The record-union., 1898-01-01
A "REAL AMERICAN BAR"
It Affords Great Amusement in
London.

A really splendid example of CONNER
cial ingenuity and enterprise is reported
from the royal suburb of KenSington.
The newspapers have drawn attention
to the fact that to Olympia in that quar-
ter of the town there has recently come
the extensive human and animal entour-
age of the Barnum & Bailey show. Now,
Of all the thousands of keen bankers
and merchants in the city Of London
probably not one has troubled to think
how he could turn that circumstances to
commercial advantage.
The glory of having perceived the pos
sibilities of the situation belongs solely
TO a publican in Kensington. With a
power of rapid reasoning that would do
credit to a man in the highest walk OF
life, he has realized that the coming of
an American show to Olympia means
the coming of a large number of Amer
lean men to the neighborhood, who will
need to be supplied with various kinds
of American necessaries. So, with a
quick grasp of the circumstances, he has
draped the patent check till with the
stars and stripes, dressed up the pot
man in a white jacket, arranged half
dozen extra bottles on the shelf, and
called it an American bar"
Barnum & Baileys American animal
trainers, horseriders and showmen gen
eraly have appreciated the attention and
rewarded the enterprise. Whenever
they have any leisure moments they go
around to the American bar and laugh
till they cry. Whenever one of them
feels sad he lounges up to the bar and
says, Say, barkeeper Can you fix me
an American drink?" The potman
bitches up his white jacket, and with
the gay courage of youth, says, You
bet" through his nose.
Then" says the American, gimme
moonshine saunter"
There is no such concoction in all the
long list of American beverages, but
that circumstances matters nothing to
the brave, ite-jacketed potman. He
produces tin can and pours in little
out of each of mis- bottles. adds some
sifted sugar and squeeze of lemon,
fills up with soda water, shakes the
mixture up with the assistance of a sec
ond tin can, pours out through the
strainer, and, slapping the glass down
on the counter, says as cheerfully as he
can through his nose, Say, boss! your
moonshne saunter"
When the American gentleman has
finished laughing he tastes the mixture,
and his hilarity gives way to incredulous
surprise Then he pulls his imagination
together, and orders a sunshine frisk,
or a Klondike cocktail, or a Coroner s
delight, or any other non-existent drinks
that his fancy may give name to. The
brave heart of the white-jacketed pot
man never quails. Whatever 1t may be
that is ordered he pours out a little
from each of his bottles, adds some
sifted sugar, and squeeze of lemon,
fills up with siphon sodawater, shakes
up the mixture, pours it through a
strainer, slaps the glass down on the
counter, says "Coroner's delight"
"Klondike cocktail or sunshine frisk, 4"
as the case may be-and collects the six
pence. The American men when they
have exhausted the immediate humor
of the game go away, and look for 9TH
er Americans who have not yet heard
about it, and induce them to take q real
American drink at the American bar"
The publican is coming money.-Lon-
don Daily Mail