The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-04

| ai1QHtf OI NIL I'to VI V "
 gentleman who built the Crystal palace.
 These people were perpefually held up to
 me as standing upon iinattainable heights,
 and at. the same time I was perpetually
 being told that if I could not attain
 these heights I might just as well not
 oumber the earth. What, then, was left
 for me? Nothing. Simply nothing.
 | Now, my dear chldren-and I speak net only to you, but to all who have
 never grown up-never let yourselves be | disheartened or saddened by such thoughts. Do not that is to say, desire to be Ruskins or Carlyles. Do not desire to be great figures. It will crush in you all ambition; 1t will render you tlmid; 1t will foil nearly all your efforts. Nowadays We have no great figures, and thank heaven Nit, because you and l can
 breathe freely. With, the passing the
 other day of Tolstoy, with the death just
 few weeks before of MT. Holman Hunt.
 they all went away to Olympus, where very fittingly they may dwell.'" Profits in Retail Liquor Business A former saloon man who has re- tired from the business, and who in
 other days conducted very successful trade here in Birmingham, speaking of the present conditions, high license and
 rents, said:
 "Yes, there is good money for those
 who are paying 5000 year license
 and high rent. Such business prop
 orly conducted, should as 8 minimum,
 rix 1acc than 4h000
 annum profit and this may be increased
 to as high as s25,O00 per annum. There is now profit of SIG to SIS per barrel on draught beer. This beer is costing the saloon man $4 per barrel and he is getting not less than s20 to s22, by the glass, with the present conditions; that is, there is not sufficient time in the great rush of business to properly cool the beer and also the use of a 16 ounce serving glass or mug, making larger profit than there will be under normal conditions and competition among .sa- loonkeepers as to the quality and quan- tity of beer served to customers.
 Now there is not so much profit in the sale of whisky, if the saloon is serving a good grade of liquor. The high class saloon has very heavy eX- pense for carbonated waters and other items. It is true that there Is a good margin of profit in the sale of mixed drinks. The equalizing of consump- tion as to individuals seriously affects the profits on whisky. Some men will drink more than half of an ounce to an ounce of whisky at one time-a gen. tiemans drink. by the way, while an old toper will fill the glass brimming full. That is one reason why the old soak will wait to be treated by a gen. tleman at a bar. The saloon man will set out his best stock for the one and, of course. the other participates, where as under other conditions the less ex- pensive liquor would be served. The profit in good whisky is about q per gallon served over the bar.
 Tt is my deliberate judgment that whisky should not be sold as a bev- craze, but only in packages of not less than half pint because of the con vivial feature, and the mistaken matter of courtesy-among southern men par While two men may enter a saloon and take one drink, which is mildly stimulating and beneficial, yet when each feels called upon to do the thing they probably get two or three drinks more than Is needed. believe that the encouragement of the drinking of beer and light wines and the doing away with the drinking of stronger alcoholic beverages, will tend much toward real temperance and bet ter citizenship. all in all."