The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-08
NIGHT IN A SALOON
EXPERIENCE OF A NAN WHO MET
AN OLD FRIEND.
BOTH LOCKED IN A BARROOM
Called the Police and Proprietor BY
Telephone, Then Proceeded to
Consume Part of the
Stock.

Many Ineu nave SGeil len A<IShNS Al
a Barroom,' but proba bly, few have had
an experier>c that would SO strongly re
mind them Of the play as one l went
through once" said Frank Smith of st.
Louis this morning as he walked up 20
the bar in the Finlen. some years ago
l was wandering around st. Louis when
l met an old friend whom l had not seen
for a long time. The repetition of the
speech that was made by the governor
Of one Carolina to the governor OF the
other Carolina took place frequently as
the day progressed, and by evening we
were closer and more confidential friends
than we had ever been before.
My friend suggested that we go to
the theater, and of course l fell in with
it right away. l don't remember much
about the play. l have a dim recollec-
ton that l did not have very plain
view of the stage for some reason, and
recall that my old friend and myself had
much to say about old times. We re-
called ourselves with stories of our lives
when we We're boys, and did not care
much whether the show was going on
or not. After the play was over we went
into a sample room to have few more
before we parted for the night. l don't
KNOW JUST Wldl udppeHcu " uo WASh
we got into the saloon. but 1 do know
that about the first thing I knew we
were alone in the place and the doors
were locked. l did not relish the idea
Of spending the night in barroom, and
at the same time. from the prospects.
did not see Just how l was going to
keep from doing So
MY friend and myself held commit
tee meeting. at which. of course, we were
the only persons present, and decided to
appoint ourselves TO cast about for a
way to get out of that saloon. Finally
we discovered telephone in the place
and called up the police headquarters
and informed the officers what had hap
pened to us. Naturally there was stir
among the policemen When our alarm
was sent in. They did not know how it
could happen that we We're in that saloon
by accident away along towards o'clock
in the morning. A message was sent by
the police to the man WHO owned the
saloon, and squad of officers was sent
over to see ;lat was the matter with
us. AS soon as the proprietor got word
that we were in his place he called Up
the saloon by telephone. and 1 answered
the call. He wanted to know what was
the matter, and l told him that I could
in and wanted to get our. In the mean
time the police had arrived and were
talking with my friend through the front
door OF the place. The officers became
satisfied that we We're not in the bar
room for any criminal purpose and de.
cided not to force the doors open. The
boss had told me that he was coming
down town as soon as he could get down
At the same time he asked me to help
myself to whatever I wanted out of his
stock for my immediate use.
when all these arrangements had
been made we We're no longer worrying
about what had happened to us, and
began to enjoy the humorous side of our
experience. The front part of the sample
room, including the doors, was nearly
all glass, and as the policemen stood on
the sidewalk they could see us plainly
We thought we would have little fun
with the officers, so we went behind the
bar and got a drink EACH which we got
away with as they looked at us. Then
we helped ourselves to the cigars. AL
that was funny enough for us until we
saw that the policemen We're becoming
suspicious of us and were thinking about
forcing an entrance to the place to gel
hold of us. While they We're consider
ing the matter the proprietor arrived anC
unlocked the door He laughed over the
occurrence, explained TO the officers thai
we had only acted on his invitation ir
helping ourselves to the goods, and VIZ
were at liberty and squared all around
How did we come to be locked ii
the saloon? Well, that is something
that I have never figured out fully t.
this day The proprietor of the place
thought we must have fallen asleep il
the rear part of the billiard room anl
escaped the notice of the bartender whel
he closed the place at midnight. I sup
pose that is as good an explanation Al
any. I know the owner of the saloon
my friend and myself discussed the mat
ter from the time the boss arrived OF
the scene until the day bartender CAM
to open the saloon in the morning.
altogether, you see, we came nea
putting in one full night in barroom
We had lots of fun out of the matte
and all that, but can't say that l eve
longed to go through the experience
again. l like to have the privilege O
choosing the kind of plays I go to Sc