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

dodge would never suspect that any
thing was wrong. You enter a snowy,
highly respectable-looking establish
ment-it might be that of a fruiterer
or groeer-where everything looks
"serene." Should materfamilias and
her daughters happen to pass by and
observe the grave head of the family
within such premises, how could they,
dear innocent souls! fancy what de-
licious charm formed the source of at
traction there? Alas for human de-
ception! just walk through the store
proper, ,undeterred by any apparent OBJ
stacle in your path, and after while
turn to the right or to the left, and
then a new, and to a novice, startling
scene will open before you. You will
find a neatly titted-up bar, replete
with all the needful accessories, and
possibly, at any time of the day, a
half dozen or a dozen quiet folks like
yourself enjoying themselves over
their faVorite tipple. | have, i'll my
American travels, met with certain
folk who do not like to drink much at
one place, let it be a bar-room OF even
a club. Others, again, are fond of tip
ping but they like to crafty their
taste without being observed. The
famous Theodore Hook had a pet
passion for imbibation, which finally
proved fatal to him. This he endeay-
ored to conceal as far as possible when
in company. Hence he appropriated
favorite corner by the retectory door
of the Atheneum club, of which he
was q distinguished member. From
this snuggery he gave his order to the
walters, who had long learnt the inn
port of his hieroglyphical language.
The calls were repeated for tOastand-
water, or lemonade. But the former
meant brandy, and the latter was the
synonym for gin! So that his drink
was not the unalcoholic infusion of
veryain, or Of the herb hanea, so
praised for its effects by 4Elian, and
which the rhysiologist Walter Shandy
recommends to his devoted brother
Tristram, of immortal memory,
THE GENUS LoAFER.
A curious specimen of the genus
homo is to be found in the bar-rooms
of America. Ethnologists might study
him with advantage. Certes he posses
ses the outward semblance of Il man,
but is woefally wanting in those attii-
butes with which our great dramatist
endows human nature. No one, for
example can pronounce him to be no
bic in reason, infinite i'll faculty lex
cept the ind0mitable craving for
drink, ike an angel in action, like Il
god in apprehenSion-the beauty of
the world, the paragon of animals !!
He is known by the significant, but
inelegant eognomen of loafer. He
dresses well as rule, talks well, may
be, and is bearable for n time, when
he grows wearisome, and, indeed,
obnoxious. Those who know him,
avoid him; those who do not, are of
ten taken i'll. He lives, no one knows
how, while his place of d0mocile is a
like mystery; in q word, he is incom
prehensible. He is rarely seen except
in hotel bar-rooms, or where free
cllowders and other gratuitous lunches
are given to customers. Hence, from
the noun substantive loafer is derived
the active verb to loaf (from the Dutch
caufeu, to idle about, to which am
fortunately, there appears 2 growing
disposition among Young America,
who would disdain the opprobrious,
but appropriate, epithet of loafers.
THE GENUS BUMsIER.
But in the lowest deep, there is yet
d lower deep. The loafers are far
outdone by the hummers, All appel
lation, however inelegant, still sig
ni!icant of the particular habit of this
class. They are distinguishable from
their kinsmen, the loafers, by their
shabby -genteel appearance, which, in
sooth, is the special badge ofthe trade.
Rules and regulations have they, by
which they are said to abide. Here
is a specimen: 1. No hummer is suf-
fered to take breakfast. 2. No private
drinks must at any time be indulged
in, under the penalty Of drinks round.
3. No hummer must stand out, under
any pretenee. 4. No hummer must
make any useful observation, upon
which the guild is particularly strin-
gent. 5. No hummer must presume
to wear clean linnen, like the loafeYs.
6. No hummer shall allow that he has
been in the State prison.
BOURBON TIPPLISG AND PRoHIBIToRY
LAWS.
It would perhaps be difficult to
decide who tipple the most-the
or southerners. So far as
the writer's experience goes, he would
give the palm to the latter. The
Bourbon whisky, SO generally in
dulged in, has a mighty power. No
doubt the tipping tendency has been
aggravated by tie late war, OF rather
By a bad habit contracted during its
early stages, before intoxicating
drinks became impossible to procure.
When prohibitive laws were III force
in certain states people tippled as
though full license we're granted to
do so. Hotels closed their ordinary
bars, it is true; but if they did, they
oDened Others in less conspicuous
na,4e nf tha hui19inr Men drank