The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-02-06
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

NEW WORKING reasonable American
could complain that Mrs. Roosevelt does not
get around enough but she has given reason
to suspect that she doesn't get around to all
the right places. This occurred few days
ago when in press conference, Mrs. Roose-
welt thought it all right under some circum-
stances for mothers to take their babies to
taverns but then asked what is tavern?'
Nobody can learn anything about taverns
by attending interesting d. ssior~ at Vassar
or inspecting exhibitions OF Marlin-Spike need
lework under the auspices of the Women S
Auxiliary of the National Maritime Union. You
learn about taverns by going to taverns and
what you learn is that most of them are
dumps and the very institution which was
never to return to our fair land after prohibit
ton was repealed except that, whereas that
old institution was strictly stag and usually
on a corner, the tavern is coed and every
where. They are on corners, In the middle OF
the block, downstairs and upstairs and much
of the trade is distaff They include respect
able DANES and tramps, married, single
young and old, cute ones and otherwise and
their conduct and capacity for liquor are
about level with the mems.
Some get frisky and go around hopping
tables and looking for trouble which begins
with harsh words among jealous bucks in
doors and winds up in the alley Others just
want to sing or cry or fight with their hus-
bands boy friends, some sit alone getting
glassy-eyed and pale until Samaritan sisters
help them through the door marked ladies'
of powder ROOM or cutely ''her." And some
are real good drinkers with very high boil
ing point or plimsol who just have a good
time and never give anybody any bother.
In some states, the taverns sell only beer
and wine and in others they deal in cocktails
and straight bar whiskey. The wine is the
worst. It is made from a number of things
even grapes, as someone has said, and in
some sections of the South and Southwest it is
called jump. steady.
1t is wclse than hard liquor because it is
comparatively inexpensive and a customer is
thus tempted to take on an overload which
causes terrible hangovers and absenteesm
New England taverns deal in line of cider,
too, and almost everyone knows that cider
is deadly because it doesn't taste as strong
as it is. But, of course, Mrs. Roosevelt
wouldn't know.
Usually they have jock in the corner but
sometimes, out along the country roads on
Saturday nights they have a three-handed
band to churn things up, and most of them
serve sandwiches which were bad enough be-
fore rationing, spaghetti or fried chicken,
The smell OF a tavern is something awful
Smoke, drinks, fumes from the cook-stove
and sometimes from the gas-heater, too, and
no ventilation except when some new custom
ers move in or party staggers out, humping
into tables and doors and everyone saying
'lemme drive. I'm sober as a judge"
Occasionally, after WHILE the state cops
come in with gore spots on their stylish uni
forms to ask the walters how much the party
which left Is minutes ago in the 1889 Buick
had to drink and report that they went over
the bank two miles down.
You could rightly say that the Stork Ell
Morocco, 81, the Plaza and places like them
are taverns too but that is being technical
They are really class Joints, and while ladies
and gents do drink together and sometimes
come to harsh words even blows, the tav-
ern in the ordinary meaning, is place of
similar resort for people who work in fac.
tories, farnhands and small-toWn sports. Per-
naos Mrs Roosevelt can remember, seeing
some from railroad trains at night in small
towns along the line
They are relatively new development de.
rived from the speakeasy in which contrary
to the protocol of the old saloon, ladies were
given the run of the place, including the bar
That is why they have highstools in saloons
now. They never had stools to sit on in the
old-fashioned corner saloon. When a man
couldn't stand up any more it was time to
go home. In d tavern, sitting down, custom
err, can't tell whether he or she can stand up
or not and drinks and on, until he or
she can't even get up.
Mrs. Roosevelt certainly has missed an i'm
portant social development in this great land
of ours.