Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
HAS NOW PASSED AWAY.
The Old Time "Barkeep" No More to
Be Seen.

1.-THE old-t time barkeep has passed for
good in this country" remarked the very
old gentleman at the corner table in an up
town cafe, to several very young gentlemen
whom he was entertaining with his rem
iniscences. land, as I have watched his
gradual fading away during the past gen.
Grafton, 1t has been with regret, for he was
once familiar figure in all cities, and a
favorite subject for the older cartoonists
1T was the Invention and the installation
Of the cash register which gave the old
time bar-keep his first shove into obscurity.
He rebelled against the machine. which he
took as a slight and reflection upon his
honor and honesty, but his kicks were with
out avail, for the cash register had come to
stay just as the bell-punch, and the ring
up indicator in the street cars put the old
time car conductor out of business.
"Those were happy days to my old friends
of former years when they handled all the
cash that came over the bar, and OF which
a great many kept as much out thereof on
general principles as they found the house
would stand, for in those days the barkeep
was quite sport, and one who always had
money. That was before your days, my
boys, and the old time barkeep had an in
dividuality which was distinctly his own.
Nearly all sported long mustaches, and nine
out of ten plastered their hair down over
their foreheads and brushed it up on the
side with great care and regularity. Most
of them displayed a snowy front of white
linen, and the topnotchers in the profession
wore to a man cluster diamond pin, the
larger the cluster the better. You won't see
one Of those old fashioned diamond cluster
pins nowadays once in year.
1.-The old time barkeep felt his Importance,
and he enjoyed our condolences, for he was
not one of the mere parts Of the modern
cafe machinery. and the old gentlemen of
today would go regularly to their favorite
barkeep and talk with him as with q
brother, what he handed out over the bar
serving as token Of friendly feeling and
an invitation to an exchange Of views and
condolences.
But today we go to the cafe to obtain
what Is handed out to us. ana not to see or
talk except casually, with the man who
does the passing over of the tonic fluids.
Today this individual Is simply medium
Of exchange. I, in common with the rest Of
the old chaps, accept the situation with res
ignation. for the times advance as we lose
our years. 1t does not seem natural to the
old fellows to line up in front OF young,
smoothly shaved chaps In silk-faced tuxedo
coats, dressed shirt front, high collar and
black tie, or with the other class of the
modern barkeep with white starched. en-
brodered, military -collared, closely but
toned-up Jackets. and call for the same
good old tonic out of the familiar old black
bottle, which, too has largely passed with
the coming of the newer case goods. No, it
does not seem natural, and the sharp click
Of the cash register CRATES upon our ears"
The very old gentleman seemed to drop a
tear into the small glass he thougntfully
placed to his lips.
II notice that you give your tonic good
water bath before disposing of It." conf
mented one of the very young gentlemen
who used water for other purposes.
mot bath, my boy replied the very
old gentleman. with kindly smile of the
experienced. plying variety. ''on'y the
right mixture of the two flufds-that's
why the old boy lasts today; those who
took It straight and always straight have
gone long before US. Water is good for
other purposes than bathing. and IL you
will always dilute the red fluid from the