Evening star., 1903-11-28
PEANUTS AS FREE LUNCH.
LIQUOR Dealers Find the Experiment
Failure.
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
Not many days ago the keeper of an up
town liouor saloon introduced a huge cut
glass bowl filled with freshly roasted pea
nuts as a free lunch. Others followed his
example Now they all admit that the in
novation Is a failure. and will stop It,
This change was not actuated by econ
omy. As a matter of fact. bowl of fresh
peanuts kept on the bar all day did not
cost the proprietor SO a day. The men who
tried the peanut idea found that great
MANY regular customers did not like pea
nuts after a drink. and began to look
around for the pickle fork. Those who DID
like peanuts carried away full halr pint
In their coat pocket. Others who liked
them remained close by the bowl. eating
FOR half an hour and scattering the hulls
all over the floor. The Norman had 10
come around with broom every f1ve MIN
utes and raised dust that drove customers
out Another thing the liquor dealer learn
ed was that a great many men who enjoy
@ pint of peanuts riding home on the car at
night had no use for them in the daytime.
1T costs lot of money to run fine
saloon In New York nowadays" said the
man who tried the peanut experiment frst.
az am not speaking of either cost or license.
supplies or help. 1t Is the fitting that
eats a big hole in the money at the start.
When 1 began business forty years ago.
down In Greenwich street my only outfit
for the necessary fittings-a mirror behind
the bar and a hot-water kettle included
was $50. and the goodwill of the police.
own twelve bars in New York today. and
the last six OF them I bought cost me more
than $4,000 each to fit up. And am not
the top of the head by great deal Some
bars, or buffets. as they are called In the
uptown district. cost $50 900 to put in shape
before one dollars worth of stuff to drink
or smoke or eat was put into them.
Nor is there so much to show for this
display of wealth. The Hoffman House
started the costly picture craze, and 1t has
not yet gone out of vogut. Some of the
most valuable paintings and etchings In
New York are hung behind the bars of
saloons. They have morning hours, when
women are admitted. but women do not go
half so much as they used to. Somehow IT
never seemed possible to keep half the men
out. and then there was gossip.
Nowadays 1t is not an infrequent oc-
Currence for q saloon-keeper to loan his
entire collection to club entertainment
where women are admitted. / have even
seen them in church fairs. The borrowers
take full risks of removal and insurance.
and the fact that the collection was loaned
by Mr. Blank OF the well-known Silver Star
Saloon. at such-and-such a street, ie ex-
tensively made known. The owner of the
pictures gets his money back, all right
Sometimes he makes a good sale to a col
lector or an agent. who had never heard OF
his saloon and is willing to pay anything
within reason for the picture who wants
1t for his gallery.
"A few years ago any man who was pre-
pared to spend 81 600 in fitting up a new
saloon went around to various stores an6
selected what he wanted. Now a contrac.
tor comes along and makes his estimate
The LIQUORS are sold from cut-glass bottles
and not from the original bottles displaying
the label. II a customer wants TO see the
real bottle It is taken from a cupboard and
passed to him.
ut is cheaper. In the end. to let mar
who knows his business design your bar
as he calls II. You will be surprised t
see how much room he can save. All yol
have to do Is to move in your stock anl
supply the barkeepers and a bouncer who
knows his business"