The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-21
BOSTON DRINKS SITTING.
ENFORCING THE LAW AGAINST SERT-
ING LIQUOR OYER THE BAR.

some Fun and n Good Deal OF IncOnveni-
ence In the New Way-RouEh on Folks
who Have been Accustomed to Gauge
Their Capacity by Their Ability to Stand.
BosToN. May 2O-Three weeks ago the Police
Commissioners notified the liquor dealers OF
this city that after twenty days the fifth condi-
ton OF their licenses, which prohibits the sale
Of intoxicating liquors over public bars. would
be enforced, and Recommended that the bars
10 removed within that time. Gov. Bracket
called attention In his annual message to this
provision OF the law which had been unen-
forced for fifteen years
The twenty days notice expired to-day. and
for the first time In the history OF Boston it was
impossible for man to get drink unless he
sat down. 1t made no difference where he sat.
but sit he must or do without his eye opener. y
There has been a lot OF fun and a lot Of
swearing over the new order OF things. Very
few take kindly to the change. The only re-
ally happy ones are the carpenters and
dealers in tables and chairs and wire
screens. Within the past few days 10000
tables and $4,000 chairs have been distributed
among the various saloons until they look
not unlike regular eating houses. But. OF
course. they take up room, and In more than
one barroom to-day the familiar call Next J"
made the thirsty men who were waiting think
changes made are ludicrous. Ono store. the
exterior Of which was adorned with the sign,
In large letters, family vino store" appears
now with still larger letters above the original
sign lunch ROOM" Blanks liuuor store"
becomes Blanks cafe" and 80 on.
USome of the efforts made to evade the law
we're ingenious. One dealer took out his bnr
and erected in place OF it n fence against which
he placed several tables. He intended to draw
the beer behind the fence. pass 1t over it. and
place 1t on the tables without coming from be-
hind the bar or going to the expense of hiring
one or two walters.
He was much chagrlned when he was told
that he could not do business In that way. and
that he would be obliged to remove the tables
or stop passing the liquor over the fence
On the food question there seems to be but
little dispute. Some of the dealers have started
in as regular restaurateurs, the serving of
beer being apparently secondary considera-
ton. but they constitute an almost unknown
quantity.
The general acceptance of The term ,,an food"
stances eaten for nouishment." and these
substances consist in the main Of crackers and
cheese: with occasionally dish OF beans or y
plate of sardines. big place formerly called
" Doherty's Barroom,n now comes out with an
elaborate fonr-paGe bill OF fare. Here are ex-
tracts from it:
aud cheese with ale cents hard crackers and cheese
Win G Holland S Il een hari crseters and chess
with pint Of ciaret. rs cents
And so on over, two pages crackers and
cheese with something else.
Several liquor dealers in the West End have
also caused n bill Of fare to be printed. which
reads something like this
Lager beer and crackers cents; ale and crackers
cents whiskey and crackers 10 eents rum and crack
ers, 10 cents.
for chairs especially in the neighborhood Of
the theatres. tonight when thirsty patrons
tho new system was overlooked until tonight
at the end OF the first act there WAS a rush for
tne oar T ms and the chairs were quickly
LIQUOR and bad to so back 70 the theatre thirsty.
est sport was at the noon hour. when the la
horers wanted their glass of beer before eating.
ANYTHING convenient, and were served as COM
fortably as possible. Now and then big man
the Sultan takes his coffee Meanwhile the
great unquenched and unImenchable crowd
the barred bars. and vented their good and i'll
hnmor n comments nro55 the enforcement OF
III Il viii make drnnkards Of US all, said one;
1T will cause fathers to take liIuor home and
set a bad example before their children" said
and spoil the retail trade" lit viii cause
every man who drinks to carry bottle in bis
Be the cry" !" II. will boom the sealed package
business better than the supreme Court could
do it in twenty years" 1T will beat Bracket
this fall"
At one Of the big hotels to-day a man who
has always regulated his drin king by the feel
ing in his legs when he stood before the bar.
found himself anchored at one OF the tables.
His head was clear and his tongue was ali
right. but his legs were paralyZed. de had to
be carried out.
Six men known to be moderate drinkers
went into one OF the leading hotels and sat at
until all OF the six had followed suit. 1t was
then discovered that none OF them could get
up. The proprietor WAS called, and the SIX
we're laid aside to recover.
The colored walters are reapinR rich har-
vest out OF the new arrangement. and their
harvest has been computed TO mean an aver
age increase OF about % per cent. to the con-
sumer. According to that calculation when II
an starts ont with Just s. in his pocket to
spend at drinking places the landlord gets only
81 while the waiter will get one.
Much complaint Is ma ie by fastldious drink
ers to the effect that under the old system q
customer poured out his own drink. and could
take as little as go chose Now, he is Obliged t.
take what the bartender gives him, This en-
tails loss on the proprietor, too. for more mon
took small drinks than large ones aud small
drinks increase the profits by hundreds OF dol
lars in the course OF the year.
Reports from leading cities OF Massachusetts
seem to indicate no general desire to enforce
the LIQUOR law on tho lines laid down In Boston.
There are exceptions. but q feel Ing Is appar-
ent that the law has worked we'll enough rs
previously administered. and that the cause of
temperance will receive little aid from the in
noYatlon.