The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-13
THEY NEVER DRINK.

Scores of Bar.tendors Who Never Taste
the stuff they Dispense over the Bar.
N y AdreHher
Never drank drop OF liquor in my
lite" is boast that seems incredible
coming from the lips of 1.-THE" Allen.
"Rum is the one thing l don't take.
See" said Allen the other day, and he
seems to have no craving for it what
ever. But he is also cunning enough to
know that to retain the leadership OF
the gang which backs him up in his
political and business" ventures, he
must keep clear head.
Allen, as the keeper OF a giRmill and
u strict teetoialler, is by no means an
exceptional case in this city, and Incl
dents occasionally occur that prove it.
The other night party OF well-dressed
young men were having merry time
jill saloon not far from Printing House
Square. They had had round after
round OF drinks. Each man in the party
had "set 'em up once and 1t was time
TO begin again.
"Ilello!7 said the one who had or
dered the libation that was being dis
tributeh by n bright-looking bartender;
we've forgotten Bob. Come, old man,
whatwill you have?"
"Thank you sir" replied he Of the
whitejacke: and smiling face, 81 don't
think that will take anything, sir"
ooh, come OF, Bob!" was the chorus.
NO, thank you, gentlemen" an
sweTed Bob, but it's against the rules
Of the place"
Now, hang it, you've got to drink
with MS; see?" began one OF the party
with drunken earnestness, us he banged
his glass on the counter.
No, sir" said Bob with n CLEAN OF
anger in his eye. II said that the rules
OF the place forbid my drinking. Then
again, never drank n drop OF liquor in
my life, SO you must excuse me. This
is business with me; there's no senti-
ment about II. accidentally became a
bartender five years ago, and us the
work is easy and the wages good have
remained i'll the business. Idon't crave
for liquor, and, therefore, don't drink.
But it is not strange when you look at
it from business point OF view. | was
always something OF an athlete, and
was in training ailarge part of my time
before / became q bartender. Now,
when got a job here found that !
met the big politicians Of the town. !
like to talk with them, but they would
not want to be served by n bartender
who drank. That's fact, gents, but,
OF course. that's not my real reasons for
not drinking. ! don't care to drink,
and bartender must keep sober il he
is going to attend to business. There
are lots like me. y
As matter of fact, there are many
bartenders in the city who are prac-
tically teetotalers. And in q very great
while man is found among them who
never has drunk in his life; at least, he
says so. Their wages range from Sl0to
$50 a week, and there is naturally con-
siderable competition among them. In
large saloons which have the theatre
trade for example, drunken bartender
would not hold his place long.
"No, sir" said a bartender in q
saloon near the Casino, ~ don't drink
once in n dogs age, and none OF my
mates do. We have the theatrical
business. come on ut o p. IN, and
from 5 D. m. until midnight things
hum. OF course its liveliest between
the acts, and then | don't have n min
ute's breathing spell. Suppose /
should take something and go off my
base after the first act-what would
happen? The other week we had q
gent named Tommy, who came from
Philadelphia, ] guess. He used to take
a nip before he went to work. He had
never done the theatrical business be-
fore, and he didn't know what
a stampede for drinks meant.
Well, sir, Tommy drank several
Maintains one night when
he was beginning work, and
was pretty fly when the first act was
over. Two tat men came up to him for
sherry cobblers. One Of them was an
American and the otRer was an Eng
lishman, who had never drunk a sherry
cobbler. First thing | knew there was
a spouting Us il two whales had been
spearel / looked around and see the
Englishman, red as fire in. the face,
splitting his drink out and yelling for
waterfall at once. The other man was
black in the face and gagging They
was full when they come in, but they
was sober now. Tommy had put rock
salt into their sherries instead OF cracked
ice. The last heard of Tommy he was
saying Beef and" down in the Bowery.
He won't get no job in first class place
for q long time 10 come for irving to