The Portland daily press., 1900-02-28
FIyE-CENT WHISKY.
Drinking Resorts of the "submerssd
Tenth.v
(Fron the New York SUM-

(From the New York SUM-
Some Of the words and phrases In use
among whisky drinkers in New York
have what may be called local sisnin-
canoe, we'll understood hereabsuts. bat
OF very little meaning slsewbers. A
"hook In" or 'thooksr" IL o morning
drink Of strong whisky. A "morsus" 10
q poorly furnished saloon, patronized
only By the needy and thirsty customers.
IL IL usually on 9 side street and it, out
ward appearance Is 80 uninviting as to
rspel the ordinarily cornwall 'sbun.
ea,oo' Is the New York name for drink
Of ordinary whisky az distinguished from
drink Of some specified brand which
costs mors and is supposed to be better
and to be less sbyupt In Its Intoxicating
qualities. The phrase "down In the
Deep has q technical signifnanoe which
while understood By most whisky drink
ers requires some explanation.
In the cheaper order OF places In which
spirltuous liquors only are dealt In and
whisky. gin, rum and brandy are soli
from hogsheads or barrsl,. It 10 custo-
mary to keep two grades Of each, the
liner ard less deleterious grade, which
costs 10 osnts a glass. and the lower and
less expensive grade, which 10 retailsd
for five cents. for which the receptacle OF
supply Is larger. This receptacle, accord
ingly, has by reason OF It's greater depth
and capacity, become known as 1.-THE
deep and q person desiring TO Procure
q glass of this grade of spirits asks for
Zone from the Deep" somewhat % con-
noisfeurs In the qualities Of oysters ask
for "a dozen In the deep" meaning the
deep shell,
Uf recent years, there has been a very
marked increass In the business done by
city saloons dealing only IN spirituous
liquors, or, Gs they are sometimss oailsd,
"Rive cent WHISKY hous 4" The busl-
nc IS Of thess establishments IS carried on
chiefly during the morning hours and
lats at night, and under conditions
which entail no such expenditure to the
nary s,loonkeeper. No elaborate NJ
lures are required or d. sired py patrons,
There are no mirrors. no glassware or
elaborate d. sign, no hard wood orna-
mems no metal nickel bxinPs, no Other
en- bsllishmenis only small, unootru-
sisc, unpretentious and decidedly un.
| 7mpathetio bar, q few copper mes slres
| tor cf saoh q plscs In under no oblfgn-
| ton to upply fres lunch to patrons or
to furn, u cards for their beguilement,
or slot machines OF musc-giving char
acter for their distraction. he DOES not
deal In beer or wine s; he DOS not soil
nance or encourage the uss OF his place
rs one Of meeting for friends CT for con.
yfvisl INTERCOURSE, but IDEAS only with
patror Us O. slal visitors who are TO be
supplied for cash rigidly In every In
s.anoe, with fve-oent drink or . 10
cent drink, after the cor sumption OF
which the patron is expected to, and
dos Usually, depart. The three chief
! item Of exp'ns, In sloh PLACES, there
| fore. are frs, the rent; sJcond, the IL
Ger So fee S to ths state and to the federal
government; third, the cost OF liquids
coz 1med.
1hs call for drinks from "the deep" is
large enoug to keep In s,ue places sever
al men busy. and IA somewhat curious
| fact In whisky drinking and whisky sell
ling In New York 10 this, The re.ter
the quality Of whisky, the smaller the
drink Of 1t taken In each case. and the
poorer the quality Of the whisky. the
larger the drink. Drinks seem to be
| governed by sliding scale, whereby
eight drinks of 20-cent whisky, costing
81. 50, and six drinks Of 15-cent whisky.
costing 90 cents, are OF about the same
quantity as two drinks OF tive-cent
whisky, costing 10 cents. II other things
were equal, and the demands OF fye-ceut
whisky drinkers were as numerous tand
urgent as the demands of those drinkin q
better grade Of article, there would be
/ small profit IN tns sale of cheap whisky.
| cut the fnct IS that the expense OF main
tenancs of saloons is on tine sliding scale,
| too, and many q store, the patrons OF
which get their libations from 'down In
the Deep" does better In year than the
more literally patronized aud more ex.
peBsively conducted corner liquor So
| looms,