Thesuccessoftheoriginal\"ChatNoir，\"thefirstCABARETofthiskind，waslargelyowingtothesympatheticandattractivenatureofitsfounder，youngSalis，whodrewaroundhim，byhissunnydisposition，shypersonalitieswho，butforhim，wouldstillbe\"mute，ingloriousMiltons。\"Underhiskindlyanddiscriminatingrulemanyasuccessfulliterarycareerhasstarted。Salis’sgiftednaturecombinedadelicatetasteandcriticalacumenwithararebusinessability。Hisfirstventure，anobscurelittleCAFEontheBoulevardRochechouart，intheoutlyingquarterbeyondthePlacePigalle，quicklybecamefamous，itsever—increasingvogueforcingitshappyproprietortoseekmorecommodiousquartersintherueVictorMasse，wheretheworld—famous\"ChatNoir\"wasinstalledwithmuchpompandmanyjoyousceremonies。
TheoldwordCABARET，correspondingcloselytoourEnglish\"inn，\"waschosen，andtheestablishmentdecoratedinimitationofaLouisXIII。HOTELLERIE。Oakenbeamssupportedthelow—studdedceilings：Theplasterwallsdisappearedbehindtapestries，armor，oldFAIENCE。Beerandotherliquidswereservedinquaintporcelainorpewtermugs，andthewaitersweredressed（merryanachronism）inthecostumeofmembersoftheInstitute（theImmortalForty），whohadsolongledpoetryinchains。Thesuccessofthe\"BlackCat\"inhernewquarterswasimmense，allPariscrowdingthroughhermodestdoors。
SalishadfoundedMontmartre！—theruggedoldhillgivingbirthtoagenerationofwritersandpoets，andnourishingthisnewschoolathergranitebreasts。
Itwouldbedifficulttoimagineaformofentertainmentmoretemptingthanwasofferedinthispicturesqueinn。Inadditiontothefirst，theentiresecondfloorofthebuildinghadbeenthrownintoonelargeroom，thewallscoveredwithathousandsketches，caricatures，andcrayondrawingsbyhandssincecelebratedtheworldover。Apiano，withmanychairsandtables，completedtheunpretendinginstallation。Here，duringacoupleofhourseachevening，eitherbythepianoorsimplystandingintheirplaces，theyoungpoetsgaveutterancetothecreationsoftheirimagination，themusiciansplayedtheirlatestinspirations，theRACONTEURtoldhisneweststory。Theycalledeachotherandthebetterknownamongtheguestsbytheirnames，andjokedmutualweaknesses，eliminatingfromthesegatheringseveryshadeofaperfunctoryperformance。
Itisimpossibletogiveanideaofthedelicateflavorofsuchinformalevenings—thesensationofbeingathomethatthepicturesquesurroundingsproduced，thelowmurmurofconversation，theclinkofglasses，theswingofthewaltzmovementplayedbyamasterhand，interruptedonlywhensomeslenderformwouldleanagainstthepianoandpourforthburningwordsofinfinitepathos，—theinspiredyoungfacelightedupbythepassionandpowerofthelines。Theburstofapplausethathistalentcalledforthwouldhardlyhavediedawaybeforeanotherfigurewouldtakethepoet’splace，awaveoflaughterwelcomingthenew—comer，whosetwinklingeyesanddemuresmilepromisedatreatoffunandhumor。Sotheeveningwouldweargaylytoitsend，theyoungerelementintheaudience，fullofthefuture，drinkinginlongdraughtsofpoetryandart，theelderscharmedtoliveoveragainthedaysoftheiryouthandfeelintouchoncemorewiththepresent。