The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
THE LAND OF THE BARMAIDS
FACTS ABOUT CURIOUS TYPE OF
ENGLISH TOUNG WOMEN.


Good LookinE-Where They Come From
Their Tact with Their Customers and
Admirers 49, What becomes OF Them.
Among the thousands OF tourists who are
| rushing over to England at this season It Is
probable that by far the largest proportion are
| going there for the first time and are full OF
| eager curiosity to whether not the
! country is anything like what they have always
| imagined 1t TO be. Men and women usually go
| to Europe with very different authorizations.
| The women go to picture galleries and
| churches and to price articles OF personal
| adornmcnt The men go to see life. and to
| learn tho foreign methods OF painting towns
red. The women have visions OF Westminster
Abbey and Partisan bonnets. while the men
| dream of the Moulin Rouge and Monte Carlo.
| The observant man who visits England for
! the first time cannot fail to be impressed by
| two great English institutions which are alb
! soutely unknown in this country. The first OF
| these. and the one that will force itself upon
his attention almost as soon as he lands. is the
| English chimney pot. short slender affair Of
| terracotta. which surmounts every chimney
| throughout the whole length and breadth OF
| the land. II you ask any builder why these
| pots are placed on the chimneys. he will tell
| you that without them the fue would not draw
| Tell him that you have no such things in
America. and yet the chimneys draw we'll
enough. and ask him II he ever tried a
chimney without pot on it. or ever
knew any else to try It, and he
will reply: "Of course not. II / built
a 'ouse without pots on the chimneys. no
one would rent it." The next great institu-
ton. and the one that particularly impresses
an American is tho English barmaid. Like
the chimney pots. they seem to be preferred
to the American style because they are sup
10 Irou hot nlth prh In alI naI
reason for employing them is that they are
more honest. Any one who has had anything
to do with the British workman knows that he
makes a lifelong study Of cheating his en-
ployer. either by "sojcring' in time at the bench
or by abstracting small sums from the money
drawer. Keepers OF public houses think that
barmaids are more honest, and they know that
a pretty girl draws certain amount of custom
and tends to keep the customers that she has.
These harmads are to be found in every
grade OF saloon. from the lowest pubs" in
Whitechapel. where an American would sup
pose that a retired pri2efghter and profess
sional bouncer would be more appropriate. to
the most exclusive private hotels in the West
End. 1t Is the same all over England, and
pretty barmaid has often a good deal to do with
attracting the patrons OF what are known as
commercial hotels-that is. hotels frequented
by drummers. 1t is an old saying that the
hand that pulls the beer engine goes
with the face that brings the trade. As a
class. barmals have two characteristics: they
are always good looking md always young.
II you find n woman over thirty five in attend
ance at an English bar. you may rest assured
that she is the housekee pcr and that 1t is the
harmaids evening out The typical English
barmaid has round face. strong eyebrows. a
firmly cut mouth, and very good teeth-signs
Of good sense. self-control, judgment OF hui
man nature and n cheerful disposition. She Is
always plainly but neatly dressed. speaks in n
low. we'll bred voice. and has the happy faculty
OF being all things to all men.
Where do all these Young and pretty girls
come from and how do they happen to select
such business as tending bar? All ranks OF
life have their outlets for the restless spirits
In all classes there are to be found a certain
percentage Of girls who are fond OF life and
amusement aud for whom home comforts
have no attraction. They are bored to death
with the monotony Of sewing and dishwash-
ing, Just as some boys have craving to go
to sea instead Of to business. so some girls
long &c: n frcer and wider life than nursing
their little brothers and sisters Girls Of
the middle classes who have had the advantage
of good education usually 60 upon the stage
i they are good looking, enough; otherwise
they go into business as clerk, or typcwritrrs
or even as sa!eswOmen in the big stores. Girls
OF the lower classes. who hav" little or no edu-
cation and have no capital but their goot looks
and Jolly disposition. naturally turn to the bar
Sometimes they are recommended by friend
some man who keeps IA pub" or a hotel. aud
is willing TO Civ" them chanca. Failing any
of these opportunities, they advertise. the usual
form being something after this fashion:
NoUNG Girl would like position in hotel to learn
the business; willing 10 20 for time for nothing.
There is no necessity to say that it is in the
bar that 81" wants employment. Any person
is good looking and bright. She will haveno dif-
the beer engines, but there may be Il god ieai
start; After n talk with the prOprietor, who
tells her what her duties will b" and what he is
willing to pny her il she turns out we'll, she is
prut bly, told to be on hand at certain time
n;nd take her first lesson. and after, quite
touches to her toilet she finds herself for the
first time behind the bar Of a public house,
student Of human nature could And large
tons during her first day behind a bar 1t is
AWAY, better # she can make her first attempt
one Is locking at her, and she cannot help
on" another about her. some OF which she
h|mrS en"nEh ate O. to make her ready 70 sink
gins in her own town. she is som"tim"s
shocked to see men whom she has known
, INA TGITeGted reveal the lowest side q
house; and she can hardly believe tho storieS
N" OF h"r girls tell her about men who she
thought were model husbands. During tho
first day or two she makes no attempt to wait
on customers. but simply watch"; the other
girls and their manner toward patrons OF the
nous" ana learns to manage the beer engines
! hesr beer engines ar" set Of lever handles.
the pull hrnE connected with the barrel in the
cellar. Tn" new girl is carefully instructed as
To the different pulls which is for bitter"
which for porter. Nc. There is quite n knnck
in knowing how long and how hard to pull and |
also in Judging how much froth a customer
will stand.
Having learned tho engines. the next thing |
is to learn how much to draw according To- |
what l. asked for, and the various mixtures |
and their prol or proportions. II customer
asks fora glass" that means two penn 'orth
Of bitter ale Ii he asks for beer he does not |
mean lager, but p0rtcr. If he asks for All and |
ali. he wants half bitter and half stout If |
wines are asked Tor they are poured ont bv the |
harmald in glass which holds the exact |
quantity when filled to the hrim Silver meas |
nr"S are used for such drinks as whiskey. the !
amount asked for usually three renn'Grth |
being poured from the measure into a small |
lumber Instead of putting tho bottle on tho |
lar ana allowing m" customer to helm himself |
rs IN America. Their" is no such thing as Civ |
iEE tive ID cent drinks for n quarter as here |
and dr. INKS are the same size in all bars
1t takes girl about n week to learn the |
prices OF ~" various drinks and tn" manner Of |