The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-09-14
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other aud modoaily MATES iiia iioafd iiil
lighter Thereby
Dalla, ID pfoyerbial for good drinking
saloons and many Of the better class o
these institutions spread large tables NJ
about II O'Clock each M OrninR, upon which
Is laid tempting cdlbleg, such ~ cold meats
palatablo vegetables, good fresh bread con.
| diments, etc These lunches were Invented
for tho accommodation OF business men
who drop out near the above named hour
ITO see friend " and to take something TO
| refresh the inner man. or course these
lunches are for the public, without money
and without price, rs tho preachers would
say, but not SO much that way rs the
novice who knows nothing about the wheels
within a wheel Of free lunch counter
would suppose. While nothing Is charged
TO this refreshing side'show to
tho large circus, !. e., the bar,
it was never intended by the party who
took out letters patent on the system ana
then sold rights here and there, that man
should stand with his back against Il lamp
post opposite the saloon and when the
white-aproned knight of the tumbler and
demijohn was busily engaged pouring
| liquid streams two yards long from one
tumbler TO another, rush in, shove his fJrli
through two pieces OF meat at one time and
at the same time perform broad-sword eX-
ercise by scooping slaw into his capacious
mouth with knife in the other hand, and
then going out the back door as If
he expected cyclone was coming up
that would blow every brick in the building
clear across the river. The inventor OF free
lunches never dreamt Of this, or he would
have furnished muzzle attachments. Dallas
has very large congregation OF these pro-
fessional lunch iends. They can be seen
any day at any of the tony saloons. They
are spotted by the miXologists, but that
don't diminish the number. Sometimes
they will walk in with as much cheek as q
ward politician, lay down five cents, call
for glass Of beer walk up leisurely to the
lunch counter, eat like u canal-boat horse,
say something funny about when
desert will be ready" walk out
with clear conscience and with the air OF
q drummer leaving the dining room Of a
first-class hotel. But that is only some
times. In about three days the same tend
comes back TO the same saloon and picks
up the morning paper, looks at it with one
eve and the barkeeper with the other He
is in no hurry to dine He is not very
hungry anyhow. He looks at the front
door, then the back; all is clear. Here
come party of "the boys" Mixed drinks
engage the attention of the young man be-
hind the counter and behind the spotless
shirt front, when the tiend comes to the
conclusion that the vegetable season
is nearly over anyhow, and he believes
he'll eat a few tomatoes and bite or so OF
onion, which, coupled with several slices of
me and bread and a spoonful or two OF
mustard, will serve to stay his stomach till
night, if not the next morning; and IT IS
less risky than going to the hashery, where
he hangs out, and having his feelings hurt
by the frowns and inquisitive turn of mind
Of the fat female who presides at the head
Of affairs there. Spending that nickle three
days ago gives him right to tell the bar
keeper to go to Helena, Arkansas,
if he don't like the manner in which he
'patronizes this era ranch" He has run
the gauntlet at all the other saloons, and
this upstart behind the counter can't give
him any worse turning over" than the one |
did down the street day before yesterday.
On regaining the street he drops in TO
watch the day game" not expecting to |
pick up more than three or four "sleepers,n |
whatever that is, but the chairs in front of |
the hotels are all occupied, and as the city |
is derelict in providing nice benches on the
streets, he goes up stairs because he feels |
like killing time. Next day he follows suit |
and so on to the end of the chapter, till he |
either takes passage in boX-car while the
brakem an is coupling, or else he assists in
making a crop at the poor farm as yag.
He is here in full force, and can be seen al
most any day near the ante-prandial hour.
ut is not so much their presence that we |
object to-" said saloonist yesterday, but
they have such awful ravenous appetites.
and it don't take but few moments for
one of these fiends to completely devastate |
a fine lunch intended for snack for one
hundred paying customers. The business |
men about noon relish drink OF some sort |
and bite of something to stay the stom-
ach, but if the lunch tiend has been there |
before him he will not find a crust of bread,
a shred of meat or the least vestige of once
fine lunch. Why, sir, have actually seen
them eat up the mustard, pepper and salt
when he had devoured everything else.
We first tried to bluff them by politely Of
fering them toothpicks, which they take
with the air of a man who had just squan-
dered $50 for champagne, but we have been
compelled to resort to more severe meas
ures by positively denying them the priyl-
lege of The lunch stand, but they watch for
an opportunity, and when the bar is
crowded with customers they rush in,
and taking advantage of the excitement, as
it we're, grab handful something less than
a peck, and in q twinkling, before we have
time to notice him, he is on the streets
chewing his ill-gotten food. This is the
worst type Of the lunch tiend, and he and
the bar-keepers are sworn enemies. Then
there is the gentleman lunch tiend, who
sometimes buys glass of beer, but who
never fails TO eat fifty cents worth OF lunch.
Sometimes he meets man on the streets
and engaging him in conversation, talks
to him until he treats in order to rid him.
self of such aloquacious companion. When
he goes in he tells the treater that he can al
ways depend on it that he can get the best
liquors at that bar. This is said in a half
tone, and is intended for the
"barkeep," thrown out as so much tally to
tickle that individual. The bar man knows
full well that he will return and 'stiff' him
for the drinks, for he never fails 10 try it on.