Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-27
The Bar-rOOlns of Baltimore.

The bAr.rOOfUS VI
Baltimore city is remarkable 10 many ways,
and particularly 10 possessing more PAGES where
the tairs,y can STEP aside and take little spir-
It's for the stomach sake, than auy other city
OF the same size in tie Union or probably in
the world. This is rather a startling assertion,
bur it is borne out by figures that are even more
startling, and which show that with popula
lion oil 3U0 900 it has 1900 saloons, or drink
lug place for every $50 OF lis Inhabitants. This
nuuber OF saicoDs includes the grocery stores
where quor Is sold In quantities OF not less
.nau one pint, but to BALTIMORE topper pint
is Dniy drluk, and COM groceries may be
classei under the head of drinking places with
morc propriety. because 10 the comparison car
ried cut below such stores are included in the
statistics Of other cities
New York, with population approximatiog
LOCO, 900 has ), 700 saloons, or ooe to every IS
of lis lotabitaus Chicago, naughty, wicked
Chicago, with nearly 500, 900 population, has
abou 1000 saloons, or one to every 25O inhab.
ants Boston, with $50, 900 luhabitauts, has ooly
200 SALOONS, or Que tu every 29l luhabtaots.
Cincinnati, with about $3.50 popuation,
aud its large German beer drlnk,ng elameDt
con es pretty cose to Baltimore, with = 100 sa
iOOuS VI OuC " tVCEy LOO duu
Philadelphia shows, with population of about
GOO 700, 2, 100 saloons, or one 10 every 22U OF
It's isinLabitants. These comparisons might be car
ricd out indefinitely, and with each new compar
isop would come up more reasons for Baltimore
to blush for its lnemperaoce. The figures
given OF the number ofdriDklug places, or where
liquor can be purchased, ls far in excess Of
the report furnished by the Wumcu's Tempe
rance Association, but they are taken from the
record ui the licensed department OF the clerk
OF tie Court of Common Pleas, and are attest
ed BY the receipt of $4,000 annually by the
city for Licenses.
TO 90 a little further into figures and make
an estlmate of the Dumber In each $50 who
drink might exhibit the temperance habits OF
our people in still stronger light, but this
would necessarily be mere speculation. Ii
may be concluded that either few persons
drluk immense quantities otiotoxlcating liquors.
or else the tipping habit must be exceedingly
commoo, to support the 1000 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 be pays on an average IS cents per
gallon for whiskey which he sells without dllu-
tiou Eighty ht cents for Que gaoo is l ce uts
for one piut. The glasses generally used 10 bar
rooms are called third pints and will hold
that fraction Of a piut. For any reasonable to-
per to fill his glass more than one third full
would be a breach Of barroom etiquette not TO
be passed by without remark. SO 1t may be
said that the tppler, as rule, takes one-thlrd
of glass that is oue-third of pint, which cost
the seller IL cents, or 2 9 cents Tor the drluk
for which the imbber pays Is cents for one, or
y cents for wv, or if be puts down halt dol
lar Tor two. he will probably not get but 20 cts.
back. So that the barkecper gets back, ou a
ba>i of l21 cents selling price, the price paid
10 j22 llues. Out Of this profit must be de.
due I'd rent, gas bad debts, interest on invest
ueut, lie nse and possibly something for
higher priced whiskey, but he can make all
that by dilution. 1t Is the immen: profits
that tempt So luaDy men to follow the business,
but they do not all get rich, for the reason that
saloon keeping IS oVerdone.
Hotel bars are, as a rule, the most lucrative.
A great many drinks are sent to rooms, and
charged al the rate of 20 or 25 cents drluk,
10 which case the profits are immoderately 10
creased. Taylor barroom, at the Pennsylva-
MIA Depot, at Jersey City, is understood to
have made fortunes for its several owuers. and
Is considered the best paying institution of the
kind in the country. 1t of course draws large
iy upon the railroad custom for its dividends,
aud frequently it sells as high as 500 piut bot
tIc> OF ghiskcy to travellers, who pay there
Tor 81.
Ii there we're only few first. class saloons
the Injury done would be greatly curta!led.
Like ;. rks like, aud the drunkaId as be de-
sends the scale of responsibility changes his
associates at the high priced saloon, to one of
less prctcurionS, and he gradually sinks lower
AM twer until he fnally reaches the gutter
'roM the door of low den 10 dIsreputable
street. Barkccpers, "a general rule, are ex.
cecdugty polite, mor, than we'll dressed, and
app ar to those WhO are not acquainted with
III, guild, models ul good manners and gentle
manly behavior The best way for anyone TO
dlsabuSt his mind OF any such impression is to
take drink and then With start say. by
George, that's iunuy; lett it on the piano, by
} ovc! hang that up, Billy" 1t is probable
that 30 person has better opportunity OF
Nu yiog human nature; His duty is to wait
On drunkeu men. aud be hears the oonversa-
non of judges. doctors, merchants, politicians
and Statesmen, waen the wine being 10. "the
vii l. III" as tne old adage hath it. He can
Judge of mans wealth by the number OF
''ul"S he gets trusted and the lnfreQuency with
~a'cd he settles He can ju ige of the treat
uent ,nan xtcnds his family by the hours he
= W. a. uiSul, ao0 uc Cou IL aho O ouAe " u
su:Ss as to how long the clerk GU the next
street will ho!d his place.
aouc at mlinlyht the stranger comes 10 and
utIukS and lheo tells long story, which is not
al all lntcrestirg to the barkeeper, but be must
,'St"n to 1t AMI conceal the TACT that he |:
bored.
'}Ald gentleman the other day, ''If mer
Would ouly restrain their whiskey appettes tc
.ne same ,2,ent that whiskey dealers restrain
"nat at tunes must be feeling of disgust f)r
.nelr trade, how many of these blocks OF bar
rooms would be s,en in Baltimore in less thar
'hree months p Baltimore 1Americdn.