Morning journal and courier., 1884-04-25

London Letter to Louisville CoUrter-JournAl1
If the public drinking places of England
were placed side by side ia straight line
| they would extend distance of 700 miles.
In describing these places we must first
| classify them. Some are licensed to sell al
kinds of Intoxicating beverages; some to sell
beer and wine; some to sell only beer. They
differ, also, in point of respectability. The
character of these places is determined largely
by the class Of people who patronize them.
Some are IS low as perdition itself; others SO
exceptionally we'll conducted that, as matters
go here, no one need be ashamed to visit
them. There are places in town where the
soberest man could not get moro than one
glass of liquor before dinner, nor more than
two at any time. At many others-most
others, I may say-the only limit is the ap-
plieant's ability to pay for what he demands,
or to stand up and drink it. On the whole,
however, the publicans keep the law The
hours of closing are rigidIy observed every.
whore, and there is no doubt that if Parlia-
ment concludes to shut them up altogether
on the Sabbath day, shut up they will be,
back, front and all round, without single
exception in the whole land.
The country tavern is rated as very re-
spectacle. Often the keeper of it is a church
warden. In the tap-room honest Hodge re-
gales himself from foaming tankard, look
ing, with his long pipe and ruddy counte-
nance, the very picture of health and con.
tentment. Usually there are several other
drinking-rooms of a better class. In these
the squire sits down to chat with his tenants,
and the traveller to refresh himself for his
further journey. Occasionally, too, the
country Parson drops in. These country
inns are the village hotels. The accommoda.
tions are plain enough, but very clean, very
fast will seldom cost more than so cents, and
the landlord and his wife will make you feel
SO much at home that you will be sorry when
the time comes to leave. You get at these
places the maximum of real refreshment at
the minimum of cost, with no degrading as
sociatious and without being compelled to
patronize the bar.
The tRverns in town and city are conducted
differently. You must drink there and pay
well for it. But the traveller can avoid these
if he likes. for in any place of any size lodging
can be procured at private houses, while in
the largest centres you will find hotels very
similar to those in eur own country. The
ordinary city tavern clearly indicates on the
outside what is carried on within. There is
no attempt at concealment. On the contrary,
windows and doors are covered with advertise
ments of the different drinks, and by study
of the exterior you can find out the different
compartments into which the place is divided
On one door, the most conspicuous, you will
read the announcement, Public Bar This
will lead you into the part where the common
herd go and whore the lowest prices prevail
another door will admit you to the ''Private
Bar" Here drinks are served only by the
glass and the charges are little higher.
Still another door will lead you to what is
called the Luncheon Bar where you can
get snack of sausage or bread and cheese as
an accompaniment to your drink and where,
IS you stand eating and imbibing your
features will be hidden from customers in
other parts of the place, even from those
waiting upon you, by a screen of ground glass
placed at a proper height above the counter
for that express purpose. All these compart-
msnts will be one room, divided from each
other by wooden partitions, which extend
from the front of the counter to the outer |
wall Behind the bar there is no division |
This part is usually arranged with great taste, |
the glasses, bottles and other ornaments |
standing against q mirror which usually |
stretches the full length of the place, present |
ing after gas-light a really brilliant appear |
ance. Such 10 an ordinary English drinking |
saloon, the kind one finds scattered all over |
London within few hundred steps of each |
other. There are other kinds of course
some large and magnificent combining with |
the regular bar, cafe, buffet, dining rooms,
&c. The Criterion is one of these. An
other, Just finished, is the Holborn restaur- |
ant This building is nearly all of pure |
msrble, furnished in regular Etyle-really |
the most sswslr' place in London. Its CEN
struction and fitting cost 5000, 900, and there |
are others ia the metropolis not much be-
hind this in either c0stliness or sumptuous-
nAHs