The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-12
THE nuCKEr GANG GANG !
A Glass OF Citizens Who 10 Not Pny for
hlI.gUf. IitIl Their Drinks, GE,f' irB't

A few evenings since an 1SrELLlaEScER
reporter was accosted on the street by a
well known policeman, who asked "Say,
why don't you write up this Lucket gang
that have their headquarters downat Hub.
bard's saw mill 2" The reporter failed 10
catch the full significance Of the query, and
usked for IN explanation. -.y '.'5.W
"Why," said the officer, "don't you re-
member when Toby Vance and Albert
Price were arrested for petit larceny and
an attempt to burg|arize the St Charles
Hotel, their defense WIS that they only
went into the yard 10 get.the DRAWINGS out
OF the beer kegs set out OF the bar? ~ "a
The reporter remembered. &g'Ei"1<
swell, there's just dozens Of TINT kind
ofmcn iii Wheeling" Then he went on
to describe the "Ducket Gang" he had be.
fore alluded to. 3'a1aZy. h AZ R, ;51 N
The Bucket Gang are bad lot, known
10 the police and saloon.keepers, particu.
larly the latter. Their business, while an
old one, improves like all others Of a more
legitimate character, in That some ingen.
ious member ihvents new scheme every
now and then, by which drop Of "bugle
paint'' can be secured. The .Bucket
Gang are, in more polite terms, men who
viii do any thing for drink and drink
most anything that resembles or tastes
like liquor. They can DO seen prowl.
ing round nights, two, three, four and some.
times dozen in one lot. They make their
headquarters in dark alleys, stables, luu.
Der yards, and under doorsteps. At these
places they keep concealed m old tin
bucket, Sometimes they use an oyster can,
in which case they come under the l,ead
OF the "Can Brigade" Occasionally, how.
ever, Dame Fortune smiles upon them to
such an extent that neither bucket nor can
is brought into play; this is when they
manage to "copi'' u whole key OF beer.
The tricks Of the "bucket gang
are very numerous. In the gray dawn
OF early morning one might see
two or three Of the gang lingering about in
tho vicinity OF a saloon, in the front Of
which stand number Of beer kegs that
were emptied during the previous night.
The kegs are empty-that is, they contain
nothing but dregs. Watching their chance
the thirsty citizens slip UP, quietly but
quickly; one jerks from under his coat the
bucket, and the other, by neatly exc
cuted motion, only acquired by constant
practice, deity tips one Of the kegs until
the frotbless contents drip out, In an in
slant the key Is dropped. ind both are in
a convenient hiding place, casting iurtive
glances in the direction Of the
saloon door to see il the bar.keeper is
"onto Them" prccaution that is
well taken, as such discouses by that indi-
Yidual are followed by the presentation Of
bouquet ofshne leather or a call for the
police. II undiscovered they repeat the
net, eagerly drinking the stale stuff with
great gusto. This is also the tramp's
fayorlte method Of obtaining his mornings
drink, 1t is the boast Of well regulated
har:keepels that tho Temperature Is very
frjgid Oh the dry one OF this gang gets the
best Of them. But they are often the vic.
tins, and for some new trick OF the trade
they fill the bucket for nothing.
Stale or spoiled beer is a valued
ingredient for whitewasl, and always
in demand among the artists OF The bucket
and brush in the house cleaning season. A
young man belonging to the gang will Gu.
ter the saloon, and, with sad and winning
look on his face, but with one eye cast in
the direction Of the door, address the bar.
keeper with: Fathers going to whitewash
Tomorrow. Couldn't you give little stale
beer to mix 81 This is one OF the old tricks,
and Seldom wins nowadays. Then, too, the
gang onee in 0 while club together and pay
for the filling oil The bucket, These are but
samples Of The ways OF the gang,who oil late
ora urnnt1 in aron CHM II, ~, =, nj o.,,,