Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-09-25


looms OF tho city for the figures of our
calculation. The business done by
the establishments indicated above is
about one-siXth of the entire business
OF the city in the course of a week.
Multiplying the figures by six, we
have n total revenue for the State of
Sl,Oll Is in the course Of u week. This
multiplied by iifty-twu gives a total
revenue III the course of the year of
500, 3Sl SO,
1t is IA fair calculation to suppose
that Richmond people drink one-fifth
OF all the alcoholic and malt LIQUORS
consumed in the State of Virginia.-
Carrying out this calculation. we
make the value of the NIofiett register
to the State $500, $50 90. This is not
an overdrawn picture. Mr.. Cuthbert
ofthe New York Hcruld, who made a
careful tour of the city last Saturday
night, estimates the annual revenue
to the State at fully $500, 100000. This
calculation of the Hcruld representa-
tive was made before the trade of Sun.
day had been registered on the dials
of DR.. Moffett's Little Joker" Last
evening upon a comparison of figures
with the writer, MI. Cuthhert readily
recognized the fact that his estimate
would fall short of the actual receipts.
rs proof of the claim that we have
underrated the revenue we may men,
ton that ut 4:30 p. NJ. Yesterday
George Ives's alcoholic register (which
Is not included in the above calcutta
tion) registered l.75S drinks. This
TACT (Which Is recorded with the con-
sent of Mr.. Ives) shows that the re.
ceipts from the punch will be consid-
eraoly in excess of the figures given
in the ENQUIRER table.
The Dispatch of yesterday gave q
history of the Legislation which result
ed in placing the punch in our sa-
looms, The article concluded with
this paragraph
The belief is that most of the deal
ers are acting honestly and fairly by
the State in the use Of the register.--
The saloons of good repute are kept
10y men of business reputation. They
have no disposition to evade the re-
quirements of the law, however OBJ
noXiOus it may he to them IN the
small GrOggerics pdtrOnized IN iO2O
characters ii is diready fOreSCen there
'0iU he trouble in securing u fair req
iStering Of The Hquor 8old."
There is much truth in the last SEN
tence of the above which we present
in italics.
Il is in the smaller and disreputable
groggeries where the punch will he
manipulated so as TO deprive the
State of the revenue it is entitled to
under the law.
In another column of the Dispatch
of the same day we read
vile register is tie best possible
check upon his agent aChO receives
money for drinks at his counter and
the emplOye who mixes drinks and
eceives money for them il peculiarly
interested, if he is n man Of strict in
tegrity lie finds register of his sales
that, if he is faithful, keeps perfectly
reliable account of his sales. If lie
should not be faithful, however; if lie
should be in the habit of iilching
suit of clothes or any other kind of
self-appropriatior from the money of
his employer, he will consider the
register all abominable detective, de
prving him of the means of purloin-
ing dime now then
This view of the case Is not borne
out in the experience of saloon pro
prietors. There is a revenue rom ci-
gars, from sandwiches, from small
beer. pop, cider, and Lemonade that
constitutes considerable portion of
the receipts. The barkeeper inclined
to dishonesty has n wide field left for
the display of his peculiar talents.
The liquor sellers throughout the
city express great Indignation at the
introduction of the register. Their
sentiment of hostility TO the machine
increases every day. They say that
it works greatlyto their disadvantage
in variety of ways. Thep propose
to make a determined fight against it
on the ground that it IL sumptuary
legislation in the worst form.
Some saloon keepers have already
been reported for falling to turn the
crank as required by law. They are
respectable dealers, and it is not
thought by those conversant with the
facts that there was any intent on the
part of those complained of to evade
the law.
BY the figures given in the calcula-
ton at the Introduction to this article.
the revenue in the city from licenses
for liquor-selling ia about 800 600. Last
year the revenue from the same source
was less than $50 600. II the figures
of our estimate should be borne out 10y
the returns at the end of the year
Richmond will have paid in tax for
liquor more than three times the
that the revenue department
realized last year. Let this proportion
of increase hold good throughout the
State and DR.. Motiett and his friends
will be jubilant.