Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-10
INA RARREn HOUSE.
The Rnbber-rube Route to Druukt nness
Discovered in Chicago.
"a rgs.toa Nases

Discovered in Chicago.
From ne Chicago NstSs.
Inspired by desire to probe into the
mysteries and gain information reporter
a few nights ago visited a "barrel house"
on West Lake streetnear Desplaines. Bar
rel houses abound in that neighborhood,
waxing wealthy and growing fat on the
stray nlckels Of impecunious buns whose
appetite and capacity for liquor largely
exceed their financial resources ana on
the diminished wealth Of dudes ana
Young men who have been on drunk
and have not enough money left TO pay
for ''tapering oh'' unless they 40 IL
cheaply.
This particular barrel house was no
different in external appearance from the
majority of its fellows, but the manner Oh
serving drinks was certainly unique As
the reporter entered he was given tne
usual view Of a sawdusted moor. row ol
dingy-lo0king casks, "a very PLAIN ana very
dirty bar, presided ever by a Dlach-laceu
4 Italian, and a score or more OF loungers IN
j various stages of inebuety. Iney All
Il needed baths and change OF clothlng, es-
necially linen-Or such OF tnem as wore
linen. The barrel house hummer Ia OF the
class of men who regard decent clOtnlng
as performing its highest tunctlOn WDen
UnugTX0IN&
ticket. and he never burdens himself an
unnecessary moment with whole
coat. an unbrOken pair OF shoes, or
a reputable-looking hat. The living
question of the day with him is: "What
can l sOakg'
AS the reporter entered this dark and
dirty den he beheld red-nosed man with
a long body and short legs, whose mouth
was firmly attached to a rubDer-tube con-
Aat ~ oth nd NKith a horrnl.
face OF the man bore upon 1t signs Of
supreme satisfaction, while two or three
OF the loungers were regarding him with
looks Of envy. The bar-keeper watched the
proceeding intently, and, suddenly
snetohing away the tube, exclaimed:
"Hold on, only one swaller Ter a
nickel"
The man with the sunset nose grunteo'
gazed wistfully after the tuDe,and retlred.
In explanation of this way oil dealns OUT
liquor, the proprietor said;
''WeI, it saves glasses for one thing,
YOU see, and then man can't get IN as
big a drink as he could in the ordinary
whisky glass, which he always hlls to the
brim when left to himself. In the tube ar
raRgement he Is allowed only one swallow
Just as much as he can draw into his
mouth. Some Of the boys have very large
mouths, and some are too quick Tor me
and get In two swallows before l know 1t.
But find it uses up less liquor than I'M
der the old style of setting out glasses.
The boys used TO get playful sometimes,
too, and break glasses, and glasses Is eX-
pensiYe.n
The bar-keeper here entered INTO dis
cussion with a seedy individual, who en-
deavored TO convince him OF the righteous
ness OF allowing credit for a drink and the
reporter awaited himself of the OppOrtun-
itV TO interview the most reputabie-l0ok-
ing man in the room who was not asleep
or too drunk TO talk. He evidently had
often dallied with the flowing bowl or tar
ried with the tube, and spoke IRON expert
ence. 1t was hard to tell, he said, OF what
barrel house whisky was made. He had
heard that a chemist once en0eavored to
analyze it, but 1t had broken all his
graduates. AS to its efficacy in ''getting
there" however. he testified emphatically
and almost teartully. Therefore he con-
cluded It must contain alcohol.
II have drunk nothing but barrel house
whisky for three years." be continued,
sand during that period have had number
less fights and have had the jams eighteen
or twenty times. There's no doubt but
what the stuff makes a fellow fight, and
il always made me see rats. think L
must "a seen 1000, 600 rats in the last
three years. Was you going to say some
thin'P'
These barrel houses are run mostly by
Italians and Hebrews, and abound on
West Lake and Randolph and State and
Clark streets. Five cents is the uniform
price for drink. and the drinker is en-
titled to MI his glass to the brim If he
chooses. In some of these places in New
York a mans nickel will purchase him a
drink and piece OF pie or sausage and
bread, but such luxuries have not yet
been introduced in Chicago. 1t is said,
however, that the tube arrangement men,
toned had its inception in the fertile BRAIN
OF Chicago man.