Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-12-18

NIilp pI tue funniest class Oh men bl tEudN
is the "lunch fiend." Persons unacquainted
with them would probably he led to be
lieve that they were tramps or poor peO-
pie, but such is not the case. The "fend
appears in many shapes, and he is not always
seen IN the ragged garb. The saloon keepers
all sav that the worst fends they have TO deal
with arc CountTymen, and many Of them arc
men of great wealth. II is the custom Of all
who partake Of lunch 10 spend at least some
thing at the bar, and many gentlemen spend
more there than perhaps they otherwise
would, at times so that they may be on the
right side, and not be considered mean. THE
tiend " IL directly the opposite, and he
wants to get the most he can on a small in
vestment, or if he can possibly get some one
else to treat he is getting off much more
luckily.
Saloon men relate very funny incidents
which come TO their notice almost daily.
One prominent in the business tells us that
he knows Of men who come from the country
aud spend u whole day without seeing the
dining room Of hotel. They bring their
horse feed with them and tie their animals
in the shed Of a hotel. After feeding they 20
to some well known lunch saloon whore they
eat meal from the lunch table, paying five
cents for glass of beer, in order that they
may have an opportunity Of rObbing the
landlord without deliberately stealing the
lunch.
The other day rich farmer walked into a
North Queen street saloon, taking with him
bar. The man ordered a glass of beer, drank
a portion of 1t and gave some 10 the little
codger. The two stood at the bar for fifteen
minutes and ate at least so cents worth of
lunch. In exchange the landlord received
5 cents. The man saved two dinners at the
hotel, however, and saw nothing wrong In
the transaction.
Some men are as much delighted at the
sight Of a lunch table as a school boy Is at a
holiday, and whenever they are in the same
room with they aepm IN lose control of
their hands ~ well as stOmRchs Frequently
men have been known 10 deliberately pull a
chair up to the lunch table, eat to repletion,
| and then walk out
A few days ago fellow Of this kind hauled
a chair up to the table In prominent saloon
| and, after eating some time, started for the
| bar. He concluded TO return TO the table.
| AZ he was about setting down the bartender
hold of the table and deliberately carried il
away from In front Of the hungry man, leav.
ing him seated upon the chair clone in the
middle of the 70 ON.
TRICKING THE REGULARS
Some lunch fends are very annoying %
saloon men, who occasionally play tricks upon
| them. Some years age well known
| ex-county official was In the habit OF visiting
| a saloon where roast potatoes were always
part Of the lunch. Hewould always pick out
| the choicest on the plate after handling the
others The saloon man resolved to got even
with him. On ono cold night he set out
fine large potato and had II frozen very
hard. When the lunch was put up the ~
loon man noticed his old friend in the bar
room and he placed the frozen potato OF
top Of the plate the old fellow got Il and
when he discovered its condition he sworS
oaths Of all kinds and szea
1t Is a custom for men attending lunch
counters TO sprinkle plate with red pepper
and after filling IL with soup hand II to ar
'old un." Tears usually come 10 the eyes o.
the receiver and the lunch giver has a grea
job 10 convince him that the heat is from tht
fire of the stove which the soup was brought
from.
On the Long Route.
The Saturday night crowd Of "iiends" il
usually very large They consult the even
ing papers and ascertain early where lunches
are to be given. Some even carry a copy o
the paper with them and they travel from
one saloon TO another, eating lunch Of every
kind just because they can, and without
spending much money.
Hundreds of humorous stories could he
told ~ the lunch rout and, its follow eTs, bu
sufficient has been written 10 give the anti
lunchers an idea of how their friends on tht
other side work it, There Ii certainly lots o.