Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-10-17

metropolis he likes to have a mildly
enlivening time. Nine years ago he
was there staying at the st. James
Hotel, where there was also tenn
porarily residing Philadelphian
newspaper man. The latter like
many good Philadelphians, was very
fond Of lines in the summer time,
and even went to the extreme Of US
ing their juice in his beverages. New
York bartenders at that time did not
know what a lime was and so the
Philadelphia when he visited New
York once a week during the summer
time, took a number over in his va
lise, their use in Philadelphia drink
ing places being an old story. These
were given to the head bartender at
the st. james and he was instructed
in their use. He was told to squeeze
the juice of one good sized lime into
a tall champagne glass or a small
sized ale glass. throwing in also the
rind of half the lime. Then was in
troduced one small-sized lump of ice
not cracked ice-for that is an
abomination in any drink that is not
taken through a straw. Next was
added an ordinary drink of good
whisky and the glass afterwards
filled to the brim with squirt from
siphon of soda. That was all; very
simple, and lines very beneficial IN
the dog days. One day ice Hickey
witnessed the connection of this bev-
crage and said: Let me try one Of
those things 1t then had no name.
Hickey became enamOred on the spot,
and that day made serious onslaughts
upon the lines. He was well-known
in all the prominent places in New
York and his wishes were anXiOusly
catered to- When he went to the
Hoffman House and the Fifth Avenue
Hotel and asked for zone of those
things l get at the st. James," and
found they knew nothing of them
he filled the lordly bartenders with
humiliation and they Immediately
sought information from the Gany-
medes of the ST. James. His enthus-
iaStic admiral ton of the new tipple
was such that during his visit to
New York he rarely drank anything
else, and the bartenderS among them
selves in order to distinguish it from
other beverages spoke of it as chat
drink of Colonel Rickey's." In time
this was abbreviated to "a Hickey"
But bear in mind-and herein is re-
vealed the sacrilege of the present
condition of things--that Joe Hickey
never drank gin in his life. abhorred
gin, and despised men who drank it.
The whisky trust was to him the
most powerful organization in the
land and to him the product Of It's dis
tilleries was the wine of the people,
And, therefore, is it little wonder
that the present query of gin or
whisky Rickey?" jars upon those ac-
quainted with the genesis of the de-
coctiOn?
Bartenders are a migratory race
the best of them travel from large
city to large city, obtaining employ
ment in the most prominent places,
and through their ministration the
fame Of the Hickey has spread
through the land until at times in the
warmest weather there are fire.
Quently local corners in lines. But
IN spreading it has met with deterior-
ating variations. Cracked ice in one
place; an enormous glass in another,
making a wishy-washy compound: no
lime ribd in another, rohbing 1t of
desirable acrid taste and last and
worst of all the innovation of the gin.
Those who wish the diStillation of
the Juniper berry employed should
find some other name for that COM
hination and not honor 1t with the
name and fame of Colonel Joseph X.
Hickey. of Galloway county, Missouri.