San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-30
LONDON BARMAIDs.
A Jolly Lot OF Women Who Meet
with Remarkable Expert
RneP

Philadelphia Times. p
Now that the season of summer
drinks is at hand, any one who has
ever crossed the Atlantic and been
Bohemian enough to visit the Crete
rion or any other great or small bar
in London will think regretfully OF
the girl he left behind him in the
person of some bright, clever bar
maid, who, In black, immaculate
rolling collar and cuffs and elaborate
ly dressed hair. served no his liquid
refreshments this time last year in
dear old bonny England. Through
out the length aud breadth of great
Britain the neat maid behind the
bar is q recognized institution. Sci.
dom If ever do you see the typical
barkeeper Of our native land, and
though the unaccustomed will shrug
their shoulders in holy horror at an
occupation which to them seems too
dreadful to be spoken of above q
whisper, they must learn right here
that these girls, as Q class, are as
selfrespecting and modest as any of
our naive born members Of the work.
ing classes In the country. Certain
it L., with their many sided trials,
the publicity of their occupation aud
the temptation to drink, that their
conduct is wonderfully to be COM
mended. OF course, there is always
. strong, burly fellow on call in case
OF an emergency, and high words,
profanity or ungentlemanly conduct
is nipped in the bud by the gentle
persuasione of this gentleman's wrists
of iron.
Most of these girls are above the
average in intelligence. They are
frequently we'll read and always
thoroughly informed on the topics of
the day, for they have before them
from early morn until late at night
living newspapers in the persons of
their customers.
If q man once presumes on their
position and attempts the slightest
familiarity these women who face
the world to earn their living can by
q look reduce him to his proper stand.
ing with a. much dignity and hau-
teur as the highest lady in the land.
Their hours are long and their work
is arduous. At 10 o'clockevery day
they are on hand, polishing the glas.
ses, rearrangiug the decorative de-
canters and little wooden barrels in
which brandy, gin and whisky are
kept, to be drawn off from the tiny,
almost make believe spigot. Until
midnight sounds there they stand,
with but q short interval for rest and
refreshment. Their customers are
numerous are varied, and must be
served with equal %politeness. There
-r..f ha NO diofinnftnn ahnwn ha-
tween the blear-eyed, reeling woman
who wanted q ''alf pint o. bitter,
miss" and the swell in evening
clothes who drops In for "a b. and 3.
and q bit of chaff."
Refractory corks must be made to
give in and come out, ice must be
cracked and spigots turned, floor and
bar kept wiped up and glasses con-
tinually repolished by n pair of
hands until 1t Is M wonder they soon
look red and coarse, for these girls
are not kept for show. as Is erroneous
ly thought on this side of the water.
Or course a pretty girl is an acquisl-
tion-she attracts customers, n Is
therefore desirable, but If she does
not likewise work hard her good
looks will not keep her in her place
very long. Some wonderfully refined
and attractive women are TO be 9 Q
among this class of workers, and IL
is not to be wondered at that many
of them marry into ranks far above
them, though the mental status of
the men who hang about such re-
sorts is to be questioned ever though
their social position Is assured.
IT. Nka harpnaId of har hnot
Ireland in the place. There she
reigns supreme. Blessed with mother
wit and the glorious Irish eyes, she
plays sad havoc with the affections
of the frequenters of her place, and 1t
is not so very surprising that a scion
of one of the best families brought
away from the Queens Hotel in
Queenstown the lovely presiding
genius of the lace.
Many q 5armaId has married q
peer but that is not so very remark
able when one takes q look at that
august body of England's nobility
the House of Lords-fo brain and
beauty can not be said to run riotous-
ly mad or the stamp of aristocracy to
be so painfully evident, consequently
the greater wonder that 8 pretty,
bright, clever young woman, though
a barmaid, could for the sake OF q
title tie herself down to any of the
specimens that haunt her OWN parti-
cular shrine. OF course, some bar
maids, like many in walks OF life
above them, say and do many things
to shock the staid aud puritautcal
But as a class they are as we'll behav-
ed and as much to be commended as
any OF the wage. earners of our land.
Their social standing is nil. OF course,
but would it be any better In Eng
land wsre they upper housemaids
house girls or saleswomen?
S3.75oaWiLL BUY