The evening world., 1894-04-12
WHY He CHANGED HIS ROUTE
FINANCIAL sTRINGENCY induces
col III TO ECONOMIZE.
hut lie VIII SticL 10 Cocktails and
the Old Saloons.

myut tAat col. Bulge had decided to re
wise his cocktail schedule, says the san
Francisco Chronicle. 1t was at first
Thought by the b~drieuicrs on the jag
circuit that the Colonel intended to with
draw his patronaE cchtir.ly and establish
4 new route in som" other para OF the
town. or, what was worse "A few
Imagined that he had lost his mind and
was about to swear off. Inquiries were
sent by barmon to the Colonies hotel,
politely asking II he had any fault to
nnl with the cocktails along the route,
and the thIrst-lnspircl habitues Of the
Colonies haunts wondered If they had
ever refused to drink with Bulge or had
given him offense IN any other way. II
Sc, they were willing To apologize.
To the relief of all cohctrhed the
Colonel replied that he wa, Sun addicted
80 the flowing bowl with lemon peel in
il, nut that circumstances beyond his
control suggested a few changes In th'
a viii acquire my regular load this
evening and explain ALL" was the intrlii-
g"ncc impaired in the message to tAe
barmen.
familiar figure in and about the stations
along the most popular cocktail route
in the city. The Colonel is a diligent
drinker. -Four hours is the time con
Slllltl III lllllIlb mn up ,'NnNh'i' a.
his only beverage and the route on
which they are absorbed extends from
tho Occideptal Hotel to the Baldwin,
with numerous dips, spurs and angles.
hack.
Others have established themselves on
the route. but they work the district In
gangs, while the Colonel travels alone.
He starts about 4 O'Clock in the after
noon, at the station which marks the
eastern end Of his route.
II there is no one in the bar who he
knows, the Colonel shakes dice with
the mixer for his opening gun and
always takes "A cocktail. win or lose.
Occasionally, though, he meets rospetctai
bile men of business who Ike n load
thcmselvcs. He then talks business
himself, referring casually T. gigantic
enterprises in which he has figured ana
Joins the crowd in a drink, either with or
without an invitation. Not infrequently
h" finds a railroad man who loves gin,
ii2a with an egg in it. The Colonel
speaks d~isparaEingly Of connecting roads
as long as the cocktails hold out and
then shapes his course for the next sta
ton on the route.
He falls in with forty-niners who have
made their pile, shcrifrs from up-country
and mining men forever talking shop.
by this time the Colonel Is slightly conf
dental and thinks of investing heavily
in stocks, wich means more cocktails.
When the buyers finally drop out, the
Colonel suddenly remembers an impor-
tant engagement further up the street,
and n few minutes later finds him
propped up against a New, Montgomery
street bar. There he minglcs with poll
ticinns, journalists. country editors and
nearly everybody who has a taste for
scarce, but by skilful sparring the Colo
mel ~managesto flush Il brace of cocktails
in the course of half m hour. Some
times he foregathors with an old soldier,
and, being in II reminiscent mood by this
time. he modratly confesses that he was
mainly instrumental in %subduing the re
hrllion, and perhaps makes a borrow of
five or ten.
1t is nearly 6 O'Clock when the Colo
mel drifts into the next hotel bar, where
lie hOhnobS with horsemen and blooded
lighters. lie accepts all invitations to
drink, but makes no propositions him
self. by 7 o'clock the Colonel Is work
ing the Market street spur to the west
ward. ON the first station in This dis.
trict he meets a sprinkling of city hall
politicians and rock-rollers, who never
come. much further down. Here, too.
are those who toll not. neither DO they
spin, ana the lawyers who think they
are standing in with the press. They do
not move about much over the route,
hut lie in wait for the buyers on their
once lines up with the bichloride gradu-
atcS.
They are known as "kedgers' or wall
flowers to the patrons of the route. and
men like the Colonel Introduce them to
buyers who ask them to drink. 1t Is
on this station that the Colonel shines.
AS he Is now far enough advanced to
spring his collection Of choice stories.
If he has money the auditors laugh at
his t~ime-honorcd tales, but If he be out
Of luck and coin his gems are hrutally
draws In wrath and dignity to seek a
more COngenlal crowd along the route.
Working Market street by easy stages,
h" finally reaches the place to eat, but
one lap removed from the Baldwin.
The Colonel,s rotations have created
avails himself of the privilege which en-
titles all patrons to n plate OF beans or
II Caviarc sandwich Will every drink.
More politicians, all-round sports and
poker players preparing for their nights
Col, l5udge and take pleasure in asking
him tn nay something. a cocktail. hs
thinks, would 10 him good and help bal.
anre the burden he already carries. More
well slowed when he clears away and
points his head for the Baldwin, the ter,
minus Of the route, It Is nearly o'ciocl
weight of tn" hitters within him, but he
has room for more.
At the terminal station the inevitable
colonel has interviewed his fellow-agents
collected there. Actors predominAtc II
the cocktail region of this resort, actors
active and passive, with now and thei
tail route better. perhaps, than the show
circuit. Worn ont histriuns in a state OF
perpetual tnlrSt ana poverty ufOp IN ant
spar Tor drinks on their weary rounds
A a rul" they time themselves to reach
the terminal 50 as to intercept the Col
oncl at the w!nd-up OF his evening run
He Is reckless by this time and insists
ON treating somebody. All hands TAX,
cocktails except the Colonel. He Is pain
fully aware of his condition. tells every
body how many drinks he has had since
4 o'clock, and concludes his evenings
work with a small mug OF hot clam juic,
for a hracer, after which he goes HON
about 9 O'Clock in "A hack.
The Colonel Is tut one Of many whC
thus travel tho cocktail route day after
lay, with tn" same result. There ar,
always a few members OF the Graf
who hay the price" and, with tn,
happy faculty they possess Of intro
Quoting buyers at the right time. ther,
are always drinks for the crowd. 4
"huy"r" Is one whom an agent" pilot,
along the route. ON entering the saloor
the agent" treats the "huyer,' VIII,
soon reCiprocntes. but during this pleas
ing observance the outsiders casually
Saunter up To the bar, and the urban,
ami rentlomanly agent introduces hi
friends to the buyer" Result drinks
While making his ounds on the nigh
in question the Colonel explained tn,
proposed chang" in his schedule. 1t &
purely an economic measure, and con
sists simply in reversing the schedule
~. 1 a.