The Washington herald., 1908-04-26

cents. instead Of Is cents The whisky.
however, unlike the custom in America,
is poured out for the customer. the
amount generally ample being regulated
by a mechanical conts'iyance attached
10 the mouth of the bottle.
Another distinctive feature of such a
tavern as ''Ye Olde Red Lion" is the ex-
istence of a well-stocked kitchen at the
command OF its customers. Though ''Ye
Ode Red Lion" Ike other London
pubs, has no free lunches" so-caIled,
which so prevail in the States. yet it is
widely renowned for its shilling twenty
four-eenD iuneheons, this modicum Of
''coin of the realm" purchasing a very
hearty and satisfying meal. The par
ticular viands for which the historic
RED Lion Is best known, however,
are its steaks. OF these its present land
lord makes a speciality, and the writer,
who has dined at most of the well-known
and not well-known restaurants of Lon
don. can give to the steaks of "Ye Olde
Red Lion" unqualified praise. It's meat
is the finest Of pure English beef. the
equal of which could only be purchased
in New York for "a very high compare
tive price.
Perhaps a still moro distinctive feature
Of 'Ye Ode Red Lion" and other Lon
don taYerns in contrast to American sa-
looms is the universal drinking of tea
and the eating Of bread and butter, or
cakes, from TO 3 every afternoon. No
Englishman, however busy, thinks of
going without his tea, and 1t IS aston
ishing how quickly Americans fall into
the Ike habit. We speak of Americans,
rather than other foreigners, because
the Red Lion" situated, as It is. In
the heart of the American tourist and
residential colony, has OF late years been
favorite resort OF transatlantic
visitors, among the more recent arrivals
being Tommy Burns, the champion
heavyweight OF the world. In fact. its
present somewhat esoteTic Bohemian
clique has among its permanent members
at least ten Americans, all banded to-
gether with their English cousins simply
by the tie Of goodfellowship and Bohe-
mianism.
Let the writer here register his hearty
approval OF that very English institu-
ton, the employment Of bar maids in
stead Of men. His not incOnsiderable
observation Of this phase of English tav-
ern life impels him to the conclusion
that II IS highly conducive to a decrease
in the swearing and vulgarity often
heard in American saloons. However
profane or vulgar a man may be. the
instinct Of respect for womanhood re-
strains him while the bar maids are pres
ent Such a system might not work
in America, but ii is highly to be COM
mended in England.
No London tavern OF the RED Lion
type is without its habitues, and they
are habitues in much truer sense than
in America.
The LOndOner is a person OF habits.
He seldom changes his social resort once
he has established it. This is particular
ly true Of the RED Lion" where GER
tain habitues are as sure to be met
with as the rising Of the sun. Their
manners, their habits. their peculiarities
quickly ingraft themselves on the minds
of their fellows, and they become
characters" many times of much inter
est and a part of the history Of the
house. Particularly rich is Eye Olde Red
Lion" in the possession of such "charac-
ters." OF these. the head and leader is
the proprietor, MIR. Moy, of England"
swho widely known throughout the coun-
try as an amateur championship billiard
player enters freely into the sports and
pastimes Of his Bohemian friends. Al
ways genial and ready for ANY old
thing" he is ably seconded In drawing
trade and holding friends by the happy
and ever-smiling Muscles" and her part
ner, "Watty," as the barmaids are IA
miliarly called. Willing, quick, joyial.
and constantly looking after the comfort
Of their customers. the historic ''Olde Red
Lion" would hardly seem itself without
their presence.
Here in this venerable old hosiery,
once the resting place Of the body Of the
great Protector. many a cold and rainy
winter evening has been spent before its
open fire with convivial song and cheer
ing glass Eight or nine in the evening
cannot fail TO come around without bring
ing with It the gathering Of the members
of the elan Bohemian" Amid this gath
ering, should We have become weary Of
''wastin' leather on the guilty PAWN
stones" or when "the blasted Henglish
drizzle wakes the fever in the bones.
one may ever find warmth and cheer and
good-fell0wship. Here, shut up in meas
ureless content one may drink his ale,
warm his body, and, perhaps. listen 10
ia1a- r.. A.
crowd he with the comedian face,
stretch the meter Of an antique song"
for some admiring Scotchman with fun
purse. Or, peTchance. one may be re-
called by the -honored and periodic
battle OF the California Brothers. ."
known. respectively, as "Bloi-me. what
next?" and Number nine, Toxic" over
the billiard table in the room above,
where, safe beyond the hearing OF Mus
| cles" and her partner these two antag-
onist will, in the words Of Kipling-
back their toughest statements with
The Birthstone Of the Lord.
And cracking oaths Tass to and fro
Across the fst-banged board,
or again. might be forced to good-na-
turediy listen to the platitudes Of that
member Of the group known as "Rialto
as he ate his pound OF hesh'-that mem
Der who, in Shakespeare's words, loves
to hear himself talk, ana will speak
more in a minute than he will stand to
in month" And then, OF course, there
are others OF the clan, such as ''Eieff- -
with his pot Of mustard, or Freddy J..
the taxi-man," or Jack "Blug," lover
Of cells on lee, or skinny, the sausage
man" ''Hatrack," with his monocIe and
rubber collar and matchstand. all of
whom would be sure TO contribute to the
general merriment before the evening
nEET HTOHn %