The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-10-19
DARKROOM PROFITS.
An Indignant "Old Topper" Makes an
Interesting Expose.
New York Graphic.


am in doubt as toyour willingness
to publish this lettel-the complaint
which make iu it may have n" in.
terest to y"n; for all that know you
NAV be an enthusiastic teetotal|er,
and inclined rather to 60 in f"' de
p'iving every one Of what you do not
care for to permit an old topper like
myself to say word in favor of
cheap drinking, and in exposure of
the txtortinns practiced upon the
drinking public by the saloon keep:
ers. However, shall free my mind
upon the subject, which is really one
of very extensive public Importance,
and If you choose to throw my letter
into yonr waste-paper basket the
fAnlt ~;ll he YOURS and not niue.
l speak, sir, ID the name OF 4 long
suffering and surely wronged class of
our citizens-the regular and steady
drinkers in this metropolis.
Bread, sir, is cheap-cheap as it
Was bef"re the war; rents have come
down clothing is low; wages are
very low, all the necessaries and |uxu.
ries Of life-save the one l am about
to mrntion-are to be obtained at
reasonable prices. But here are the
saloon keepers on Broadway and on
the streets near the Post Office, charg-
ing US war prices for our drinks. This
is cruel imposition, and l cry out
against it.
| invite your attention to some
statistics which | have taken care to
|'"btain from the highest sources, and
for the accuracy Of which can
vouch:
Good rye or Bourbon whisky can
be bought for s. gallon. Much Of
that which IS sold over the bars ia
the ordinary saloons Gusts no mole
than this; some of it costs less. The
very best DIES not cost over 81, and
little of that is given. Any expe.
'ir"ced barkeeper will tell you thai
Il gallon of whiskey, retaile9 over the
bar, produces from sixty to eighty
d,inks-more often the latter figure
than the former. Now look at it:
lgallon whiskey. ............S3 O(
80 drinks at 10 cents. ........... 8 Oh
Profit Observation-Disclosures. S. DC
Or,
gallon whiskey 81 OC
SO drinks at Is cents. s OF
Even if we place the cost of the
whisky at tho highest price and the
number Of drinks at the lowest, the
p'"ht is still excessive:
l gallon " uisktJ ST az
80 drinks at 10 cont, ..8 o,
Profit. 81 O0
or exactly 100 per cent! la this no.
outrageous What would be though
Of a butcher who charged 4oc. .
pound for meat which cost him zoe.
or a baker who demanded zoe. for ,
loaf that cost him lOc. or less thar
lOc.? 1t may be replied, that mea
and bread are necessaries of life ant
that whisky is q luxury or worse
and that tue more Que is made to pa,
tor it the better it is. 1deuy all thes'
propositions, but l will not argu'
them here lest l should weary you
What l assert is that the saloons ar
not in the interest of the Society fo
the Prevention Of Vice; that the ex
travagantly high pIice charged fo
even whisky straight does not lessor
its consumption; that it is-to mel
like myself and, as l believe, to ,
vast majority Of the populace-:
prime necessity, and that the extor
ton Of the saloon-keepers cannot b.
justified On moral or political econo
micai grounds.
But, sir, there is still a lower Dept
in the depravity Of tue saloon keep
ers. Their extO,tion on whisk,
straight is bad enough, but thei
charges for mixed drinks are still
worse. l have in my minds eye tw
| saloons in the Deighborhood Of tn
post office, the rates IF which / vii
take for illustration. At each of thes
places the chalges for a st. Croi
sour is ]5c. Now, the cost Of a 81
CIUix sour is g.
Cont
Rum, at tho outside.