The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-28
THE BOSS UNDER THE ROOF
A Travelling Mountebauk Clcvcrly
Dupes a Crowd-The Fakir Who
Got Suddenly Drunk-The Old Man
and Child Asleep.

For The Messenger.
Many years ago-in Fayetteville:
wicked days. before the truly good has
taken charge Of it, and reformed I
from top TO toe-a bad. bad man KEEP.
a liquor saloon. with a restaurant at
tached, o a hundred miles from Mar
ket Square, in Fayetteville.
This establishment was OF the bet.
ter class, what would be called a re-
spectacle bar-room. The food was oil
excellent quality, and well served; The
the wines and liquors were as good rs
are genrally found; a man who drank
too much was not allowed to blow Of
in noise and rowdyism on the prem
Uses; Il minor could get no liquor. il
the proprietor knew that he was under
age; and there was no Sunday back
door. The owner paid his employees
literally, but he was a strict discipli
marian, and automatically ruled the
roost."
This tough dispenser OF alcohol was a
tall man, with square shoulders and
heavy black m~oustache, and was very
heat in his dress; he had a full, prom
inent lower Jaw, which betokened de-
termination; deep set eyes, under beet
ling eyebrows, which evinced temper,
. controlled by his will: a delicate, hest
tating mode of speech, which showed
watchfulness of himself and the world
around him. His barkeeper was a
heavy set man, much ~Jdicted to white
waistcoats and cheap jewelry, but mix
ing all kinds of drinks to the queens
(or the king's) taste. The cook having
charge of the restaurant was a bright
mulatto, who prepared birds and oyS-
tiers in his own way, which his patrons
declared to be the best way in the
world. and made his own artichoKe
pickles, perhaps the best pickles ever
manufactured.
1t was between 9 and 10 o'clock on
the evening of Friday, the last day Of
the Cumberland county fair, early i'll
| the month Of November. Since sunset
a slow, cold rain had been falling,
through which the street lamps snone
blurred and fearful, pickering down
| despondently on the puddles at the
| crossings. Few pedestrians were aoo1t
in that part of Gown, but up on Hay
street the Hobbies of the old Fayette-
Vile hotel were crowded with visitors
to the fair, andlights beamed through
the windows on all the upper floors,
where pretty women and gallant men
were preparing for the grand fair TALL,
with coronation of the tournament
queen, i'll the Williams opera house.
The proprietor of the saloon was
seated on a high stool behind the bar,
smoking a fragrant cigar and reading
a newspaper, while the bartender was
washing glasses ct the sink. and put
ting things to rights, for business prom
ised to be dull until the young blooGs,
released from the ball, would crowd
in to make a night of it, till day
break.
Just then around the screen at the
front door. appeared a man, evidently
a stranger in the place, apparently
about 80 years of age, a slight black
moustache, and dressed as loud as
a brass band. He advanced to he bar,
called for a whiskey toddy,a and made
some remark about the "beastly wealth
err" While he slipped his grog, he eX-
pressed a wish for an oyster stew
eff" he said, 1.-The cook knows how to
fix 'em, for you seldom find them ut
to eat this side of New York ms
brought out the proprietor, taciturn as
he generally was, and he INDUCED IN
a few vigorous commentators or the
excellence of his cook.
Ordering a bottle of beer with mas
oysters, the stranger went BACK into
the eating room: and about that time
two old stagers walked n the saloon,
who were on Their way hOme-but, like
Gabriel Warden in front of the Maypole
Inn in Dickens 'Barnaby Ridge they
were unable to resist the warmth ana
cheer glowing through the window,
contrasting with the gloom without.
They were comfortable elderly bucks
we'll shod against the mud and water,
with warm wraps, who evidently TOOK
good care of themselves ,cOlorlng their
cheeks and noses slowly and in moder-
alton as the smoker colors his mer-
schaum-the sort of free livers who
never take a drink before high noon
Calling for something to keep the cold
out" as they expressed it they seated
themselves at a side-table and .Tere
soon engrossed iE a game of dominoes.
In a few minutes the strange pan
came out from his supper; and. al
though when he entered the saloon he
seemed cold sober, his whiskey az the
bar and his beer with the oysters nad
about "throwed' him. for he stumbien
in the restaurant doorway, and sWayed
back and forth as he paid his Dill, ana
lighted his cigar at the lamp on the
counter. Making his way unsteady 10
an armchair, he settled back; in a
minute or two the lighted cigar fell TO
the floor, he folded his arms across ms
chest, his head and neck shrank down
into his collar and he went fast 10
sleep-at least it looked.
The proprietor smoked out his cigar
folded up his paper, got to his feet,
stretched himself, groaned dismaiiy'
gave some directions to the BARTENDER,
and went off to bed-for he was an old
bachelor. and had rooms on the upper
floor back, the rear of the building ex-
tending up to two stories, though the