Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-08-04

came around to their busines
places on my paper route.
In my sixteenth year / entered a
corporation office as an office boy
The back doors of this office and
those of big saloon We're only a few
feet apart, and certain officers and
clerks, including myself, drank in
the saloon while on duty.
AT this time | came to the conclu-
sion that becoming drunkard lay
entirely with the individual, and that
there was no chance of ultimate per.
sonal harm in my taking a drink of
ale or beer. knew that no one coul,
make me drink unless l wanted to
drink. knew that no one could
make me drink against my will. |
was cocksure of my strength of mus
Gle and mind. l became pool ond
billiard player, and enjoyed evening
saloon life as patron. The human
animation and life in saloon gave
me great pleasure. There was always
a delightful uncertainty as to whether
1T! would be fight or frolic from one
moment to another in crowded bar
room. In my seventeenth year j
began railroading and in a few years
drew mans salary every month
from the pay car. During the next
three years was favorite customer
with saloonkeepers and bartenders. ]
bought freely; shook dice for drinks;
played cards, pool, and billiards for
drinks.
| Influence Twenty of my Friends to
Drink.
My high school and gymnasium
friends. now working for living like
myself, became drinkers. with me. AT
this time influenced directly twenty
young men, my contemporary associ-
ates in beginning saloon drinking. The
saloons were open, and all we had to
do was to go in and be welcomed
was good-natured, never quarreled
or talked loudly was apparently never
influenced by alcoholic drink, was al
ways well-dressed, well-groomed, and
well-mannered. l was healthy and
athletic earned good wages and spent
as much in saloons as l saw fit. The
local retail liquor-dealer smiled and
flattered me. Life was joyous for
me and my friends.We laughed about
virtually supporting three different sa
looms by our patronage. We were
minors. mo minors allowed" signs
stared impotently in our faces in
every saloon. was never questioned
during my minority, by saloonkeeper
or bartender as to my legal right to
drink intoxicating liquors. l was
made welcome in saloons. My patro.
mage was profitable to them.
Became a Daily Moderate Drinker
AT twenty years of age L believed
myself innately incapable ofg citing
drunk through ordinary drinking, and
was proud that l was so constituted
Saloonkeepers and bartenders compli
mented me because l could drink
without showing the ordinary effects
of Indulgence in intoxicating liquors
Occasionly l felt exhilarated, while
drinking, but, having an established
reputation for cool-headedness man
aged not to show it.
In my twenty-first year trip tC
Europe resulted in my becoming {
habitual daily moderate drinker.
fell in with the Continental style
and got to prefer to eat while drink
ing Intoxicating liquors. For time
detested the American perpendicu
lar glutton-drinking standing at saloo
bars, as l perceived that our crud,
method hastened intoxication. o.
my return home l noticed that m!
former intimate friends and associ
ates drank more heavily than l re
membered. was introduced to +;
younger set of saloon drinkers tina
had come during my years absence
My example of drinking helped thi
younger set to continue drinking, jus
as the example of drinking busines.
men upheld me in my own drinking
habits.
During the next five years l wa
on the payroll of large railwa,
company, and Travelled in a position
of trust, honor. and responsibility, il
eight States of the middle west. NJ
evening diversions were pool, bi
liards, and card-playing in saloons