The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-01
HAS NOW PASSED AWAY.
Old-Time "Bar.,eep" No More to be
 Seen.

From the Washington Star.
 ''The old-time barkeep has passed for good in this country" remarked the very old gentleman at the corner table in an uptown cafe to several very young gen. tlemen whom he was entertaining with his "reminiscences, "and( as I have watch ed his gradual fading away during the past. generation, it has been with regret for he was once d familiar figure in all cities, and a favorite subject for the older cartoonists
 Tt was the invention and the installa- ton of the cash register which gave the old-time barkeep his first shove into ob- scurity. He rebelled against the machine, which he took as a slight and reflection upon his honor and honesty but his kicks were without 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 han dled all the cash that came over the bar, and of which 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 a sport, and one who always had money That was before your days, my boys, and the old- time barkeep had an Individuality which was distinctly his own. Nearly all sport ed long mustaches and nine out of ten plastered their hair down over their fore- heads and brushed it up on the side with great care and regularity. Most of them displayed a showy front of white linen. and the topnotchers in the profession IvT fO a ma n1t tar 1 Yaft, ha larger the cluster the better. You won't see one of those old fashioned diamond cluster pins nowadays once in a year.
 ''rhe old-time barkeep felt his import ance, and he enjoyed our confidence, for he was not one of the mere parts of the modern cafe machinery. and the old gem tlemen of today would go regularly = their favorite barkeep and talk with ktn with a brother, what he handed out over the bar serving as token of friend ship feeling and an invitation to an ex- change of views and condolences.
 But today we go to the cafe to obtain what is handed out to us. and not to see CT talk, except casually, with the man who does the passing over of the tonic fluids. Today this individual is simply g. medium of exchange I, in common with the rest of the old chaps, accept the sit uation with resignation. for the times ad- vance as we lose our years. It does not SetIfl IdluTdl lO lDe Olu ltioWS lo lille up in front of young, smoothly shaven chaps in silk-faced tuxedo coats dressed shirt front, high collar and black tie, or with the other class of the modern bar keeper with white starched, embroidered, military -collared closely buttoned-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, t does not seem natural. and the sharp click of the cash register grates upon our ears"
 The very old gentleman seemed to drop a tear into the small glass he thoughtful ly placed to his lips.
 ''I notice that you give your tonic good water bath before disposing of it.'' coni- mented one of the very young gentlemen who used water for other purposes.
 Not bath, my boy replied the very old gentleman. with a kindly smile of the experienced, pitying variety, "only the right mixture of the two fiuids-thats 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 if you will always dilute the red fluid from ths new case goods with a little of 1t. you, too, will last the longer. and be enabled in future generation or two to look back upon the present just as I am now looking back upon the past. You see, the old boys don't try to drink 1t all up-they are willing to leave some for those who are vet to come"