Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-05-16
malt liquors to be obtained theres A. Yes,

malt liquors to be obtained there! A. Yes,
sir.
=, Q.,whiskey, brandy. rum-s A. They
kept most everything there, l understand,
excepting In the cordial lines.
Q. They kept whskey, brandy, rum, beer
aley A. Yes, sir; anything under that de.
scription. Bass ale or anything called for
like that WAS never refused.
The witness said that In the Van Ness
house.he had acted as head waiter, "many a
tme;" as night clerk and as clerk during the
relieving him afternoons. He worked in the
house at least six years. In response to
question about furnishing liquor when he
was acting as head waiter the witness
said:-
A. should go and order at the Office and
the boys, u hall boy, was sent out, wherever
he was sent, and brought it back to me, and
| should have taken the stuff itself and
served 1t at the table.
Q. What kinds of Intoxicating beverages
were furnished to guests at the hotel while
YOU were there? 4. Well, l could not say
what was done by the rest of the boys, but
| am certain that saw them 20 in with a
cocktail, which myself have brought under
cover, or mixed drink from the American
| house.
@. What other kinds Of Intoxicating
| liquors? A. Bass ale, beer and whiskey.~
Q. Wines! A. Champagnes, mostly, what
brands they carried, they only carried three
| or four different brands, but champagne.
| @. You say 'what brands they carried"
what brands were carried at the American
house bar. A. At the bar they carried only
| three or four different brands. they might
brands l don't think they carried.
| @. You mean such brands as were carried
| at the bar? A. Yes, sir.
| @. And where were these liquors and ales
and beer obtained by the employees of the
hotel for the guests, whereabouts! A. Well,
from what know if there was party came
| at night, the same as theatrical people, we
would take q basket and, after hours, # the
bar was closed, we would have Il basket OF
ale, mostly beer.
Q. For theatrical parties: A.. Yes, sir.
| q. And how common was 1t for theatrical
parties visiting Burlington to require that
sort of entertainment! A. Well, l. don't
know that it was very rarely, but what we
served some of them, could not say every
one, 1t was o common occurrence.
@. And did most of the theatrical parties
that came to Burlington stop at the Van Ness
house? A. Once in q while they would stop
ut the Hotel Burlington; we got eight out OF
ten.
q. And what instructions, If any, did you
have from the manager OF the hotel about
being In readiness for these parties! "A.
From Mr.. Drew himself.
Q. What were the instructions, what prep
aratlon did he tell you to make for them? A.
After hours, il l was on watch to have a
dozen bottles or so laid aside.
Q. And where did you get them! A.
would get them from the American house
| bar.
Q. And how would you pay for them at
the American house bar, how was the ac-
count kept? A. In this light, that when
they were brought over to the room, they
held us across the bar at the American house
for it until the next morning.
Q. When you went to the bar to purchase
these various Intoxicating liquids as you did
for the guests. did you pay across the bar
some of the time, directly? A. Some of the
time, and some of the time would not until
the company had gone away.
! @. What instructions did you have from
Mr.. Drew about the eXclusiveness with
which you should obtain the Intoxicating
liquor for guests at that bar! A. lie used to
see me coming across the park and he said
he heard didn't go there, and VIC had three
or four conversations in regard to that and
wanted to know why didn't go there. and |
said, "Mr. Drew. of course as am here all
around the house l like to make an extra dol
lar If possibly can" He says, "You go over
to the other side" He says, "You know
pay rent for that, and it is just as much to
your interest to go there as 1t Is to me.
| want you to go across"
| @. Across to the American house bar!
| A. Yes, sir.
| @. When you didn't 20 there for intoXicat-
ing liquor for the guests, whereabouts in
Burlington did you procure it! A. don't
believe there was any drug store in Burling-
ton but what | could get the liquors. got
most OF my stuff at Sterns'.
@. Did you buy any Intoxicating liquor at
Fay Tafts! A. l have many time.
| q. That is, for guests Of the hotel? A. For
| guests of the hotel.
@. And at other drug stores II you can
think Of any that you have occasionally done
| so! A. Once in q while | used to 20 up
above there when those people were closed.
| Q. Some other drug stores! A. Those
were the handiest to buy.
| @. They were right across the park? A.
| Right across the park.
| q. What instructions or conversations did
| you have with Mr.. Clark respecting the mat
ter of not going to the American house bar
after liquor and going instead to the drug
stores! A. 1t was in this light; | spoke to
| Mr.. Clark one day in regard to Mr.. Drew
being little sore against me, and from what
| ] found out it was nothing else only that I
| didn't visit his bar as frequently as i ought
| to, and he would put In other little facts time
and time again that | was not attending TO
| to Mr.. Clark, 81 know it is nothing else ex-
cept lido not 60 there" He says, erred,
you use your own Judgment" and of course
| should 20 there as much a. could as Mr..
Clark understood at that time, of course
was trying to make Il dollar tor myself.
q. Why was it beneficial to you pecun-
| iarily to 20 to the drug stores instead of
going to Mr.. Drew's bar: A. Because got
| it more reasonable; IL ordered a bottle of
champagne which was sold for -, and got
| 81 for it, and could buy 1t for S3,5O
Q. You got the difference! A. And /
would get the difference.
q. And was some concession made to you
by the drug stores in view of the amount of
dealing that you had with them, did they let
you have Intoxicating liquors and wines and
ales and so forth, at less than the regular
going price? A. They would sell me ct the
going price, and If / charged more for it of
course that was my own lookout; they never
made any reduction only in this light, that
knowing this would make something upon
the liquor.
@. Did you understand in fact that you did
get the liquor at a price less than the regular
| retail price to casual customers who came In,
or did you get a reduction from the regular
| retail price; do you remember about that!
A. would charge many time 60 cents
where 1t would cost me 80 cents, allowing
live cents for the bottle when twas returned.
". lnaL Is 1Or splrltuOuS liquors! "A.
Yes, sir.
@. A pint! "A. No, 80 cents for half pint,
and would charge S1.25 for pint
q. With reference to your deal with these
druggists in purchasing these liquors, did
you always pay cash when you purchased or
did you run bills at these places? A. Well,
once in while at Mr.. Slerns' / would run
little account, few dollars, and when It was
busy and Mr.. Clark was out, and / had to
send boy across. would fix the little matter
when Mr.. Clark came in, and bring the money
the next time that | should 80 to the drug
store.
@. Did guests who desired entertainment
of this kind In their rooms always pay the
bell boy the money for it wien they called
the boy to the room! A. No.
Q. What was done in that event about the
navrnent for IT, A The nayment at tho