The Washington critic., 1890-05-02
FUN In THE BARROOMS.
THE NEW SYSTEM OF LIQUOR
SELLING IN BOSTON.
Drinking LeIsurely at Tables Instead
of stnndinR at the Barlow the
Plan Works-Incfdents of First
Day-The Walters Delighted.

OF StnnuinR at the harlow the
Plan Works--Incfdents of First
Day-rhe Walters Delighted,
BosToN, May 2.-There was fun In
Boston barrooms yesterday over the new
order of things. Young's Hotel was
the first to obey the police order to close
the bars, without waiting for the
twenty days of grace A thirsty Maine
man was the first patron. He leaned
up against the empty bar, and this dia-
logue eDsued:
Gimme gin cocktail"
Cant do It here. Take seat at q
table,
We'll, give me plain whisky,
then"
Take seat, sir, and we will fill
your order"
How about glass of water. Gin.
me one and I'll drink 1t II poisons me, 4"
roared the now thoroughly exasperated
man.
Cant even do that sir" said the
barkeeper, sadly. 1T Is against our
orders to give any drinks over the bar,
and, although, OF course, water is not q
drink, being ordinarily used only for
lavatory purposes, yet some people
might mistake It for gin. You cannot
get any drink here unless you sit down
at one of the tables"
1t was 50 at n number Of bars through
out the city. There was great falling
off, so the barlSeeper said, Of business in
those places where the new regulation
was enforced.
You see" said one man.. "the blrs
have twenty days in which to make the
change from the present system to the
proposed humbug arrangement, and In
twenty days good deal may be accom-
plished in the way OF public opinion.
Some Of the hotels and restaurants will
wait until the very last moment before
making any change, in the hope that
something will turn up. Others will
60 to work at once to compel their
patrons TO SIT down at tables and drink
leisurely."
IT have seen lots of people come
into my bar" said another barkeeper,
'and go right away again as soon as
they looked and saw the tables and
people at them. They would not be
bothered"
Where did they go ~
ITO some other bar, where they could
get what they wanted in the way they
wanted It,
Seated in barroom, one of the large
downtown establishments, was a party
OF four Two of them were well known
men about town. The other two were
Mr.. Metcalf and Mr. Elliott of the
Prince and Pauper'' Company. They
were drinking "Remsen's coolers" ="
These gentlemen were taking quiet
view of the surroundings as they man
fully pulled at the straws, and were full
of anecdotes of what they had seen.
ITS all right" said Mr.. Metcalf
when you stick to things like this
harmless things that come through
straws--but when you tackle the hard
stuff that you Boston people seem Sc
fond of, this sitting down to tables
doesn't go. Since we have been in
here we have seen three or four fellows
so out loaded, just because they were
obliged to sit down and have one drink
around. Still, it's comfortable to sill
down and take il coolly If you have
time"
That's So" assented Mr.. Elliott.
''Dis heab system done suit me fust
rate said the waiter, grinning with
delight as he pocketed the change.
OF course, the new arrangement was
the general topic Of conversation among
drinking men all over town. They met
at tables and discussed it, and over bars
they argued 1t In all its bearings, not for.
getting to wash down every point with
more or less gusto. The Police Com
,niccionnre tho Tnrie1atI1ra tho tarn nor
ance agitators. all got their share oi
abuse, and many dark hints of wha
would happen politically ii the rule was
carried out rigidly were dropped. Many
statements were made of ''treachery'
and double dealing and Doodle, but ne
one was quite willing to put anything
into shape or define just what wa
meant. The more the rum worked thu
more dreadful these statements became
until everything about the State Hous,
and the Police Commissioners was dyet
deep crimson.
And yet there were those who liked
the new arrangement. The jolly ole
fellows, whose noses have taken lonl
years and careful attention to color {
proper hue, and those who have nothing
to do before it Is time to 60 home from
business, and those who have o few
moments to spare between times, fount
it pleasant and probably not profitable
to sit at tables. If the Governor o
South Carolina had been in town h
would have been pleased, and so woult
the Governor of North Carolina, for
was not long time between drink
anywhere.