The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-13
Lunch Counter Said to Have Had
its Birth There.
JUDGE FLoURN0Y'S STORY
He Tells How a Saloon Man, to Avoid
High License, inaugurated a Gus
tom That Has Become Popular
All Over the World.

elsewhere in Virginia are ieJoioeu ~
! know that Judge Henry w. flouiiioS,
ex-Judge of the Corporation Court
! Danville and ex-Secretary of the CONS
monwealth. is making a fortune In lex
as He got into oil-well deals down
there and he writes back to his frends
that he has indeed ''struck lie
When Judge Flournoy went to Texas
TO live Virginia lost a valuable citizen
and a patriotic son. He loves old Vlr-
ginia and when he was mere BOY ne
fought for her and never refused to serve
her where he could.
TELLS A GOOD STORY.
And he is a jovial son, who tells
story we'll. Just before he left for
Texas I spent the greater part of a day
with him He was in Il reminiscent
mood and told many stories connected
with Virginia history. Among other
things, he gave me the true history OF
the free-lunch counter, an American IN
stitution that is popular all over the
broad land
I will not attempt to quote his exact
language but merely tell the story. AZ
before stated, Flournoy was judge OF
the Corporation Court of Danville from
about 1865 to 1876, when he resigned. In
| those days the laws pertaining to liquor
license were very different in Virginia
| from now There were three classes of
licenses. The retail liquor dealers or
| bar-room license cost $500. The whole
saler, who could sell any quantity, no
| matter how small, provided 1t was not
drunk where sold. had to pay S2oo and
| then there was an entertainers license
that cost only SIS Under this license
a man who kept a hotel or In any way
furnished guests with food or lodging
| or both could sell them liquor by the
drink or otherwise, but he could sell
| only to his guests, such as he fed or
lodged.
FREE LUNCH COUNTER BORN.
man named Wood kept a popular
saloon in Danvile, but said he could not
| afford to pay the 800 license under the
then new law and he cudgelled his brain
| to devise a plan to evade it. Finally he
| took out entertainers license at SIS. He
| then placed a waiter tliled with cheese
and crackers on his counter and refused
! to sell drink to any person who did
| not take a bite therefrom.
| Instead of kicking at this apparently
! arbitrary agreement Woods customers
| liked it, and Wood readily saw that he
| had buided better than he thought. He
| Installed a larger waiter and added bits
| of ham and loaf bread to the cheese and
| crackers and as he noticed that these
| things brought him new customers he
I then added roast beef and potatoes and
|
| ceedingy popular and other saloons had
| to start them.
| Drummers and other traders visiting
| Dapville enjoyed Woods lunch. and they
carried the news Of its popularity where
| ever they went Soon free lunch coun-
| ters appeared in Baltimore then in Rich
| mond, then New York and then TO
western cities. They are now everywhere
in this country and l am told that the
| free lunch counter has ceased to be
strictly an American institution. 1t is
said that foreigners travelling in this
| country fell in love with free lunches
and now they are very popular in Eng
| land, Germany, and France but accord
ing to Judge Flournoy the birthplace
| of the free-lunch counter was Danville.
The judge told me another story. this
one on himself. ~ negro man was once
| being tried before a jury in his court.
| charged with unlawful shooting The
| principal witness against him was a
small negro boy. age not over ten.
Counsel for defense objected to the ex-
animation of the witness, claiming he
| was incompetent being too young to
understand the nature of an oath. The
! judge proceeded to examine the witness
| to determine as to his competency, and
the following dialogue ensued:
| How old are you?''
Mighty night ten, sah.'
! do you go to schoo1?"
Yes sah..''
Can you read?''
"a little Bit
do you go to Sunday-school?"
| Eyes, sah'
Did you ever read the Bible?"
Yes. sah.
DO you know what book you kissed
when the clerk swore you while ago.
Yes. sab. Dat was de Bibla-'
What did you promise. to do when
| the clerk swore you?''
1 ITO tell Gle trut.''
DO YOU know what will become of You
| if you tell lie on the witness stand?'
Yes. sab. De old debil will git me-
! Then looking sternly at the witness. the
| judge said; Yes. and ! will get YOU
| too"
The youthful witness eagerly replied.