The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-30
PAINTING THE TOWN.
A Night Scene UP Town and = Veteran BAR
Tenders Comment Thereon.

A Night Scene UP Town and = veteran BAR
Tenders Thereon.
New York Sun.
It was nearly closing time in a well known up
town cafe a few nights ago A negro porter was
dragging the mats out on the sidewalk. prepaYa-
tory to beating the dust out Of them, the walters
leaned with sleepy i'll humor against their tables,
and the bar~keepers took a final look in the mir
ror as they slipped on their street coats. Five or
six of the regular habitues of the place stretched
themselves lazily, remarked that 1t was a great
country, ana supposed they'd better take
another night-cap and 60 home. II was a tran
quill scene.
The stiffness was rent by a Wild noroo, and the
negro porter bounded nimDly aside as fve men
burst into the place with the hustle and noise Of
a party of cowboys on q boot. -Four or them
were visitors from out Of town, but they were
unquestionably men Of parts, and they conduct
ed themselves with the airy and agreeable aban-
don of men who knew they were three sheets in
the wind, and congratulated themselves there
for. The fifth one WAS a well known and usually
a very dignifed merchant, who, under the infiu-
ence of hospitality had developed q playful dis
position and . rich vocabulary Of slang.
nGen'elmen,n he cried, I'VE will imbibe one
more large. fat, smiling ball and then discuss the
situation l wish to remark right here that II
haven't had such an elegant jag as this on mo for
'utfty 3Steen moons"
They ranged themselves along the bar and
smiled with touching affection upon the bar
tender, with whom they all shook hands.
I'm from Brattleboro, Mass-chpse, said
the Oldest visitor, ssan' I've made aYain effort to-
hooray, hip-to-er-give alurid tinge to the town.
Set 'em up again. I can paint Bratt-el-boro,.
Mass-chuse, pea green marroon-hip-but &
seems to me New York's a triie too rich for my
Puritanical blood-hip-horoo~
He was an elderly man with a shiny and good
natured face, which smiled even as he drank.
After he had shaken the bartender warmly by
the hand and advised him to vote for St. John,
he fell to wa1tzing with bent-kneed grace with
his SON, who sang a tune through his nose with
great expression
s.Ashk the gen'elmen what1l they ave- said
the merchant, with a graceful wave Of his hand
toward the habitues, who declined the courtesy,
with many smiles and mods. II am showing
this village TO my friends from Bratt-BattleE
B1rtIe-boro,' he continued, 'in what | con-
ceive to be the purely proper style. am trying
to hold my end up, but the odds are four to one
against me-, an l have q dim suspicion that Pm
goin' home at g. x with my legs out Of the
window of q yellow keb. We will now down 3
bottle Of izz, and then I'll match the porter to
see whether I'm to give him a dollar or moth
ing
payne the porter cried nhead, = as the tall man
tossed a coin in the air. Il fell tail upward, but
the porter got it just the same. A friendly In
terchange of cigars with the man behind the
bar followed, and then the visitors marched
out in line, chanting, w never eat sugar on
The smiling porter held the door open until
the sound of the voices died away in the dis
lance, and then went about his work trying to
whistle and smile at the same time.
"Gentlemen,p said the bar-keeper grayeiy, as
he placed some glasses in q row on the bar and
waved his hand toward the habitues. have q
drink with the house. I give you the health Of
the American t~horoughbreds who have just left
II done me good TO have them come in I'm al
fired tired of the sappy dudes. cheap eWells, airy
clerks, and willin'-to be English fools that pat
ronize bars nowadays, They treat a bartender
as if he was a slave, and they kon't know any
more about good fellowship than SO many sick
hons. Here to the party Of ivo.v
They raised their glasses and frank soIemnly
as the clock struck ], and the smiling porter DO
gan to turn out the gas.