Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-10-17
HISTORY OF A DRINK.
Named for a MisSourian Who Alb
horred Gin, Ills Said.


The favorte drink of the season of
summer tipples just closing has I'M
questionably been the Hickey,
spelled Incorrectly with a small ~"
by such thoroughly all round posted
vehicle Of public information as the
New York Sun. Might as we'll spell
the one time famous Tom Collins
without any capitalization, or print
the name of the drink which was
handed down to fame by the greatest
gaStrOnome and lobbyist of his age
in the form of sam ward. There has
been more dispute over the Hickey,
the origin of it's name, and the
methods of its construction, than any
drink ever concocted in this country.
1t is consumed now from Boston to
San Francisco, and there is scarcely
a bar room in the land where it has
not been the subject of excited dis
cusSiOn. To those familiar with it's
history from a to lizard it causes a
thrill of irritation to hear a knOW-all
bartender, when asked to cOncOct
this beverage, inquire impatiently:
"Gin or whisky Rickey?" Yet there
Is not a bar room in any prominent
city of the country where that query
is not daily put, although there is no
such thing as a gin Hickey, and I'm
still wondering why the man whose
name it bears has not ere this COM
mitted personal violence upon people
who connect him in any way with the
odorous dStillation of the juniper
berry, whether made in London, Hol-
land or Geneva.
Like all famous drinks the Hickey
has history and it is more worth the
telling if one knows something of the
man whose name it has carried un-
consciously all over this country.
Joseph X Hickey lives in Galloway
county. Missouri, where he Is a III
rector Of a bank and the owner of a
large stock farm. He spends much
of his time in Washington, where ne
owns considerable real estate. notably
,he resort known as Shoamaker'S,
which is frequented by the most
prominent senators in congress. For
years he kept an eye at the capital
on legiSlat ton which concerned the
large whisky diStillerieS of the cOun-
Try. He is an intimate friend of Sec
rotary Carlisle and endPavorcd to
bring about his election as speaker
of the mouse Of representatives when
the Kentucktan was successfully OPP
posed by Samuel ]. Randall. Colonel
Hickey. while never a gambler in the
professional sense of the word, is one
of the most invctcrate and daring
gamCStCrS ever known in this coun-
try In support Of his convictions on
any question he win hazard enormous
sums of money. When Cleveland
first was y candidate for the preSi-
dcncy Hickey was a great admirer
of Blaine and bet $4,000 on that
gentloman'S election, and. of course,
lost It, During the incumhency of
the democrats the Missouri colonel
became Il great admircr Of Mr. Clevc-
land on account of his public works,
and so. four years later, when Cleve-
land WAS again a candidate, Hickey
bet altogether 100000 against Harri-
son and. OF course lost It. On neither
occasion did he turn a hair.
On one occasion during tile contest
between Randall and Carlisle for the
speakerShip John Il. Mclean. of the
Cincinnati Enquirer. which news
/ paper favored Randall. and his Wash
ington correspondent. William c.
Mcbride. now the managing editor
of the New York Morning Journal,
which Mr. Mclean has since bought.
were playing game of billiards IN
Wizards Hotel. in Washington.
There was 4 large crowd present.
Hickey entered the room. Feeling ran
high over the speakerShip contest.
Hickey openly offered to bet Mclean
. $1,000 that Randall would not be
elected and when the newspaper man
mildly suggested that he did not care
to make the wager the MiSSourian re-
marked that he ought to be willing
to back up his opinion in his news
paper. "Oh." said Mclean, III it is
simply my money you want, III toss
,, you a dollar once for 5000 note.
, "Flip her up" said Hickey, Il call
, head" The coin was spun in the air
and when 1t fell on the floor the tail
, was uppermost. Without word or
, wink the loser who always carries
very large sums Of money with him.
produced q $500 note and handed 1t
to the winner. Mclean took the
"long green" which is the gamblers
term for a big-sized bill, and with
careless air handed it to Mcbride
who stood by, saying: Take this.
Billy. and go and buy some cigars
, with it."
With these sidelights upon the
, mans character the story o. the
) Hickey can be told The colonel from
| Galloway county spends about two
months Of every year in New York
/ city. While in Missouri and in Wash
l lngton he Is almost invariably the