The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-09-07
! a NAT1oNAL eHARAcTERIsr1c.


A NATIONAL CHARACTERISTIC.
Our friend, IN the outset, character
ICES drinking as notable popularity
of this people, Hesags, though there
he is little wrong, that if there be an
exception to the general rule, it is
int he New England States, because
as III the world oughs to know, New
England is as much tile cradle of rum
as it is of liberty, and has always
been celebrated for its steady and re-
liable alcoholic guzzlers. Taking how
ever, continues the correspondent, the
Americans as. q body, they unqnes-
tiohably exhibit a proneness to this
habit, causing thereby no small share
of anxiety to those philantlropists
and sociologists who regard the drink
ing customs of the lpeople as the
chief bane of the republic. When
people arc brought together, either by
buBiness or idleness, the ceremony OF
hqhoring appears Indispensable. One
could scarcely offend an American
more than by declining an invitation
to take drink. The temptation to
touch the dangerous cup is consider
able--so strollg, indeed, at times, as
not to be resisted. As means of rec
re&tion, the bulk of the male popula-
ton resort to ihotel bars and similar
places. Here men drink and chat,
form social groups, and persevere i'll
treating each other, until the possi-
bility is that they take, to employ a
popular phrase, mere than is good for
them. The discomfort consequent up
on hotel life forces strangers to have
recourse to the bars and the billiard
rooms, which are made tempting and
inviting, not alone by their glare,
but by their exquisite appointments.
Some of the hotel oars and billiard
rooms are most elabsrately furnished
and decorated the "a rmer especially,
are rendered terriblJtempting by the
luxurious sofas and easy chairs that
are scattered around the saloons.
Sometimes these saloons become SO
densely thronged with people that
there is difficulty in elbowing ones
way to the lar, where showily dress
ed male attendants, with conspicuous
.jewelry, immaculate linen aprons, and
having their shirt sleeves tucked up,
perform the occult mysteries of their
MIXED DRINKS.
The Americans are not wanting in
the power of invenson. Hence the
variety of drinks ing tniously coneoct-
ed at public places{ of refreshment.
stMan is a creature bdrn ofhabitrdes, 2
observes the recondite Tristram Shan
dy; an axiom which, jim the mere mat
ter of potations, is duly verified by
our friends. The practice is to COM
nience with 4 brandy or gin cocktail
before breakfast, by way of an appe-
tizer. Subsequently a digester will
be needed then, in due course, and
at certain intervals, . reposer, o set
tier, a cooler, an inv gorator, spark
ler, and a rouser, IRnidng the final
nightcap or midnighf dram. But let
ME rehearse the naIses of the drinks
most in vogue. Tlley may be thus
enumerated Mint iulep and julep a
ID Capt. Marryatts brandy julep,
whiskey julAp, gin julep, rum julep,
champagne eobbler, sherry cobbler,
brandy smash, gin, cocktail, Jersey
lightning, soda cocktail, gin sanga-
roe, American milk punch, Scotch
whiskey skin, brandy sour or brandy
fix, beer sangarce, leach brandy and
honey, Tom and Jtrry, black strap,
sleeper, hot spieed lum, brandy flip,
burnt brandy and peach, yard of fan
mel, locomotive, corpse reyiyer, stone
fence, Baltimore egg nogg, iced and
mixed punish, the alderman's punch,
gin twist, President Washington,
President Lincoln and Gen. Grant.
And then adds THE genial Britisher
ih Il gush of innocent exhuberance !:
It is not generally viewed in the
slightest degree delogatory for any
bntleman to take re5reshment at pub
liars. / have MYSELF imbibed at these
places with membek of the govern
raent, the senate, aid the legislature
with Judges, Generals and even
csergymel.
THE SLY DoGs.
II New Yprk and other cities bar