The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-11-08
THE CONSUMPTION OF WHISKY,
Interesting Facts Regarding Bars and
Barb heepe-9.-Enormous Profits.

Interesting Facts Regarding Bars and
Bnrh heepe-,--Enormous Profits.
Baltimore city, says local paper, is
larly in possessing more places where
the thirsty can step aside and take
little spirits for the stomach's sake,
than any other city of the same size in
the Union, or probably in the world.
This is rather q startling assertion, but
it Is borne out by figures that are even
moro startling, and which show that with
a population of 100000 it has 1900
saloons, or drinking place for every
$50 of its inhabitants. This number OF
saloons includes the grocery stores
where liquor is sold in quantities of not
less than one pint, and common grocer
les may be classed under the head of
drinking places with more propriety,
because in the comparison carried out
below such stores are included in the
statistics of other cities. =,
New York, with population approx
mating 1000, 900, has $500 saloons, or
one to every 175 of its inhabitants.
Chicago, with nearly soc, 900 population,
has about 2, 900 saloons, or one to every
250 inhabitants. Boston, with 300, 600
inhabitants, has only 1000 saloons, or
one to every POI inhabitants. Cincin-
natl, with about 1916, 900 inhabitants,
and its large German beer drinking ele-
ment. comes pretty close to Baltimore.
with 2, 100 saloons, or one to every 1876
inhabitants, and Philadelphia shows,
with a population of about 10000,
2,7O0 saloons, or one to every 220 Of its
Inhabitants. These comparisons might
be carried out indefinitely, and with
each new comparison would come ND
more reasons for Baltimore to blush for
its intemperance. The figures given of
the number of drinking places, or where
liquor can be purchased, is fer in excess
OF the report furnished by the Women's
Temperance Association, but they are
taken from the record of the license de-
partment of the clerk of the court of
common pleas, and are attested by the
receipt of 100000 annually by the city
for licenses.
To goa little further into figures and
make an estimate of the number OF each
leo who drink, might exhibit the in
temperate habits Of our people to still
stronger light, but this would necessari-
ly be mere speculation. It may be
concluded that either few persons
drink immense quantities of intoxicating
liquors, or else the tipping habit must
be exceedingly common, to support the
two thousand saloons annually licensed
by the city.
Saloon keepers make immense profits
on their sales. To be charitable to the
saloon keeper, it may be said, for the
purpose of getting data, that he pays
on an average eighty eight cents per
gallon for whisky which he sells without
dilution. Eighty eight cents for one
gallon is eleven cents for one pint. The
glasses generally used in barrooms are
called third pints, and will hold that
fraction of pint. For any reasonable
topper to fill his glass more than one
third full would be q breach of barroom
etiquette not to be passed by without
remark. So it may be said that the tip
pier, as a rule, takes one-third of
glass, that is, one-third of one-third of
pint, which cost the seller eleven cents.
or one and two-ninth cents for the
drink for which the imbiber pays fifteen
cents for one, or twenty-five cents for
two; or if he puts down half a dollar for
two he will probably get but twenty
cents back. So that the barkeeper gets
back, on a basis of twelve and one half
cents selling price, the price paid 10 8. 20
times. Out of this profit must be de-
Quoted rent, bad debts, interest on in
vestment, license, and possibly some
thing for higher priced whisky, but he
can make all that by dilution. It is the
immense profits that tempt SO many men
to follow the business, but they do not
all get rich for the simple reason that
saloon keeping is overdone.
Hotel bars are. as q rule, the most lu. !
crative. A great many drinks are sent
to rooms, and charged at the rate of
twenty or twenty-five cents drink, in
which case the profits are immoderately
increased. Taylor's barroom, at the
Pennsylvania depot at Jersey City, is
understood to have made fortunes for
its several owners, and is considered the
best paying institution of the kind in
the country. It of course draws largely
upon the railroad custom for its diyi-
dends, aud frequently it sells as high as
300 pint bottles of whisky to travellers.
who pay therefor 81.
II there were only q few first-class
saloons the injury done would be great.
ly curtailed. Like seeks like, and the
drunkard, as he descends the scale of re-.
spectabiity, changes bis associates at the
high priced saloon to one of less preten-
sions, and he gradually sinks lower and
lower, until he finally reaches the gutter
from the door of a low den in a disre-
putable street. Barkeepers, as a eener-
al rule, are exceedingly polite, more
than well dressed, and appear to those
who are not acquainted with the guild
models OF good manners and gentleman
ly behavior. The best way for any one
to disabuse his mind of any such i'm
preston is to take q drink and then
with start say: "By George, that's
funny; left it on the piano, by Jove
hang that up, Billy" It is probable
that no person has better opportunity
Of studying human nature. His duty is