The New York herald., 1877-12-08
NEW YORK HERALD SATURDAY DECEMBER

1872 Broadway; George sraubel, No. $50 Sixth ave-
nue.; William Brickey No $50 Ninth avenue; Martin
McNaily. No GA sixth avenue; John Bruggemau,
THE DAY AMONG THE LIQUOR DEALERS
In arstocratic quarters the effects OF tho
police ukase were no SO apparent as might have
been expected. In TACT, the various hotels and
more pretentious liquor saloons did thriv
/ Ing business, while barrooms OF lower grade.
which were under temporary cloud, Kept the shades
well down, the front door locked the lights burning
dimy, and TO the casual observer all within was IN
slrict accordance with the letter and the spirit
OF the Excise law But "a solitary 1gure."
novelist james, might be seen standing at the
SION in order ,nat II Ills suspicious we're aroused the
attentive bartender WITHIN could be sgnalled Of the
approaching danger In other words .aiaoOr haaor
| which we're under the ban OF the police
authorities To say that ndiscriminate guzzIing was
say that good deal OF steady surrcptitious I'M
bbng was the order Of tho day. Particularly
10 DO found. But. up town, among the
high toned wassailers. there was difficulty or OBJ
tive working order and were extensively patron
ized. Among these gilded gin palaces the bar
supplying drinks to their hilarious customers. occa
sionally hard working man would stroll INTO one OF
these high-toned barrooms. looking hall bash
iul and halt defiant, and, calling for his
drink. gulp 1t down with a. dejec.ed
countenance, as nc was was ,,H. bidding Ti,,u.s de-
sioners with feelings more OF sorrow than Of anger
In all places OF such resort the recent police
raid the prevailing topic OF conversation.
that tho attempt to enforce sumptuary laws was
popular among the nabitues OF these places On the
contrary the arrest aud incarccra ion OF saloon pro
prictors denounced as an Outrage on their rights
as citizens. This feeling Of course was strongest
among the friends and patrons Of the
saloon keepers whose places OF business had been
closed because. was frequently expressed, 'they
not lucky rich enough 10 be abe 10 Keep a
hotel As II hotel ike charity, could cover null
titude OF SINS" Up town, however, the feeling was
less bitter and the OPINIONS less freely expressed As
has been stated. liquor TO be Dad in abundance,
and consequently there was no cause OF compliant
! UPTOWN RESORTS.
| HERALD reporter took stroi up town and visited
the leading Loies and saloons 10 gauge The
popular iec,ing on 'he excise cfisis. There
the reporter he started out on hls mission. Nth
this comfortable assurance the reporter soon found
himself Windsor Hotel. Entering the spacious
vesibule the nrst gentleman to meet his eye was HIS
Honor Mayor Ety. looking as unconcerncdiy as II
Gotham strred 10 its deepest depths over the
,x,ise audae. me chcertul gentleman, WAC presided
bcnind the bar, courteously received the reporter.
and, while putlng u small bottle ice, smugly
remarked that lar he and the hotel were con
cerned hey lar removed beyond any
apprehension that the law could inir.nge upon
tner rights Crossing over to sixth avenue
the reporter saw officer ana three citizens
collide N the doorway Of a lager beer saoon
| with their tongues IN Their cheeks The patroman
entered the saloon, No. 1876 sixth avenue. the rc-
bar dealing out ioam,ng "steins" OF beer 10
thirsty customers "Look you here. 6uo" said
up.' "Were gwen Il away, sir,' said the small
BOY. with grsa. gravity. "s'op u now" sa,d
,na warn 0us you ssaa III masa for
And the reporter backed out the officer pulled the
outside door TO- standing inside, and what 'the
subsequent proceedings amounted to cannot
be recorded. Passing down the avenue Tor
few blocks the reporter entered the sa-
but siripng OF bartender sat AT tue door consolng
himself Tor lack oi customers by coming over bill
! OF fare A short distance further down thea venue
| he
bar business, while George McGovern's saloon,
at tho Junction OF Broaaway looked dismal ana de-
serted. Parkers and Muillgan's were dong thriving
business At the latter place group OF newspaper
men and lawyers wore debating the situation over
want bars wero jocund with the clink Of
| glasses while modest little "sample room" on the
alyz.d in its vital part. Tho cigar store in front was
sufficiently illuminated to attract attention to the
room aforesaid, in tho rear Deimonlco's cafe
abaze with brilliant lights. while tho MIN BILE
waters alsrtIy served the exharating vine and tho
stimulating brandy So with the ST. James and The
| Holman House, while their next door heighbor, Gar
lashcr, was IN gloom and mourning rnc Al
bemare Hotel opened It's cafe and bar room with
| IA flourish OF trumpets early the morning IL
| challenging the powers that be to disturb thcm IN
Their fancied security About noon party Of gentle
| men crossed from the Fifth Avenue Hotel to
| have IA quiet dr.nkp aud lesurey saunterlng
into tho barroom when an officer interposed .Stand
back entcmen, this place must be closed" was the
stern mandate. With raeu faces the gentlemen mad
to forego their anticipated ''treat and as
|
placed and could not be produced TO
satisfy the guardian OF tho law an embargo
placed the further sale Of liquor, till after pro-
ioneed search necessary document discovered
ana conspicuousiy displayed over the bar, when the
official iuterdict removed and the saIc OF liquor
was again actively resumed The Fifth Avenue Hotel
had the documents At their back TO protect them
against official espionage. As matter OF course
the sale of liquor was not free, but
unconaned. Neighboring lager beer Saloons however,
such scnroeuers on Broadway, wore closed TO the
pubic, not having the necessary license TO sell
and retail spIrituous liquors, Notwithstanding the
TACT that, as they allcge, they had made
application for a license, paid their deposit and
ceved the receipt OF the Excise Commissioners This
loyal prccaution did not however, prevail, the police
all cases preventing the sale oi liquor whore
certificate OF license could not be produced. The
same rule held good at the other fashionable
centre Union square The louder saloons were open
TO guests while the more unpretcn,ious bar
rooms compelled 10 suspend business
under penalty Of the law. On Third avenue
anu eastward an air Of gloom pervaded
back stairs and side doors were used as loopholcs OF
sortie and retreat Appearances were kept up with
more than usual precautions, but while the letter OF
the law was ostensbly complied with the spirit was
1agranty violated.
In all of the lower precincts the effect OF the raids
was plainly perceptble; not cellar or barroom
seemed to be open. II the Fourth Filth; Twenty
hun and Twonty.sevenlh precincts, whore generally
from early IN the evening to long past
and beer houses visible to the passers by,
a complete Transformation had taken place. Every
public resort OF the Kind was really closed, and the
thirsty seekers after bubulous comfort wandered
desoatc In tho shadows. None but regular
hotels, with proper licenses, were open, and
the few irequcntcrs at the bars OF these
houses discussed the last effective movement OF the
polio Opini0ns, OF course, were dividod as to the
policy OF these ast severe measures but that total
closing Of the unlicensed places was a. length fact
accomplished mono presumed to doubt
FEW CoNUSDRUMS.
To THE EpIroR on TIE HKRALD:-