New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-05
KATzEN-JAMMER.
southern Hospitality and its Effects,

1 .
Southern Hospitality and It's Ehects'
From the Chicago Timesl
The readiness with which the people
| South ask YOU to drink is only more re-
markable than the readiness with when
! the invitation is accepted. The experience,
| foo. was Of the same cumulative character
which has been noticed in the others The
| further South you go, the ottener you are
| asked to drink, and the schooner do you re-
| fuse.
Southern hospitality is inalienablY asso-
ciated with a drink. 1t is a tradition OF
the country. 1t is a custom which has
been practieed by so many generations that
it would now be sacrilegiOus to break Ia
upon it. This was the way felt IN regard
to it, and l determined, as rule, not 10
hurt any SOutherner's feelings. The con-
tract | had undertaken was more than 1
was aware of. Every time you are intro
duced to man it is an indispensable part
of the ceremony 10 take drink, and
Southern hospitality introduces stranger
about every five minutes. YOu arrive IN
New Orleans in the morning. for instance,
with lone and desOlate feeiing-yOu know
that you don't know anybody, and that you
aren't of a disposition to make acqUaint-
ances readily. The result is, that before
night you can boast of half dozen
bosom friends, each one of whom wants
to take you to his own house, and have
you spent the winter with him. That's
the kind Of hospitality that the Southern
hospitality is.
Stimulants are constantly incidental to
1t, however. If you have little business
with man, you must have little drink
before you commence; if you have a good
deal OF business, you must take a large
drink or several drinks. There are excuses
enough for drinking all the world over, bat
there are more of them in the South than
anywhere else.
My particular experience with this feature
OF Southern hospitality was not as happy
as it ought to have been. To begin with,
was disposed to be too gOOd-natured about
it. l could not think OF refusing South
ern gentleman when l came to understand
how essential it was to his sense of the
hOspitable / forgot for the time being that
had always been moderate in all things.
La the course of time forgot pretty much
everything else. The truth is, that | fell
an early victim to Southern hospitality, and
paid for it with that delightful sensation so
graphically described i'll the name that the
Germans have given it-Kdt@en jammer.
The next day l found my friends in ex-
cellent spirits, not one of them complaining
of headache, apparently refreshed by the
course of hospitality through which they
had just passed.
Gentlemen" said J. "is it probable that
we shall make as many new acquaintance
to-day as we met yesterday ~ l..
ooh, yes, we hope to meet mOre,' was the
cheering reply.
"And have we as much business to attend
to as we had yesterday r.
ooh, yes, a good deal more You know
we must arrange that other little matter
to-day"
Now, gentlemen, if We have more bust
ness to do, and are going to meet more
friends than we did yesterday, I'm going to
on settler water. | don't want
to hurt your feelings by refusing to drink
with you, but | don't want to hurt my
stOm9ch either" Ie.T
An right" they exclaimed, good ma
turedly. - If you will agree to drink settler
every time we smile it's bargain"
My mind was relieved, and started ont
happy. l little knew the malicious trap
that had sprung upon myself. began to
understand it after had taken about the
twenty glass OF settler. was full
to OVERLOOKING There was no escape. /
kept ON drinking settler, and asking to be
excused for few moments. will not go
into the narrowing details of the night /
spent. Sleep was foreign to my weary
eyes, rest unknown to my tired limbs. /
found settler, taken in such quantities, to
be much worse than whisky. | vowed ev-
cry time that l got upland l got up every
ifUeen minutes-that l would never again
take another glass of settler, and | never
have done so.
After this initiation into the mysteries of
Southern inequalities, began to exercise
more caution. l was subsequently very
successful One of my most hospitable of
all my hOspitable friends took me out one
morning. | went around with him and did
all his business. l went through the usual
form of introduction to all his friends. We
took his fast trOtter, visited the Fair
Grounds, the Halfway House and the Lou
siana Jockey Club House. Then we came
back and took his fast team, and drove ont
20 the famous $40 shellrOad and at the
amous 2:4O gait We came back and went
o dinner at VictOr's. We visited the opera
! little and the cluhrOOms below a good
leal. Then we went to the st. Charles,
where was stopping, and my friend said
% me, in disconnected way:
"LOok here, Colonel, it strikes (l1icl me
hat you are getting pretty well used to
Southern hospitality. I've had you out for
welve hours; we've been everywhere, and
cen everything, and you don't seem to be-
leepy Vet. Well, now, l am. So good
light old fellow, (hic) good night"
He clasped my hand with a profound
ceiling of respect. | was a good deal proud
f it myself. 1t is the only case on record
4 which stranger eyer got the best of
southern hospitality.