The Portland daily press., 1895-11-09
THE WTCHlNG HOUR FOR DRINKS.
A Custom That has Arisen in New York
Under the Roosevelt Crusade.
IN. Y. sun J

IN. Y. SUM-
One of the pecuIi r results of the Roose-
velt Sunday closing crusade IS TO be ob-
served at the hour of midnight at saloops
along the public thoroughfares on sun
day, or, rather, at the beginning of Mon
day morning. Though, as is very well
known to all observant persons, the sale
of drinks has by no means been stopped
on Sunday, especially in the larger places
on prominent public corners, the sale OF
liquors is carried on surreptitiously, and
some places are entirely closed. About
p quarter to 70, with the streets dark and
not too many pedestrians stirring. small
squads of individuals may be seen form
ing or standing in the vicinity OF the
main entrance of a saloon The shades
are up, and so the inside of the saloon
can be seen from the street, and these IN
tending patrons watch furtively from the
outside for the appearance OF the pro-
prietor or the barkeeper, the turning on
of the lights. the putting on OF an
apron, and the arrangement OF bott1es
and glasses for use.
These formalities consume usually
ten to fifteen minutes, and then the pro-
prietor or barkeeper begins to watch the
clock. and the men outside realize from
this that the hour for opening cannot be
very far Off On the minute OF II the
front doors are thrown wide open, and
there surges into the saloon from twenty
to fifty thirsty mortals, most OF them
young men, and a majority of them
calling for beer. When their thirst has
been slakeG they do not. as at other times.
nav for their drink or drinks and depart
from the saloon, but they stand close to
the bar and seem reluctant to leave, such
seeming to be the attraction of saloon
luring an hour heretofore among the
number of those in which saloons were
closed. By defect in the excise law,
to which the recent Roosevelt crusade
first drew attention, on any other day
than Sunday it is misdemeanor to keep
omen between / and 5 O'Clock in the
morning, "unless by virtue of special
or all-night license" but this inhibition
begins at l o'clock in the morning, and
there is nothing in the law which pre-
vents a saloon man from keeping open
from 10 until 'clock Cd Monday morn
ing. Saloon keepers. closed during the
day and desirous of securing remnant.
at least, of their former profitable Sun
day patronage, keep open from IL till 1
on Monday morning and have lively
trade 1t is estimated that the mum Der
of drinkers during this hour on Monday
morning is 20, 900, and, as most of them
take more than one drink, it is an item
of patronage not to be despised-under a
reform Police Board. There are, how
ever, two evil effects of this innovation.
The first is that many individuals who
have heretofore taken glass Of beer,
wine or spirits on Sunday evenings be-
fore retiring, now remain up until II
O'Clock and take several. The second Ill
effect accrues from the custom of many
cf those who, entering saloon on Mon
dnv morning before / O'Clock, find that it
is soon to be closed. Fearful OF being de-
priyed of fieeting chance for drink at
an unusual hour they remain in the
saloon after the front doors are closed at
O'Clock, and not a few of them, there Is
every reason to believe, remain all night.
The phrase 'witching hour" owes its
origin to belated drinkers under the
Roosevelt administration and not to sa-
loon men, who have little time or liking
for poetic uotations. The accurate quo
tation is from Hamlet" Act III: 50 Ills
now the very witching time of night
when churchyards yawn and hell itself
breathes out contagion to this world. y