The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-07
HE sWORE OFF.
A Few Sensible Reasons For Very Sonsi-
BILE Sacrifice.

A Few Sensible Reasons For n Very Sonsi-
BILE Sacrifice.
III going to swear off New Years" "
said newspaper man, who does railroads
and night police, as he dropped into one
of Potter Palmer's cushioned seats in
the rotunda of the hotel. Of course
there was laugh. There always is q
laugh at New Years promise, ard
particularly that of New Years man.
mo, boys, I've got some ideas on this
business of tipping, and Pm going
to give 'em to you. If either one
of you will print 'em you're welcome
to do it. My proprietor is q drinker
himself iu small way, and he might
say he had not engaged me to write ten..
perance lectures. But III tell you what
I've been thinking about and everybody
ought to think Of it. That's the cost
Now, I've got too much sense to take up
the temperance racket from any senti-
mental idea, nor will pirate about the
moralistic side of it. Leave that to th.
platform cranks and blue ribbon idiots
My standpoint is one of practically
What does the tipping habit cost? J.
have been moderate drinker for twenty.
FIVE years. I don't think the habit is
growing on me. I know am in no
danger of the gutter or tramphood. My
health is perfect, my mind clear and
active, and, physically and mentally
considered, my seven or eight drinks a
day or more on occasions seem to have
done no harm. But I am damnably
poor" With this the newspaper man
stretched his legs and looked at his
friends, who were all his juniors. They
hardly realized his poverty, for he was
we'll dressed and known to be a gentle
man. "Fact," he said, 81 am poor and
in debt. OF course, you know the craft
does not get priucely incomes, but they
get enough to save something from. The
difficulty is not so much lack Of income
as lack Of prudence in handling it. Do
you know what led me into this train of
thought2 III tell you. went into one
of the best saloons the other morning to
get cocktail. I was little shaky and
needed it. 1 had just twenty-five cents.
l got my ten cents change, and then l
leaned up against the rail and looked
around. l saw pictures that were ele-
CANT. l saw mirrors rejecting and du-
plicating them. l saw the most magnii.
cent cut glass and silyerware. | saw
wood carvings, marble things, gorgeous
tapestries, frescoes, and, speaking to a
young man present, the barman said that
it had cost nearly 100000 to supply this
one place with these things. looked
for the proprietor. He was not in just
then, but his magnificent family sleigh
stood outside. 1! bore tufted plumes and
the horses wore banged tails and Russian
arches of silver gongs. The coachman
wore a green coat with great pot metal
disks for buttons, and a huge sealskin
cap that cost more than mine. And
then, as 1 looked, began to think. l
turned to the bar and said inwardly, I'll
put up the other ten cents and get
cocktail The young man who made it
attracted my attention. He was one Of
four who was dealing out the brains
poison. He was young, strong, stalwart.
His dress was Immaculate, his linen
faultless, his hands soft and white; his
whole appearance suggested the freshness
of early spring. In his polished shirt
cleaned gorgeous diamond. Upon his
little finger blazed another. looked at
this chap, and l began to reflect that I
had spent my last ten cents, and would
be compelled to borrow tosee me through b
the week. Then reflection went still
further, and asked myself how much of
my poor salary went to keep up this
style, and how much interest had in
those diamonds and furs and sleigh and
bang tailed horses? Then l began to
look at the profits of the business, and
remembered that there were sixty average
drinks to the gallon of whisky, and that
the average bar whisky cost three dollars
gallon. At fifteen cents drink this
diamond bedizened gentleman behind the
bar took in nine dollars for something
that cost three dollars, to say nothing of
added water. And then I remembered
how few of these gentlemen had even q
cent to spend on anything but their sell
fish pleasures how they wore the finest
of clothing, the cost!est of underwear,
silken and cashmere; how their shoes
anl boots cost from S12 to $50 pair,
and how bad to tramp around with soft
patches. And the more I thought the
madder got, and I have made up my
mind to leave no more of my money with
these gentlemen who live so easily and
luxuriously, and whose gorgeous liveli-
hood costs them not an hours worry.
Others may and will order drinks, no
doubt, but from me the saloons and their
gorgeous proprietors have got their last
dollar. This is my little Christmas tenn
perance lecture, boys. Try and profit by
Chicago Herald.
A Coffin Explodes.