Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-15
COMMERCE ON WATER WAGON.
Old-Time Bartender Says That Booze
and Business Have Been Divorced.

oh. YES. I'm an old-time bartender
all right. How old? Well. If L
should ge to figuring l could show you
where / have marched up and down
behind a bar distance in the aggre-
gate sufficient to carry me around the
world time or two, and I'd hate to
have TO swim across a lake containing
all the LIQUID enthusiasm I've served.
/ began tending bar in the period
when Jawn l.. Sullivan could cause a
slump in distillery stock by getting
on the water wagon for "a hours, and
when Billy of the Bridge, the man
who made bartending famous, was at
tracing crowds To the Hoffman House
in New York to see him mix drinks
that sold for Is cents and six bits
worth of ingredients.
What's that? Have | seen many
changes in drinks and drinkers in my
time? Well. rather. Particularly in
the drinkers. and especially in the last
few years. I might give you lot OF
that f-can-remember" stuff, with the
tremolo stop ON the things ain't-
what they used to be" finish but !
won't. I'll say this. though. about
drinking and drinkers today: Booze
and Business have dissolved partner
ship, SO far as the smart business man
is concerned. Do you get that? Com
merce is on the water wagon. During
working hours. anyhow.
A few years ago here in Kansas
City a lot of important business was
transacted in saloons, over social
drinks. Big financial deals were
planned, contracts let, bills of goods
sold--all while the interested parties
kept one foot on the bar rail. Many
brokers, real estate agents and insur-
ance men kept offices only for the con-
venience of their stenographers and
the postman; all their business was
disposed of in saloons.
See those private rooms back there
in the rear, each with a table and
chairs? Ever see anybody sitting in
there these days? Mighty seldom,
and then usually some jag trying tn
steal a nap. Those rooms used to be
favorite places for secret consultations,
and many an important contract has
been drawn up and signed there. I've
seen those tables buried under plans
and blue prints while architects and
builders discussed details of construc
ton and wrangled over specifications.
The subcontract for the interior
decorations of at least one church in
this town was let right here at this
bar This used to be a favorite re-
sort for contractors, and | knew sew
eral of them who paid off their men
here Saturday nights, saving them
selves the trouble of making the
rounds of the various jobs under way
around town.
I've seen the sample cases of a half
dozen city statesmen stored behind the
bar here while their owners We're out
rounding up customers in the neighbor-
hood. When a prospective buyer was
caught he was brought here for
friendly drink as Il matter of course.
and here he inspected the samples and
gave his order. One of the old stand
bys of the place was a salesman for a
paint firm who had a lot OF business
with the contractors that used to come
here. That salesman never went near
his place of business that l ever heard
Of, except to turn in orders and draw
his salary and expense allowance. II
he hadn't been such a good customer
we'd have been justified in charging
him office rent.
If there happened to be a convention
in Kansas City of retail merchants a
few years ago the local jobbers and
wholesalers Immediately took on booze
as side line. Every member of the
Reception Committee had afiaslS on his
hip, and visitors We're yanked off trains
and rushed to a bar like they were
dying from snake bites and nothing
but emergency treatment could save
'em. Young bars We're set up in all OF
the wholesale houses for the benefit OF
BUYERS If merchandise too heavy to be
moved to a saloon. Altogether. the
visitini merchant who got out OF town