The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-08-22
SPEARJNG GOTHAM ROBINS.
A Peculiar Occupation Followed by ,
Coony Cove at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

Peculiar Occupation Followed by q
Coony Cove at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
The sedate and almost solemn aft
ernoon quiet of the Fifth Avenue
barroom was disturbed when one of
the barkeepers, whose eyes had
seemed to be fixed on Africa, sud
denly said, did he spear it,"
The row of men who were indulg-
ing in that curious but highly cher
lshed free American privilege of
bending in their ribs against the bar
rail regarded the barkeeper with ST.
lent interest, as if by listening they
might intercept a communication
from his mahatma. What was heard
was oracular rather than mystic. It
was, He did,
Then the row of men turned their
backs to the bar, so strong was the
suddenly aroused interest, and dis
covered that the oracle was the man
behind the cigar stand. He was OBJ
serving, with a look in which ad-
miration was not altogether absent,
man disappearing into the lobby.
To say that he was disappearing"
may give the impression that he was
hurrying. He was not, though. He
was a man of portly figure. above
the medium height and erect. His
movements were deliberate and dig
nified, and his apparel was of fash
ion becoming his so years, his gray
beard and white hair and was in
good condition and keeping.
The row of citizens again faced
the bar, resumed the construction of
their ribs and asked as one man:
What did he spear?"
"A robin, answered the barkeep-
or, visibly moved to pride by the
interest conferred upon his potency
for enlightenment.
The citizens regarded one another
with grave, questioning looks, and
then all showed eager satisfaction
when one, holder than the Others
asked:
"What-that is to say-what kind
of robin did that old gentleman
spear?"
The barkeeper compressed two
halves of lime into a glass, threw
one in after the juice, showed some
glittering ice into the glass, made it
amber colored with portion of
whisky, filled it with seething siphon
water and pushed the completed
rickey toward a citizen whose clay
lacked moisture and then answered:
He speared the only kind of a
robin that nests around here-a cigar
stump"
The citizens looked incredulous
and leaned over the bar rail until
their torsos bulged like cadets. One
he who had been refreshed with the
rickey, at last said, Reallyr'
That's straight" said the bar
keeper, replying to the accent rath-
er than the word of the speaker.
Its right He's the cooniest robin |
hunter on this beat. You saw that |
cane he carried? That crook handled
cane he can hang on his arm and have |
both hands free when he takes a |
chase past the free lunch. There is a |
needle in the ferrule end of it. That's |
what he spears the robins with. Say, |
he never misses a jab. No, we don't |
bother him. He does no harm. He |
looks respectable. He just comes in,
takes seat, watches a smoker who
throws away long robin to light
fresh cigar, and then he strolls over
and quietly spears it. No l don't
know what he does with them. If
they are very good and long, he
smokes them himself, but if he was
an ocean steamer he couldn't smoke
them all himself. He'sa pretty coony
cove, and the porters like him be-
cause he saves them so much pick
ing up. The same, gents" -New
York Sun.