Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-05-16

y, DO you recall his name! \. L think u
was George b. smith; he sold clothing. He
was very noisy ut times.
q. Now, in the dining room when you
acted rs head waiter, what was the process
by which payment for Intoxicating liquors
was etiectadi n. In regard to mixed drink
at the table, cannot say that / had any
knowledge of that, but MS 10 bottle of wine
or bottle of beer, would order 1t, serve 1t
and have 1t charged, but sometimes they
would pay for 1t mt the table; sometimes
they would pay for it before and bring the
money to the office, but mostly it was
charged to them.
Q. Did parties, with several,in the party,
occasionally meet there for card PLAYING for
several hours when this sort of entertain
ment was furnished to them from time to
timeg A. Yes, sir.
do not suppose that you can tell how many
times a week or month? A. couhi not tell
anything about how many times, some even
ings, and especially Sunday evening, good
many commercial travellers would come to-
gether, or perhaps through the week or Sum
day afternoon; it may occur perhaps none
in week. and then it would be three or
like that, but rs to how many l could not
say.
Q. And would the entertainment for such
parties be repeated during the evening, that
is, would they require entertainment from
hour to hour as the evening went along?
A. What do YOU mean, reciprocate back, one
another in drinks and such MS that?
o, Yes, would the parties have to be
served several times? A. Yes, sir, it would
not be very long at time when they would
order-it would not be very long between
times that the bottle was empty and when
they would order again.
q. You get my idea now, don't you, that
the party sitting down to play cards would
perhaps every hour or every three quarters
of an hour or every hour and half, they
would want to be served again with in
toNicating liquors! A. | would get pint
bottle, would get pint bottle in the early
part of the evening, it might last an hour or
it might last two hours, then would get
another one and perhaps it would be three or
four, perhaps sometimes only one or two,
more or less, as would be in the party.
@. When the compensation for intoXicat-
ing liquors was furnished at the Office, where
was the money taken from, taken right from
the money till! A. 1t was taken from the
money drawer.
Q. During your entire period of service
there, how frequently did you have to render
entertainment in furnishing such enter.
tainment to the guests of the hotel!
A. AS I said before, 1t might be very
often at times and then again It
HIlSut bS uhCs out WYNN ouy ioiSiy
u day passed that something was not bought
by myself or by some other boy, but as was
the oldest boy there in the employ of Mr..
Woodbury., and through Mr.. Clark always
on bis side surrendered my whole service the
number Of years was there, and therefore
in that light when they saw me doing so and
in the right manner they gave me more
privileges about that house than any other
boy that ever worked there.
Q. Perhaps your long continued. period OF
service lent some confidence that you would
do that business properly? A. Mr.. Clark
never objected at any time, when he was
back of the office-he never objected to my
going after any liquor, that is, in regard to
its beneiiting me, and only wanted me to see
that the guests were supplied in the right
manner.
@. Now come back to the question, did
Mr.. Clark know that what you had to do
with furnishing liquor to guests was matter
of profit to you: he didn't know that you in.
creased your income there by what you did
in that liney A. Only in this way, many q
time could have got liquor in-he was per.
fectly willing; can't say that he really ever
objected to my going out but what he knew
that was to make something upon it, Mr..
Clark knew that got this little dividend
back upon those bottles, as used to get at
least from dollar to two dollars u month on
bottles; that he knew.
q. What was done with the empty bottles:
A. That is what am speaking of.
q. What was done immediately after they
they were taken from the room! A. The
empty bottles, when l would serve the
you kindly leave the vial in the dressing case
drawer or leave it In the stand drawer
because that was my little point in getting
that little ten cents for pint, of five cents
for half pint bottle.
@. Did you accumulate these empties? A.
Ali the time, and returned them back to the
place that got them from.
had there in the house, that was my own lit
tie business. Some would keep, but most
all of them went back.
@. In returning the bottles, did you return
them in quantities or did you return them
one at time? A. never returned under a
dozen at time.
9. Now, was there, aside from what you
say about the concealment of cocktails when
you brought them into the house, was there
any attempt at concealment In the furnishing
of guests with this entertainment either in
their rooms or on the dining room tables.
did you attempt TO cover it up in any way
that you were doing that kind of service!
A. know in this light Mr.. Clark used
to know when | had the parties on that |
L
could not get it in late, he knew that.
q. Now, wine or ale or anything of that
kind, when it was served at the dining table,
were there any precautions taken that other
people present should not observe what was
going on! A. Sometimes we would have it
right out in the sink in two or three or four
or five bottles put up in a pail of ice,i which
didn't seem to be covered up very much.
q. Do you mean that you used to have
liquors, ale wine and beer In quantities there
at the hotely A. l cannot say that we had
wine in quantities, but in regard to Quanti-
ties of beer of Bass ale, do say so.
Q. And were those both intoxicating liq-
uors? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And how large quantities would you
The service for guests should think mostly
was gotten to order; il was on late watch
at night, and knew was on late watch.
would 20 over and get half q dozen extra
bottles; l always kept more of half pints
than would of pints.
Q. You kept them in the refrigerator ready
for guests rs they called for it! A. Not in
for it.
@. Do you remember some one occasion
that there was u fair or something when any
considerable number of small bottles of liquor
were brought into the ho,el in anticipation?
A. During the state fairs | used to get quite
a large quantity ahead myself.
Q. How large quantities? A. Perhaps l
had two dozen half pints and perhaps q
dozen pints.
Q. Where did you keep it! a. Well,
used to hide it most anywhere.
Q. Now, with reference to the service In
the dining room, asked you few moments
ago whether there was any attempt to con-
ceal from other people In the dining room
the fact that guests were being served, was
it done openly right In the dining room, did
they have il right on the table openly! A. 1t
was placed right at their places, poured out
to them in glass just the same as you 20
down into The cafe of this building and have
il served at table.
Q. Was there ever, to your knowledge,
any attempt to serve in any way SO that one
sitting near by would not observe that the
guests were drinking? A. No, sir.
q. You spoke about the cOncealment of
cocktails; what did you mean by that, how
did you conceal il. A. | would take them
sometimes in side pocket, or have it so
could put paper over it, but would
always bring it In a beer glass, not cocktail
glass.