The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-01-18
rFrom the New York Observer
IRENENUS LETTERS.
An Hour i'm a Bar-ROOm.

It is not often that my lines fal
in such place as bar-room /
happened last week in this wise: Be
ing suddenly summoned to suburban
village, some twenty-five miles out o1
town, | was obliged to wait an houl
at the station before the returning
train would arrive. Being a-hungered
| went to the adjoining tavern to gel
something to eat, as there was nothing
to be had elsewhere.
The establishment was not large,
but was clean and comfortable. The
dining-room opened out Of the bar
room, but having no fire in it was not
available, and neat tables were placed
near the stove in the bar-ro0m. The
house was kept by an English woman,
who stood behind the bar with her
bare arms folded, while she waited
orders. | asked for coffee and rolls,
and while she was providing them I
surveyed the scene. The bar was
plentifully supplied with liquors in
handsome array, with variously color
ed glasses, and the printed license to
sell was posted in the midst. Above
this display were numerous inscrip-
tions in neat FRANCESCA few of them
Tremember. One of them was, "God
Bless our Home" "God Bless the
Old Folks at Home" And filled with
surprise at finding such incongruous
notices in such place, l read again,
"As thy days so shall thy strength
be- There were others which | do
not now recollect NY lunch arrived,
and while [ was eating it, young
man entered, and was welcomed by
the landlady as a customer. He step
ped to the bar and asked for whisky.
She set the decanter before him, and
he poured out glass and asked her
to join him. She took bottle of
some other liquor, and, pouring out
dram, clinked her glass against his,
and they drank together to each
others health! He took seat by the
stove, and she soon came out from the
bar and sat near him, beginning the
conversation by telling him of what
time she had last evening with a lot
of men who came in for supper. They
had chickens and oysters and drink,
and spent their money freely, got
high" and one of them rolled on the
floor. She had to telephone for an
officer to come and get the drunken
fellows out. She said she was doing
a good business, getting ahead we'll.
The young man seemed to be inter
ested in her report Of prosperity, and
with large oaths frequently expressed
his satisfaction. Just then the baker
came in with the days supply Of
bread, and had long chat and chaff
with the voluble bar-woman. Her
free and easy way reminded me of
bar-maids / had seen in England; but
rarely having any occasion to enter
such place as this, I was not aware
that the class had been transplanted
into our soil.
Certainly this was the first time that
| ever saw in any country pious pray
ers and Bible promises done in big
letters, and hung up in frames over
shelves filled with intoxicating
liquors, to be sold to profane and
rowdy customers. And it seemed to
me that as this was was a new chap
ter in my experience, it was also
new phase of human life altogether.
And as I came down the road to the
city, the bar and the bar-woman, the
pious texts and the drinks made a Gu
rious medley in my mind while [ fell
away into an afternoon dose. Did
this woman adorn her bar with these
printed prayers in the belief that her
business would be blessed thereby?
Was it an intimation that the house
in which she ministered to the base
appetites of men was under the pro-
lection of Him who is too holy to re-
gard sin with any degree of favorg
She was not hypocrite, | felt quite
sure, for she was ready to drink with
her customers, and to manifest plea
sure in the bandlage which they in
dulged in while they took their drains
Rather it seemed to me that she had
no conscience or concern about it;
but having been brought up in a
Christian land, she had adopted the
thought and habit Of others, not paus-
ing to reason about the inconsistency
of keeping a house for the making of
drunkards and asking God to bless her
ruinous trade. | had heard her say,
when speaking Of a man who had
been in, He was pretty drunk, and
wanted me to'trust him for another
drink; but I told him, No. Icouldn't
trust him, but I would give him
drink, if he would clear out, and so |
got rid Of him" What conscience,
and what calling!
And there may be a lower md
meaner business than this among the
trades and trafics of the world we
live in. But | do not know what the
other one is. No other business in the
world is attended by so large an
amount of sin and misery. There is
no traffic that is so utterly without
apology, justification, or excuse. 1t
does no good to anybody, and certain
ly does an immense amount of evil
The customers to whom the rumseller
ministers are debased, and more so
the more they trade, and so it comes
to pass that the larger the business
done the more evil is wrought. This
bar-woman said she took in thirty
dollars as the fruit of last evenings
carouse. That she thought was doing
we'll. There were probably half a
dozen men; men of families, who
spent five dollars each, and went home
drunk. Follow them there No ink
is red enough to describe the scenes