Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-12-08
THE BARROOM NUISANCE.
A short History OF tho Animals,
with Description Of their Habits
and PecolfaE1tfes.

In Memphis, as in other cities. bar.
rooms exist on nearly every square.
They are frequented by nearly all classes
of people, and especially by the bar
room beat" an animal of the sponge
order, whose highest ambition is to get a
drink without paying for it, or to be
enabled to borrow 8 small sum Of money
from the proprietor, bar-keeper or Wis
itors. If you happen in to take some.
thing the sponge" is always at your
elbow; be has a long-range memory. and
he recollects you; in fact, he knows you
well. He is as jolly as Falstaf, grasps
your hand and asks you a dozen ques-
tons. AS you order drink in response
to, the bar keepers polite question.
What will you have2' he looks at you
with an expression most sympathet-
ic, and then glsnces at the bar
keeper who is mixing up your bever-
age. You of course ask him to take
a drink. BE says: well, l just had a
drink, but l will take a little straight
whisky" You both drink; you pay for
it, you are bored; he ia pleased; and
you start to walk out, but the sponge"
holds you fast with his glitteriug eye and
voluble speech. He tells you a long and
interesting story concerning himself,
but you manage to shake him loose at
last. The next customer ia captured BY
the sponge" in like manner; in fact,
he lies in wait for his prey. In the
morning by the time a saloon is open
the sponge makes bis appearance and
begs a drink on credit from the bar
keeper, promising to pay in a hour or
two when he sees Mr.. Jones, who owes
aim money He is the last man in the
saloon at night and rings into every
crowd, especially if the crowd contains
a few exhilarated individuals.
THE WHISKY CONFIDENCE MAN.
Another animal Of the bar-room spe-
cies is the confidence man." He is
largely on the borrow. He will drink
with you if you invite him, and then he
will take you aside snG pour into your
ear a confidential communication re-
speeding his destitute condition-in fact,
that he has not eaten anything that day,
and he would never forget you if you
would lean him a dollar. If you answer
that you have not the dollar, the villain
still pursues you, and asks you for half a
dollar, or even a quarter. When you
continue to expose the depleted state of
your pocketby ignoring all acquaintance
with filthy lucre, he then plays his last
trump and says: II would not ask you,
but am starving; couldn't you borrow
a dollar from the saloon-keeper2 l know
be will let you have it." II you yield to
his entreaties, you get rid Of him forever,
as after that he will avoid you; yet, if
you refuse him, he will likewise do SO,
because he gives you up like a conun.
drum, as n proof against the seduc-
tons Of a whisky dead-beat. The most
polite man our reporter ever knew was
a chap who borrowed q dollar from him
to savs the borrower from sleeping on
the street. He halted our man on the
street in front Of the Peabody Hotel one
afternoon, and escorting him to the
lamp-post on the corner said to him
thusly: Captain -, l know you to be
a gentleman and a man of honor. l am
nearly insane, and / feel Inundated at
having to reveal to you my necessities.
| sm out Of money, and the clerk Of the
hotel refuses to lodge me unless l pay in
advance for a room. / had to sleep out
on the bluff last night because l was too
proud to Inform my friends Of my con-
dition. You know how a chivalrous soul
feels under such circumstances. Can
you lend me a dollar to. pay for my
room2 will never forget You, and will
repay you 10 a few days when l receive
a remittance from home" This speech
was delivered in a most eloquent and
impressive manner by a man who had
seen better days, who had originally been
a higb-toned gentleman, but who at the
time Of the interview, or at that "su-
preme moment was slightly intoxi-
Gated and was dressed in rather q shabby
genteel manner What could our re.
porter do2 The shaft of eloquence en-
tered his sympathetic soul and he gave
him a dollar, out of the sun of two dol.
lars which accidentally at that moment
was in his possession. After doing so
and departing toescspe q profusion Of
eloquent words Of gratitude, our man be-
came suspicious and crossed the street
to watch the being he had saved from
destruction, but hat being, after looking
around suspiciously, walked straight to q
saloon and invested a portion of that
dollar in whisky, he was a whisky
confidence man" OF the heroic and
chivalric order-one OF natures noble.
men.
r0n 1unuS-.~