for snorkeling. This beach is also frequented by two of Hawaii’s local celebrities: the monk seal and green seal turtle. For hiking enthusiasts the beach is also close to the Kalalau trailhead (only first 2 miles is open for hiking without a permit). Ke’e Beach is perfect for a relaxed afternoon in the sun. Pack a lunch and be prepared to kick back and enjoy.

3. Anini Beach: Anini Beach can be found between the towns of Kilauea and Princeville. Anini is a long stretch of soft, sandy beaches with generally calm and warm waters. This beach is perfect for the novice snorkeler, beginner paddle boarder, kayaker, or average beach bum. Anini’s calm waters provide an exceptional location for all activities. Anini Beach Park is equipped with showers, camping, and grills to provide the perfect backdrop for all visitors. Part of the beach is tree lined for shade, to hang a hammock, or place a chair.

4. Ha’ena Beach Park: Ha’ena Beach Park is in the town of Ha’ena right across the street from the Maniniholo Dry Cave. This is a popular beach so parking is difficult. Tunnels, a popular snorkeling spot, is located to the right of Ha’ena Beach Park. These tunnels are created by the reef system just off shore. Snorkelers will find vast passageways created by the reef, including the fantastic variety of wildlife found within in it. Visitors should keep their eyes peeled for the many kinds of tropical fish and green sea turtles that can be located there.

5. Hanalei Bay: Calm, crystal blue water and wonderfully soft sand can be found at Hanalei Bay. The bay offers beautiful views and endless sunshine. The calm waters are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, or almost any other activity visitors might want to try. Hanalei Bay is close to the quaint town of Hanalei where visitors can take a break from the beach for some remarkable restaurants or shopping.

Source by Gabrielle DeLeone

Food businesses are a flourishing industry today and we see more restaurants in our cities than ever. Moreover these restaurants are doing their business in the form of chains and franchises. The most prominent reason of this progression is the modern trend and fashion by which people love to eat out of their home at some restaurant. Fast life may also be a reason for people to go to these places. People also visit these places for the sake of enjoyment and leisure. All these factors have caused a boom in the business of prepared food. Increased number of customers took birth to a tough competition among the restaurants and every restaurant owner wants to grab more and more customers out of this crowd.

When it comes to attracting more customers, it is compulsory that you have a set up where you are able to accommodate more and more customers at a time. Planning is made in order to design the interior as well as the restaurant seating to manage more customers at a time. One approach to manage more customers on lesser space is the use of round tables in restaurant seating. Usually we see the use of round tables in several restaurants but these tables are smaller in size and provide seats to maximum four persons only. It is a fact that larger the size of round table more will be capacity of table to lodge chairs with it.

On the other hand, round tables if used in restaurant seating, brings more beauty and luxury to the interior of a restaurant as compared to square or rectangular tables. These bring the feel of sophistication to the interior. Round tables are also advantageous for the better management of tables and chairs in the premises. By using round tables you can better manage the passages to walk along with the tables whereas rectangular tables blocks extra space due to their corners and hence customers find it difficult to walk on your floor easily.

On the last, a better decision can be made only by going through varieties available on several stores either in your local market or online.

Source by Yang Anderson

The constant argument between many restaurant owners is this: Which restaurant chairs design is best – wood, metal, plastic or combination? I have yet to read an argument that convinces me in favor of any one of those. Despite all the arguments, the reality is that all three have their benefits and their disadvantages.

What I do sometimes question, which is best, is where one tries to copy one of the others. A good example is metal with a wood like stain, or wood that is painted to look like metal. If you want the wood look – use wood. If you want the metallic look then use metal. The plastics are somewhat of an exception. Plastics are often made with a timber-like stained finish. However, price is a major factor and for some chairs, being able to withstand weather is another.

The advantage of using wood chairs is that it has an upscale look, they should last you 10 years or more. They should be cleaned regularly to make them last longer and keep them looking clean, you will also need to regularly tighten the screws and bolts. They may need the seats replaced or refinished after a few years, the vinyl seats may get rips and wear spots, while the wood seats may get scratches. You could recover them or sand them down and refinish them.

The advantage of using metal furniture is that it will last longer than wood chairs. These also should be cleaned regularly to keep them looking clean. Some metal frame chairs use nuts and bolts, if so, they need to be tightened regularly like the wood chairs to make them last longer. A lot of the metal chairs now are welded and do not need any upkeep other than cleaning. Like the wood furniture, the seats will not last as long as the frames and may need to be refinished, recovered or replaced.

You may argue that durability is also a major factor. Plastics outlast, for the most part, both metal and timber when used to make restaurant chairs. Apart from weathering, I don’t see any major difference between wood or metal. It should be remembered that we are discussing commercial quality furniture. Treated properly, they will both survive for years. Treated incorrectly, and all three materials could fall apart very quickly. When it comes to a restaurant chairs design, the best material is one that fits in with your general decor. Sometimes it is better to match the chairs up with the existing decor.

Source by Bruce Shoberg

Furnishing your outdoors? Don’t take a final decision without considering all your options. If you want to maximize the use of your outdoor area, the right kind of furniture is a must. Many people shop with beauty in mind only to realize that the furniture they bought lacks functionality. Don’t let that happen to you.

So, what’s the skinny on rattan furniture?

Natural rattan furniture is made of wicker or rattan fiber. Rattan fiber is the oldest natural fiber that is being used to make furniture today. Rattan is somewhat similar to bamboo but is not hollow in the middle. Therefore, it should not be confused with bamboo furniture. Rattan fiber is braided together to form pieces of furniture.

Natural rattan furniture looks stunning and lasts fairly long. It is quite durable and cost effective. However, being natural, the fiber is vulnerable to damage and rot over time. Synthetic rattan furniture on the other hand, looks like the real things but has several benefits over natural rattan. It lasts long and is weather resistant. It does not absorb moisture and thus offers good value for money.

Rattan furniture is best suited for the outdoors because it looks natural and is lightweight. In fact, rattan is known for gracing patios, gardens and balconies. Its rustic facade makes these pieces feel right at home out of doors. Since rattan is pliable, it can be molded into different shapes and intricate designs are easily made. To purchase eye-catching pieces, select a manufacturer who offers great craftsmanship.

Rattan furniture is a good idea for those areas that are prone to rough use. So, if you have rambunctious little ones at home, you do not have to hold them back around rattan furniture. The lightweight pieces do not topple heavily on children or cause any damage to the flooring.

Any piece of furniture that you use in an area that is frequently visited must be lightweight as well as solid. Rattan is lightweight and therefore easy to handle. At the same time, high quality pieces are solid and will not get toppled in the wind. Sounds like the kind of furniture you want in your patio?

Rattan furniture requires low maintenance. Unlike other natural materials that need to be treated with oil and preservatives, Rattan lasts for an amazing amount of time without maintenance. Just dust the pieces with a nice brush and they will look as good as new. In case of dirt, wiping with a wet cloth does the trick.

Fortunately, for all its benefits, rattan furniture is economical and cost effective. It is much cheaper than wood and lasts almost just as long. All the latest design trends are easily available in rattan, which makes it easy to dress up the room using rattan. So, if you are on a limited budget, desire a natural, outdoorsy look and want furniture that lasts, go for rattan. You won’t regret it!

Source by Winston Jenkins

Your wedding is the biggest day of your life. Every detail needs to be catered to for making it the spectacular wedding that you had always dreamed of. For a memorable day, it is important that every little detail is taken care of and you have everything planned well in advance. The overall appearance is what makes a wedding grand.

When guests walk in, it is the decorations and the overall arrangement that creates the effect. With everything done superbly you can be sure that compliments would be rushing in from all corners. Thus, the decorations, the flower arrangements and the table decorations do play an extremely important role. Wedding chair covers is another area that needs attention. Having beautifully decorated chairs adds to the grand look.

Wedding chair covers are available in a range of covers and textures. It would however, be good to stick to colors like white, off white or ivory or black. This adds a formal and beautiful touch to the decorations. Banquet chair covers and also folding chair covers are available making it easy for you to dress up those chairs. Chairs that are not covered project a very sad picture, thus, it is important to give them a fresh new look. A little creativity can go a long way in creating a lovely effect. A big sash that matches the wedding chair covers is another addition that makes it simply beautiful and elegant. The chairs and tables with a nice table cloth and chair cover plus sash with a nice floral arrangement as the centerpiece can look absolutely amazing.

There are so many different types of covers, table cloths and table skirts that are available to create that dramatic effect you so want. Simple additions like these can actually make the arrangements look grand and truly spectacular.

The wedding chair covers would be required in large numbers and so you definitely do not want to spend a huge amount on it either. With a little time spent online you would be able to find stores that offer you a variety of wedding chair covers and other requisites for a good discount. Weddings are times that involve huge spending and thus, getting a good discount on an item that need in bulk would help to greatly reduce your cost. There are several simple ideas that would help add a special touch to your wedding decorations. Having your initials embroidered on the chair covers too is a good idea to add a personalized touch.

It is advisable to choose a particular color scheme or theme and go by it. Harmony in thoughts and putting everything together beautifully with a central idea in picture is extremely important for bringing out the beauty and creating a finish that is both classy and elegant. This is your big day and the memories of which you would treasure for life. Make every effort to turn it into a dream wedding the memories of which you will cherish for life.

Source by Sarah Hernandez

Until recently, many people thought that an ergonomic chair was meant for someone who had a health problem, an aching back, or even someone who was prone to filing a lawsuit or two. But the truth is that this kind of chair is ideal for anyone who spends any time sitting at a desk during the day and will make them not only more comfortable, but also more efficient throughout their work day.

What Is an Ergonomic Chair?

The main difference between an ergonomic chair and a traditional one is that an ergonomic one is designed with the human body in mind. These are not always the most comfortable chairs and you certainly wouldn’t spend any time lounging in one, but they are designed to support all of the areas of the body that tend to start aching when you are seated for a long time.

They usually have some kind of neck and head support, and a lumbar (lower back) support, too. They usually have arms so that you can rest your elbows while you are typing, and they are designed to so that your knees will be at 90 degrees as well as your hips. In other words, you can’t slump down or sit cross-legged in one of these chairs.

Why Do You Need It?

Research is showing that more and more people are suffering from various repetitive stress injuries and disorders as a result of sitting in a chair and working on the computer for hours on end. By using an ergonomic chair, you will be doing all that you can to protect your joints, tendons, muscles, as well as to distribute all of your weight evenly.

Chairs for All Sizes

Although in a perfect world every human would fit in every chair, that is just not the case. The average ergonomic chair is not designed for someone that weighs more than 250 pounds, so you will find that there are also chairs for larger people. Also, people who are very tall have special needs, too, so if you are taller or bigger, or you are buying chairs for people who are, keep in mind that many online office supply stores have office chairs that are ergonomically designed for “big and tall” folks.

Cost

Unfortunately, simply slapping the tag “ergonomic” on any chair can increase the price, so it is really up to you to determine what you need in a chair and what your own definition of “ergonomic” is. If you will be spending a lot of time typing or seated at your desk, an investment in an appropriately designed chair is well worth it. You will have many more comfortable hours working, and you will also find that at the end of the day, you feel a lot better.

If you are looking for the best price on an ergonomic chair, then it goes without saying that you should shop online where you will find them in every size, color, and material, and at a price that suits your budget.

Source by Rob D. Schumann

An antique theme is beautiful because it is reminiscent of the good old days when times were simpler. The design style of this theme is ornate and quite decorative incorporating floral patterns and curved elements. You can bring this antique look into your home by being creative.

• Go to thrift stores or pawn shops and look for antique ornaments. Ornaments such as porcelain dolls, vases or tea sets. Curved porcelain vases with gold trim filled with flowers create a wonderful scent and ambience in the lounge. Porcelain tea sets with floral patterns and tea cups with beautiful curved handles give you that antique look.
• Find an antique display cabinet. Look for a display cabinet that has a glass door, precision carved frames, as well as decorative curved feet and handles. You can display the tea sets or porcelain dolls in the display unit which will accentuate the theme.
• If you have a fireplace in your lounge, you can place antique ornaments on the mantle.
• Look for a floral rug with a bold border and place it under the coffee table. Also find a wooden coffee table that has curved edges and carved designs in the legs. This combination will look beautiful in your lounge.
• Find floral curtains to drape on your windows. Try to keep the floral design similar throughout the design elements. If you select a pink floral pattern for the rug, then the curtains should incorporate the same colours. If you select random floral patterns for the different items in your lounge then you could end up with a cluster of patterns that don’t match.
• Go bargain hunting for antique lounge chairs. If they are still in their original state then the wood frame should still be intact. The wood may just need a coat of varnish. As for the fabric, you may need to replace it. Take it to a furniture upholstery specialist to reupholster the lounge chairs. At this point you can select a fabric that matches the curtains so that you can keep the styling consistent throughout the theme. By reupholstering the lounge chairs you have the freedom of creativity.
• Look for wooden picture frames. More specifically look for picture frames that have carvings in the wooden frame. Accentuated corners and detailed carvings will frame your photos beautifully. For the photos, select sepia toned photos to create a good old days feeling which complements the antique theme.

Source by Barrie Taylor

Nothing incites the general public more than someone trying to charge for something that was once free. Yet that’s exactly what entrepreneur Oscar F. Spate tried to do in the New York City parks in the blistering summer of 1901.

It all started in Central Park on June 22, 1901, when a group of people spotted rows of bright green rocking chairs along the park’s mall, near the casino. Usually in this same spot, stood rows of uncomfortable wooden hard benches, so it was a pleasure indeed for the park-goes to sit and rock and enjoy the wondrous summer day.

Suddenly, two broad-shouldered men approached the rocking-chair sitters. They wore identical gray suits and they carried black satchels with straps over their shoulders. The men in gray told the sitters that these were private chairs for rent, and that if they wanted to continue sitting they had to fork over five cents a day for the better seats, and three cents a day for seats that were not in as preferential a position in the park. Some people vacated their seats, but others paid. People who did neither were physically ejected from the seats. When they asked why, the men in gray said, “Them’s Mr. Spate’s chairs.”

This new phenomenon was covered extensively and very contentiously, in the following day’s daily New York City newspapers. And the man on the hot seat was the president of the Park Commission – one George C. Clausen.

It seemed that a few days earlier, Clausen had been visited in his official Park Commission office by a man named Oscar F. Spate. Spate seemed amiable enough, and he offered Clausen a proposition Clausen saw no difficulty in accepting. It seemed that Spate said he wanted to place comfortable rocking chairs in the parks throughout New York City. And for the privilege of doing so, Spate offered the city the tidy sum of $500 a year.

“They do this in London and Paris,” Spate told Clausen. “And it would undoubtedly be good for New York City.”

Clausen saw no problem with Spate’s line of thinking, so he readily agreed; albeit without first consulting with the other member of the Park Commission. As a result, Clausen graced Spate with a five-year contract, allowing Spate to place his rocking chairs in all the New York City parks. With the ink still not dry on his contract, Spate immediately ordered 6,000 chairs, costing about $1.50 each. If Spate’s projections were correct, these chairs would earn him an estimated $250-$300 a day.

An associate of Spate, who asked a newspaper reporter for anonymity, said that Spate had already invested $30,000 in his new venture. The reporter did the math and he came up with the rocking chairs only costing Spate around $9,500. Pray tell, where did the other $20,500 go?

Spate’s spokesman said nothing to enlighten the reporter.

“Well, there’s always expenses in things like this, you know,” he told the scribe.

The New York City press knew a story when it hit them in the face, so they managed to track down Spate in his offices in the St. James Building, on Broadway and 26th Street, near Madison Square Park. When questioned by the reporters, Spate became indignant.

“I’ll put in as many chairs as they will allow,” Spate told the reporters. “The attendants who collect the charges are in my pay. They will wear gray uniforms, and each will look after about fifty chairs, from 10 a.m. to 10 p. m. A five-cent ticket entitles the holder to sit in either a five-cent, or a three-cent chair in any park at any time during that day. But the holder of a three-cent chair can only sit in a three-cent chair.”

Spate also told the reporters he was doing the city a favor, since charging for the chairs would keep the undesirables (read – the poor) out of the parks, thereby keeping the parks sparkling clean and free of loiterers who leave a mess in their wake.

The outrage from the New York City press and from philanthropists came swift. Randolph Guggenheimer, the president of the Municipal Council, said he “saw no good reason for allowing private parties to occupy park grounds and make money through a scheme like this.” The New York City Central Federated Union sent a statement to the press denouncing both Spate and Clausen for their “hideous actions.” The New York Tribune wrote in an editorial, “This is only another instance of the hopeless stupidity of the present Park Commission.” The New York Journal also wrote an editorial defending the “rights of poor people to sit in public park.” However, the New York Times saw no problem in what Spate was doing, as long as “the prices were regulated properly.”

Park Commissioner Clausen tried to defend his actions by telling the press that there were always plenty of free benches for people to sit on, except, of course, on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The New York Tribune pointed out that those were the days with the biggest demand for seats in the parks.

As this issue became monumental, Spate became more resolute. He ordered more chairs be placed in Central Park, and also in Madison Square Park, which was across the street from his office. Some people paid to sit, and those that didn’t, were unceremoniously thrown out of the chairs by Spate’s thugs in gray suits.

Things quieted down for a few days, as few people protested paying for the seats. That all changed on Wednesday 26, 1901, when the city’s outside temperature rose above 90 degrees. By Saturday the temperature had risen to 94 degrees and nineteen people had perished in New York City due to the insufferable heat conditions. The temperature reached 97 degrees on Sunday, making it the hottest day on record with the Weather Bureau since June of 1871. On Sunday, fifteen more people died, and on Tuesday, with the temperature rising to 99 degrees, two hundred deaths were reported. There were 317 heat-related deaths on Wednesday, which made, in the time period from June 28th to July 4th, a total of 382 heat-related deaths in Manhattan alone, along with 521 hospitalizations for heat prostration. Altogether, in a seven-day period in the metropolitan district of New York City, which included Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Richmond County, there were 797 deaths and 891 heat prostrations. Things were so bad, that on July 2nd, the city’s hospital ambulance drivers worked 24 hours straight with no relief.

With the city in a heat-related frenzy, harried people hurried to the city’s parks, which were now ordered by the Park Commission to stay open all night. When people arrived at the parks, they discovered that many of the free benches were no longer there, and the ones that were still present in the parks had been moved into the sun, making them too hot to sit on. However, Spate’s green chairs were sitting nicely in the shade, making them more attractive to the people fighting the stifling heat.

On Saturday July 6th, the situation reached a boiling point. A man sat in one of Spate’s chairs in Madison Square Park, and he absolutely refused to pay the five cents that Spate’s man Thomas Tulley demanded. Finally, Tully pulled the chair from out under the man and bedlam ensued. An angry crowd surrounded Tully and began shouting, “Lynch him! He’s Spate’s man!”

Tulley fought his way through the crowd and sped across the street to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, where he rushed upstairs and locked himself in a room. The crowd gathered in the hotel lobby for about 30 minutes, when policemen arrived and escorted Tully from the hotel to wherever he called home.

Later that day, with the heat still beating down on the park-goers, another one of Spate’s men evicted a boy who was sitting in one of Spate’s chairs in Madison Square Park and had refused to pay the necessary five cents. An angry crowd attacked Spate’s man, and when a policeman tried to intervene, he was dumped into the park’s fountain. Spate’s man fled the park in fear, and after he did, delighted people began taking turns sitting in Spate’s chairs (without paying of course). When nightfall arrived, several people carried Spate’s chairs home with them as trophies to grace their own living rooms.

The following day, Sunday, July 7th, the uneasiness moved to Central Park, where a huge crowd gathered in defiance of Spate and his green rocking chairs. While two of Spate’s men guarded Spate’s precious chairs, the crowd marched perilously close to the chairs chanting to the tune of “Sweet Annie Moore”:

We pay no more!

We pay no more!

No more we pay for park

Chairs any more!

Clausen made a break

One summer’s day.

And now he ain’t

Commissioner no more!

As the crowd converged on the chairs, people who had already paid for the right to sit, abandoned the chairs and fled from the park. One of Spate’s man quit his job on the spot, and he also fled the park. However, another one of Spate’s men continued to try to collect the chair fees. But he quit his job too after an angry old lady jabbed him in the back of the neck with a hairpin.

On Monday July 8th, Madison Square Park was the site of almost constant rioting. A dozen or so boys went from chair to chair, sitting for as long as they pleased, accompanied by an unruly crowd threatening to hang any of Spate’s men who tried to collect any fees. A brave and foolhardy Spate employee named Otto Berman slapped one boy in the face. The crowd surrounded Berman and his life was saved by six policemen, who bum-rushed Berman out of the park and into safety. Things had gotten so-out-of-control in Madison Square Park, police reenforcement were called in from the nearby West Thirtieth Street police station.

In the late afternoon, two men occupied two of Spate’s chairs and offered a thousand dollars to any of Spate’s men who could evict them from the chairs. Two of Spate’s men jumped in and tried to collect the reward, but they were promptly beaten to a pulp by the two men, who turned out to featherweight champion of the world Terry McGovern, and former fighter and then-boxing ring announcer Joe Humphreys. The police stormed the park and arrested six rioters, whom they led in cuffs to the Thirtieth Street police station. The policemen and the arrestees were followed by a crowd estimated at 200 people, who were marching in lock step and chanting:

Spate! Spate!

Clausen and Spate!

Spate! Spate!

Clausen and Spate!

On Tuesday, July 9th, the riots continued in both Madison Square Park and Central Park. However, the New York City police took a different tactic, when they were ordered by Police Commissioner Michael Murphy not to aid any of Spate’s men trying to collect fees, and not to arrest any of the rioters, unless court magistrates issued arrest warrants for the individual rioters. At this point, several of the magistrates told the press they would not issue any warrants, which gave the rioters the (wink-wink) go-ahead to do as they pleased with Spate’s chairs.

By this time, the president of the Park Commission George C. Clausen was figuratively tearing the hair from his own head. Having first said he could do nothing about the situation without the permission of the rest of the Park Commission, Clausen then reversed himself and said since he was the one who had confirmed Spate’s contract, he could also revoke Spate’s contract with New York City. Spate quickly answered by by getting a court injunction “restraining Mr. Clausen and the Park Commission from interfering with his valid contract with the City of New York.”

In an act of desperation, Spate ordered his men not to place his chairs on the ground, but to pile them in heaps in Madison Square Park and Central Park, and rent them only if they were paid for in advance. However, as soon as someone rented one of Spate’s chairs, members of the crowd grabbed the chair and broken it into little pieces.

Soon the crowd, tired of Spate and his chairs, began bombarding Spate’s men with rocks and stones, as Spate’s men hid behind and under the chairs piled up in heaps. Spate himself entered both parks to try to enforce his contract, but was forced to flee both times, as he was chased with rocks and stones flying past his head.

Finally, on July 11, a hero named Max Radt, the vice-president of the Jefferson State Bank, went into state Supreme Court and got an injunction forbidding Spate and the Park Commission from charging people to sit in Spate’s green rocking chairs. Spate, realizing he was a beaten man, promptly put all his chairs in storage. A few days later, Spate announced to the press he was “abandoning his project.”

Oscar F. Spate dropped out of sight and was never seen or heard from again in New York City.

A few weeks later, the Parks Commission issued a press release to the New York City newspapers announcing that the president of the Park Commission — George C. Clausen – had used his own personal money to purchase what was left of Spate’s green rocking chairs. These chairs were to be placed in parks throughout New York City. On each of these chairs was stenciled the lettering, “For the Exclusive Use of Woman and Children.”

And right above the declaration, in large letters was painted the word “FREE.”

Source by Joseph Bruno