Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-24

written, DOOhS are Tcdu ouu paw F,--S
whist at the tables in the further corner,
To an American the bar is mover
feature on British steamship. In the
CITY of Rome il is on the lower deck. III
is so small that only one person can 6e
served at time. The bartender rarely
wore a coat. If he had been greasing
the machinery his shirt could hardly
have been dirtier. Davy Crockett would
have called him anything but gentie-
man, for he invariably poured out the
drinks for his patrons. If you asked
for whiskey, no bottle was placed before
YOU. The drink was measured IN
pewter cup and then poured into tum-
bier and placed before you. The norm
was invaribly a stiff one, more than any
moderate drinker would desire. 1t was
the same with brandy and other liquors.
If YOU call for a pony brandy you got
the same measure. This measuring OF
drinks is universal on all English stes no.
ships. With the preponderance OF
American passengers, the saloon.keep-
er would probably increase his gains py
allowing his patrons to gauge tnelr
own drinks. On the Alaska many
Americans ordered glass OF brandy
and two pony tumblers. BY dividing
the liquor they got two ponies for the
price of one. Some speculated' IN
whiskey in the same manner. me
loss to the bar was apparent. what
would be made by allowing the Amerl-
cans the privilege of the bottle, how
ever, would be more than counter
balanced by the greed of Englishmen.
An old steam ship bartender told me
that he tried the American system to
his hearts content, and was satlsfled
that it was a losing system. III you
allow one man to pour out his drink,
YOU must allow all to do So" he said.
tYou can't make distinction on the
ground of nationality. An English
man is natural hog. He will always
fill his glass to the brim. AS soon as
the officers of the vessel learned that
my bar was being run on American
principles, they trebled theirpatronage,
and doubled the size of their drinks. !
found myself going to the dogs, and
was forced to shut down." Englishmen
seldom 90 to the bar for a drink. They
order what they want by a steward,
and it is brought to them, whether they
are on deck, in the smoking-room, the
ladies' cabin, or in the barber-shop.
The price of all strong drinks was six
pence, or twelve cents of our money.
Wines, however, are much cheaper than
i'm New York. The still wines were
excellent but there were complains
about the champagne. Indeed some
passengers shipped their own cham.
pagne and cordials. An old European
traveller on the City of Rome took with
him two barrels of oysters, a half barrel
ofcelery, several hampers Of mince and
pumpkin pies, six baskets of champagne
and a dozen bottles of kimmel. He
lived like a fighting cock and celebrated
his birthday on board so successfully
that himself and three-quarters of his
friends turned in with their boots on.
The cooks on these steamers gave
more astention to delicacies than to
substantials. Finer galatine castles |
never saw, but there was lamentable
lack ofnicely broiled porterhouse steaks.
Occasionally u guest would complain.
Uncle Rufus fancied that 1.-The butter
had either been too close to the cheese
or the cheese had been to close to the
butter.n The freshest delicacy on the
Alaska was the pepper-grass. 1t Is
raised on wet wooden blanket stretch
ed above the deck. The seed is sown
and the blanket kept saturated. 1t five
days the grass is green and ripe and ut
for cutting. 1t is so tender that 1t fairly
melts in your mouth. AT times, how
ever, tarry haste indicates that the
blanket catches the rain that drops
from the rigging.
A student of human nature can
always amuse himself by observing the
passengers. There were an Ecuadorian
plenipOtentiary, broker, a Texas cattle
driver and twelve elergymen on the
City of Rome. The greatest swells were
Englishmen. One of them had an easy
chair with a placard containing his
name, with the prefix of colonel and
the words: