The evening times., 1898-12-31
AN ANTI-TREATIDG
SOCIETY IN This CITY
Lovers of the Ardent Form a
Unique Organization.
Its Effect on the Cash Assets of
COnvivial Spirits.
ment-A Rough Road for the
''Ringer'' to Travel.

The anti-treating fever that attacked so
violently a Chicago railroad man a few
months ago and which has spread with
considerable rapidity in various sections
of the country has taken root in Wash
ington. 1t promises to become epidemic in
at least one end of the town.
Out in the northeast there is a drinking
and eating resort that is very popular with
Government Printing Office employees and
the neighbors generally of that section
Every night the place is filled with men.
young, middle-aged and old.
The custom of treating has run wild
there. 1t was not only a strain on the
pocket but IL caused many a headache and
much remorse.
short time ago the on-treating no
tion struck an old tippleT as a good thing
For years he has been one of the regular
customers and convivial spirits of the es-
tablishment. He sprung il on his friends
Some received it with dismay. They
thought the old man had surely gone daft
Others were inclined to ridcule. But the
old fellow was persistent. He hung TO his
argument and finally succeeded in bringing
five other cronies around 10 the promise
that they were to try the scheme for thirty
days.
That was about six weeks ago. The six
stuck TO the agreement without fiinching
and now every man VOWS that he is so well
pleased with the result that he is done with
the treating custom forever.
The very apparent satisfaction OF this
handful of men with the novelty has had
a noticeable effect a number OF other
frequenters of the saloon. There are now
twenty-one men who have promised ale
glance TO the nontreating principle. All
live in the immediate neighborhood of the
resort where the movement was inaugu
rated.
One of these men asserted that he had
treated and been treated for forty years
He insisted that he had drank thousands
of drinks that he really did not want;
that he drank them just to be pleasant.
Every drinking man has had similar ex-
perience. Perhaps not to the extent of
thousands of drinks. But many many
times. He had Sworn of" times without
number But 10 stay sworn off, there
was the rub. Just as often he had de-
parted from his good resolutions. And in
nearly every instance where he had brok-
en- from his determination he had fallen
victim TO some imbibing friend whose wiles
were too seductive for his frai VIII to
cope with.
In the combination OF which this we'll
soaked old sinner is a member there are
three men much after his own heart. They
have been his constant companions for
twenty years. He said that nine in ten of
the drinks he has made away with in that
time have been taken with one or another
of this coterie. All have clung heroically
to their pledge 10 treat no more.
The effect on the cash assets of these
four men has been a revelation to all of
them. On this phase of the question the
old man declared that he always realized
that treating was an expensive habit as
well as a demoralizing one. But he had
never stopped TO figure how much it was
costing him. He thought he was having
too good time to count. He vowed that
not less than one-third of his earnings had
gone TO keep it up. He knew this now
from the money he had left after his fam
ily's needs were provided for. When IL is
considered that this man has worked in
one establishment for nearly thirty years
and that he has not during that time earn
ed less than 81. 800 year and some wears
more, little bit OF figuring on his outlay
for convivial enjoyment will prove inter
esting.
1t is plain to be seen on visit to this
resort that to at least some men who have
practieed the habit of treating and being
treated the methods of the members of this
new Washington concern seem very funny
To the oldtime bar-fy they are exceed
The non-treaters are all on hand at the
rendezvous every night just as of old
Every fellow has mug of beer a sandwich
and cigar, or stronger drink. But each
one orders and pays for his own. There
is no more with them: Pour in, Let's
have another"
peculiar feature OF this nom treating
squirt is the manner in which the proprietor
OF the saloon takes 1t. One would naturally
assume that he would be anything but
pleased with 1t. That is not the case He
insists that it is a most satisfactory inno-
yation TO him. II has reduced his nightly
receipts, but not to an alarming extent
and he is quite willing TO accept the situa-
tion in view of the decided Improvement
in soberness and quiet that 1t has brought
his place. The non-treating habit was
death almost, he said. to the ringers" the
class who infest a barroom to prey off of
genial topers, but who never reciprocate
The falling off in his receipts could be
sized with the elimination of this breed of
hangers around.