St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-20
HOW THIRSTY men DRINK.
Different Ways in Which New Workers
Manage to Gel Intoxicated.
CHAMPAGNE BY THE CASE.
One Man Contrives te Rest His Brain
In a Somewhat Singular
Way.


ances among club men, public officials,
and men about town in the metropolis,
planted his feet far apart on the floor OF
famous uptown cafe one night recent
IL, lust as the clock hands marked MD
night, and leaned his body against the
polished bar so that it rested ut an an
gle of foriy-fve degrees. Then he
sliced pen, jabbed it into an inkstand
that TODD alongside of the cigar lighter
on the bar, and called for a check book.
The rotund bartender handed book
over quickly. The fat man opened It,,
and laboriously filled out draft for $40
and signed it.
A knot of well-knowD club men
watched him with smiling interest. The
fat man had been in the cafe three
hours on stretch, and the check was
drawn to pay for the champagne he had
ordered during his stay. He straight
ened up slowly and handed the check to
the cafe proprietor and shook hands.
Pm all ri'", he said, with an utter
ance that had tritle too much OF eX-
hiIaration in it. "Everybod' knows me.
Don't 'ey, ole boz? Goo NJ. IN go no.
now. Good nj. You'll get mon in
morn at bank"
The Big Man
carried out his programme of going
home without anybody's aid. He had
opened nearly two dozen quart bottles
of champagne, and had taken big bump
erS ont of each one himself while toast
ing little knot of acquaintanceS. No
body had the least doubt of his ability
10 find his way home, either. after this
tremendous drinking achievement. He
turned UP at his ONCE next morning
bright and early, and as clipper as Il
boy Just starting on Il vacation. The
big man had dOre this same thing week
after week for years, and the invariable
finale of his bout with the eXhiiarating
beverage is the drawing of check and
statement that everybody knows he IS
good AT the bank for any amount.
He is a conspicuous example of the
big eOterie of good liyers who are called
artistic and competent drinkers" 1t
is said of the most competent of them
that they could drink tine famous old
bibulOus barons of Germany under the
table with neatnesS and dispatch.
ssfaVe You Ever NOticed.''
said a critical observer of these pro-
ionged consultations with the flowing
bowl. chow men get intoxicated in New
York? Why, it's the most remarkable
social study that you can undertake. 1t
is a symphony of human idiosyncrasies.
No two reach cOntentment in the same
way. 1t is varied and picturesque
tinesse of indulgence in the comforts of
the cup that cheers"
The critic had noted something that
has afforded amusement for some, food
TO: reflection for others; that has in
and humoriStS a-thinking.
The drinkers of Gotham" he added.
lean be separated into types with ease.
First and foremost, and best known, is
the al-round-take- anything soften
aS-it-cOmeS-never give uD-till-mOrning
drinker. called the thoroughbred
With him inebriation is a gradual as
cension. in a deliberate, peaceful, and
picturesque progression, from good
nature to start with to complete and IN
mistakable felicity at the finish.
Just then a big-chested man saun-
tered in putting an expensive cigar. He
laid the cigar on the edge of the bar.
threw open his light overcoat. and. pick
ing up the cigar again, took two or
three long puffS of it and flung it away.
The bar where he would not be dis
turbed by any newcomer, and winked
at the bartender. "a quart of white
label" he said abruptly. The bartender
reached behind the array of glassware
Oh the back bar for glass that was
nearly as large as the regulation beer
schooner and put it down in front of the
new customer. He drew the cork and
poured nearly the whole of the quart
into the big glass. The customer held
The huge bumper to the light, watched
the sparkling while, and then took two
long pulls at the golden beverage. He
hammered his chest, looked pleased,
and took third pull. by George that
feels good" be muttered. He drank
until, in twenty minutes, he had con-
sumed the entire quart. He waited
about ten minutes and winbed at the
bartender again: make it a pint this
time," he said. He drank that too, paid
The bill, and walked out without word,
He appeared to be prefectly contented.
ibid You Watch That Man?,,
the bartender asked when the customer
had disappeared. well. that's what
we call playing 'solitaire'''
What's that?;' asked young man
with diamond in his scarf.
why it is the doing with LIQUOR what
imam does with cards, playing sort of
lone game of joy. There are scores of
men in the city who drink in just that
fashion. Singularly enough, they are
all rich. and well able to treat big
crowd, and they often do treat crowds
If friends without heed of expense.
But they don't really enjoy liquor taken
hat way, and. when they are with a
crowd, they partake of livery sparingly
They let their friends whoop it up, look
0n interestedly and foot the bill. When
t comes down to nice, personal drink
or keeps they go off by themselves just
rs that man did. A curious thing about
is that they want TO be let alone when
hey are drinking for keeps. That man
ZONES because he knows that | won't
IlIow anybody to bother him.
Another example of bibulous eccen-
richly" said the critic. ais the billiard
playing drinker. There are many of
hem in town. They seldom touch in
oXicating liquor, excepting when the
billiard ball, are flying over the green
,aizs, and a sure tip that they design a
prolonged bout is always given by their
invitation to friend to try conclusions
With the cue. Well make it for a small
bottle, fifty points up is the way the
drinking starts"
Distinct as a type, like the billiard
playing drinker Is the man who drinks
rood LIQUORS because of the friends it
enables him to meet, and estimates the
'elative enjoyment of such gatherings
~ the greater or less amount of good
rink that flows. 1t is all eccentricity
Mat men take pleasure in humorng.
= We'll known New Yorker
palled the Colonel, who is short OF
nature and wide of girth. is considered
he most notable Illustration of this
lyle of drinkers. He was a guest at a
;ecent remarkable dinner, at which
noted actors provided the feast OF
;eason, and the guests the liquid flow OF
Ioul. When the champagne corks were
popping liveliest the banquet hall
Iuddenly changed to furiously re-
Folving merry go-round to the fat
,OlonefS vision. He looked startled and
set his goblet of wine down hurriedly
Then he clutched his chair and arose
with an amusing effort to preserve his
equilibrium. He gaZed around with 6
smile at the company. waved his hand
and bowed graciously. "'Scuse me
ge'men," he said. ''but real mus co.
He walked ten feet with Stndied affor