Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-26
IN A BARREL HOUSE.
DEFINITION OF A TERM UNFAMlL-
Jar TO MOST PEOPLE.
A Visit to n Peculiar Drinking Place In
Brooklyn-Liquor ut Five Cents
swallow-TOugh Proprietors and Rough
Gust mers.

Brooklyn-Liquor ut Five Cents
swalIow-TOugh Proprietors and Rough
Gust mers.
did you ever see barrel house,
said certain keen eyed detective few
nights ago. "Never2 Well, do you
know the meaning OF barrel hOuse|
No? Come with me, then, if you care to
find out"
The detective led the way through
good many streets, down under the big
bridge and along the docks to part of
Brooklyn that very few people except
lOngshoremen and sailors know much
about. At last the guide turned from
the main street into q narrow, dirty alley
and paused before long black building
that looked like a deserted warehouse.
Then he stumbled down a flight of
rickety stairs with his companion at his
heels A thump on the cellar door,
through which a fGint light shOne,
brought a lanky yet muscular citizen
into sight. The man was dressed in n
suit of jeans and n SLOUGH hat, and did
not look like 4 person whom You would
particularly care to meet in lonely place
on q dark night He allowed the detec-
tive and the reporter to enter without
question.
The place was cellar about 19X14 feet.
1t was dimly light ed by two or three
candles stuck in bottles. Stretched on
the floor were five i'll favored gentlemen.
They were playing old slcdgc with greasy
cards. In the center.Of the room stood
big, oily looking barrel. Ont Of the bung-
hole issued n long rubber tube, the vist-
BILE end of which was held by the lank
citizen who had admitted the visitors.
The floor Of the dingy dive consisted Of
rough boards partly strewn with straw.
\ stove with rheumatic legs stood in one
corner. In the opposite corner was a
plain deal table Uttered with unwashed
dishes. There was no other furniture.
Jim" said one of the i'll favored gen
tlemcn on the floor, none of whom had
take any more notice of the detective and
his companion than very long and very
hard stare, gimme yank on that
there pipe, will yc?'
Gimme yer nick fust, said the tough
looking citizen. After considerable fun
bling in his pocket the i'll favored gentle
man produced five cOpperS, and the rub
Der tube was put into his hands. He
stood up, and, throwing back his head,
put the end of the tube in his mouth.
The others looked on in silent envy
while he took mighty swallow. Before
he could take another the willy Jim had
jcrked the tube out of his mouth.
"Only one swallow for a nickel, he
said tersely; "don't try to hog il"
''This is a barrel house." said the
detective "Try some of the whisky.
It's only a nickel u swallow"
The reporter deposited five cents with
the tough looking proprietor, and tasted
the contents of the barrel. 1t was sim
ply liquid fire.
"NOw you see what barrel house il"
said the detective as they left the place
"You might think that fellow was either
raining there without a license OF that
he was crazy to run that kind of q
place if he could raise money enough
To pay for his license. Well, he has
license, all right enough, and he
isn't n fool by any means. You
see, by keeping that kind of a dOCgery
he makes the rough people who patron
ize him think that he hasn't license,
and consequently he is both Drawing the
law, which is big thing in their eyes,
and is able to sell them liquor very cheap.
Then the people that he catches in that
kind of a boOzing den are men who
wouldn't go near more Gaudy and pre-
tentious resort. The secrecy Of the place
and its general poky nature make it
great favorite with persons who have
good reasons for not wanting to APP
pear much in society. So much for
the dive itself. Now that rubber tube
is n great scheme, though it doesn't
seem so at first. In the first place, it
saves a big outlay for bar, glassware,
furniture and bartender. Then, it en-
ables him to pass off any kind Of stuff for
whisky, and that helps out his profits.
Besides, il Is the most economical way in
the world to sell whisky. If that fellow
had a bar and set out glasses his Gus
toners would pour out a full glass every
time Now they can only get one swal-
low before he jerks the tube away. or
course some Of them have big mouths
and can swallow good deal at time,
but none of them can swallow glaSStul.
He keeps no accounts, gives no one
credit and does a nice, comfortable, in
expensive and mighty profitable business
and sells the worst liquor to be had on
the continent"
"Are there any more like him in Brook
lynn"
1.-TWO or three. The one we just left
is the worst. The others are rather bet
ter and one is fairly decent. There you
get with your whisky n sandwich or a
bowl of soup. Three or four barrels are
on tap there and chairs for the customers
and other conveniences. But they all
dispense liquor that would make u statue
weep. suppose that one barrel house
will turn out more delirium tremens in a
year than a dozen ordinary saloons.
have seen men who frequent them get
ting burned out by the horrible stuff
until they have ended with the shivers."
"How do they get their hcenses;"
The detective shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, some Of them fit up decent places
and get licenses the first Of the year and
then turn over their elegant fixtures 10
somebody else and move into neighbor-
ing cellar. Do they keep the excise lawl
You bet they do, for they know we're
watching them oil the time, aGAa would
be only too glad to get n chance cobreak
them up "-Brooklyn Eagle.
Quite as Much.