The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-21
NEW STYLE OF BARKEEPER.
The Affable Man Who Travels About Wearing
Clothes that Don't Fit Him.

Clothes that Don't Fit Him.
Portland me- } Letter.
A new style of Maine hotel barkeeper has
burst suddenly upon the prohibition horizon.
He is very easy to get acquainted with. very
affable and treats everybody be meets but his
clothes don't fit him, because the pockets are
filled with bottles. He carries a quart or pint
of brandy in the breast pocket of his coat, a
quart pistol of whisky IN his hip-pocket and oc-
casionaly hangs couple of bottles of beer
round his neck and warns it under his arms
You will find him loafng in the hotel reading.
room or about the corridors, and there's a small
empty room near where you can step in and
have what you want. As general thing this
barkeeper doesn't speak much English or any
other language. You have but to wink and he
is at your service. At some hotels a key is given
the drinker, and he goes to a room an upper
floor and locks himself in till he is satisfied.
Again, you will be shown to dark
stairway, and if you get down this without
breaking your neck a small hoy will light the
gas in side passage, and at the end of this door
is unlocked and you find yourself in a room with
an improvised bar. Beer is 10 cents class and
other drinks are and 10 cents higher than in
New York. No one stops for mixed drink;
everything is taken straight and ever water and
seltZer are done away with. This is hotel drink
ing for travellers or citizens who are showing the
town to strangers Raids are made every few
weeks, but only few bottles can be found. The
established merchant gets it at his club or keeps
it at home. The young man who is clerking or
has just begun the practice of medicine or law,
belongs to one of the clubs which support
room in some business block where the boys
meet in the evening Each has locker. and
keeps what liquor he wants. One club room re
Gently started uptown" was fitted up at an ex-
pense of ST 600 1t is everyday occurrence
for many of the members to be at their lockers
at the same time. II say, Bill, will you try
some of my new beer" asks one.
Don't care + do" is the reply, ''and you just
take finger of this whisky
In the evening is the time to find them togeth-
er. and whist and poker and. cigars take off the
curse-of, straght-whisky drinking The lockers
are replenished By leaving orders with liquor
agents who act for Massachusetts, breweries and
liquor houses The unuroken case can be
brought on for individual use. large whisky
trade Is done by the druggists and many apoth-
carries admit that they would have to close IL it
were not for their profits spiritus frumenti.
person can get drink at almost any drug
store in town. If known at the oyster houses.
he will be permitted to climb the back stairs to
room where his order will be served. Perhaps
dumb waiter will suddenly rise in the wall
from-the proprietor only knows where-and
your supper will he accompanied with beer
The workingman gets his liquor of bis old en-
envy, the saoon-keeper, just formerly. But
the saloon-keeper has closed his palace with its
mirrors and silver handled beer pumps and pays
nothing to the city for the privilege of selling it.
He rents only a few rooms where he lives and
the barrel of beer is set in an old well in the
yard or up in the garrett. The faucet from which
1t is drawn is concealed in the wall behind the
head of the bed by means of secret door which
is not noticeable, even when the bed is moved
away. While in one room there may be a dozen
'.ongshOremen and grain trimmers, the very
next apartment will be taken by young men who
are seeing the town." and have gone amid the
poverty and wretchedness of the city just for
the the novelty of it. The habitual
drunkard, with respectable connections, who
cannot find lodgings at the club. will lie
in the rooms of the groggerykeeper and
have his spree out all by himself. 1t was at first
customary to have club-rooms, where barkeep-
err was constantly in attendance. and members
let themselves In with keys; but the barkeeper
was finally held to be the seller, and this method
had to be given up. The records of the munich
pal court for the week just ended have each day
contained from one to five cases of search and
seizure and about twelve cases of drunkenness.
Some nights as many as twenty helplessly intox-
incldde the many who were induced by the
| officers to 60 home quietly.
Bloated travellers from the interior report open
| bars at Bangor. and il is said that at Rockland
| the travelling men crowd the hotel bars SO con-
stanty that they have to form in line and wait
| for their turn. just as they would at theater
ticket-office The only really difficult place to
| get whisky is at the city agency which was es-
| tablished for the purpose of furnishing it for
medicinal use. You first pay physician dol
lar or two for prescription certifying that you
are at the point of death and must have whisky
and then the agent will sell you limited guam
tity. The agency has the poorest trade in the
city.