Evening journal., 1893-07-21
SODA WATER MADNESS.
A Scene Mt Any One of the Many Popular
Soda Counters In the Dog DAYS

A Scene at Any One OF the Many PopuIa,
Soda Counters Ia the Dog Days.
drug store outside; inside mol
before a soda water fountain. How thai
fountain has grown In recent years il
order To become, as it is now, a leading
striking feature of hot weather oondi
tions In New York II Is not a fountain
at all. It is bar. II is a counter Gov
cred by twenty-five. foot long slab Of
marble. Before 1t the men and womer
stand two rows deep-some of the meu
with their hats in their hand and mop
ping their faces with handkerchiefs
Facing them are eight young men-tem
perance bar tenders-at work in a shaded
store and in a draught, but so hot
pressed by the rush from the sweltering
street outside that they, too, are per.
spring
Soda water gushes from half dozen
faucets. Syrups and thinner fluids
surgle from as many tilted bottles. The
stuffs slop on the floor where the men
stand high and dry On a grating, and on
the long counter aud on the perforated
rubber mat where the people stand
There Is such splashing, such torrents
Of soda, such ultra liberal servings of
syrups and medicines, two fingers and
even three fingers deep in Blk glasses.
that 1t almost seems as though the
drinks cost nothing and were being
given away The checks that dlsprove
this are kept in great boxes, by the
hundred, and one is clapped down on the
marble noisily with each drink. Five
cents, six cents, eight cents, one reads ON
these ivory lozenges, for all the world
like faro CHIPS in appearance.
"Wbatll it be2'
"Calssya"
Kerwalop goes the ruby tonic. spurt
goes the fountain, clap goes the check
and then the bartender turns to the next
one with his "What'll it be2'
This time it is beef, wine. and iron or
coca, or some sort Of phosphate but
whatever it is there is another kerwallop
squirt, and clap, and the transaction is
over. There are few orders i'm these
modern soda barrooms for the sweet
innocuOus drinks of old-the chocolate
vanilla, lemon, and sarsaparilla soda of
old though now and then a countrv
couple come along and call for "vapill,'
In tue good old way. But the real trade
Of these counters is in doctors drinks. In
tonics and ner lines, headache cures
f'~" HN Ups oAtN bAvou pufiutfS. Every
bartender is a practising physician foi
the few who are not their own doctors
The thirst for these medicines has seized
the whole city. It has become mad
ness.
Behind the clamorous mob of drinkers
sits young woman in a wire box. one
Of those birds in cage which we who
are used TO New York know To be a
cashier at FIRST sight. When men OFF,
TO give her an ivory chip and a bank
note she trlls out in musical voice
Pay at the soda desk. near the window
please She has said that so often thai
now there is sign bearing the sam.
words hanging on the netting before
her, but she has to keep ou saying it ali
the same. The soda desk near the win.
dow Is another cage with another lady
bird in it-wearing silk waist and a
psyche knot-and raking in shower of
silver coin II this soda cashier were NOT
a woman she would be perspiring also
like the soda bartenders and like Ia.
men who all day long are unloading ano
chopping up great blocks of ice TO b,
used in keeping the soda cool New
York Sun