The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-04
CIR Tihrartatt'a Onrurr
CONDUCTED BY
FRANK PARKER STOCKBRIDGE.
FOR THE OPEN SHELVES?

THE announcement by the Salvation Army Of
l. the intention Of that worthy and altruStlc
organization to take over the saloons of America or
some of them, and TO operate them III all respects,
bar one precisely as they were conducted IN the
dear old antemillennial days when still had
choice between taking it letting it alone, opens
up new field of usefulness for the public library
that seeks to serve those who would perfect them
selves in their vocations. Not the most moral
and censorious board of trustees cav now at
the inclusion the open shelves, along with The
Tinsmith s Helper and Cement Workers Hand
book of The BartenderS Guide and The Practical
MirologiSt
One may no more become successful bartender
by the reading of books than he may by the same
means master the art and mystery of joinery or OF
bee keeping; but if one be by nature bartender
then may he find in the printed page much to in
spire and guide him he strives for perfection IN
his destined and chosen career. l number among
my friends former coal miner whom nature in
tended for physician; when, at twenty-three, he
discovered this through the accident of first exer.
cising his newly acquired art of reading upon
volume treating of the practice of medicine, he
abandoned the pick for the stethOscope and en-
barked upon career that has placed him, at
seventy three, the road to success and compe-
tence. 1t is the public librarys duty to see to it
that such individual selfdeterminatons not left
10 blind chance; to provide where all may find
them the books that may change the reader career
overnight
What A1truists Can Do.
Doubtless the altruism will bring forth fresh
volumes in which the art of tending boozeless bar
will be disclosed and diagrammed explicitly that
nothing is left to chance or the imagination. The
Of thn uho bav to of
down on paper the rules and principles of bartend
ing doubtless are, as the Salvation Army's an
nouncement puts it, "bartenders of genial person.
atty and good character" but their published
works are, as whole, hardly up to the standards
of scientific accuracy required in up-todate voca-
tional manuals In common with most treatiSes
written by "practcal' men, they assume upon the
part Of the reader a familiarity with technical
terms which your truly useful vocational handbook
takes pains to analyze and explain. "A jigger Of
rum for example, conveys no meaning whatever
to the uninitiated The Bartenders' Manual of 1920
would say instead, lone fluid OUNCE of, say, sar-
saparila pop. For "a pony" of-anything-the
revised textbooks will substitute specific measure
ments in metric terms. But aside from this lack of
scientific precision the considerable literature al
ready at hand on the bartending art contains much
that should be of value to the young bartender or
one contemplating the adoption of this profession
To be sure, as The Only William so lucidly sets
forth in his classic work, Fancy Drinks and Popu-
lar Beverages, 'tNot everybody can advance so as
to become an artist in tending bar, but we all
should learn and try to improve by all means that
are offered And surely may profit by taking
to heart such maxims as that "a drink well served
is worth two that lack in presentation" and such
sound suggestions ''never handle fruits with
your fingers, but use fancy fruit fork and
'never serve sherry and port wine doubtless it
applies also to ice-cream soda and ginger ale-"in
whiskey glasses"
Bartender's Duties
From such work as Harry johnson Ne,c and
JmDrOq,ed Rartender,s Manual one may obto;n