1900 Harry Johnsons Bartenders Manual (Mixellany)

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breakage of the bowl, and, consequently, only a man of sensible judgment should be employed to da this kind of work.

6. WHY BARTENDERS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN UNION FOR PROTEC- TION AND ASSOCIATION. In many long years of experience, I have tried sev- eral times to start an organization for the mutual ben- efit and protection of bartenders. The first attempt was made about 1875, in New Orleans, in an effort to procure for them sufficient wages, to give them a good, decent living, proper hours of labor, and for their gen- eral elevation as members of society. The effort at that time resulted unfortunately for the reason, prin- cipally, that the old, skilled bartenders, who retained the same situation for years, had passed away—men who supported well themselves, their families, and their clubs—and, in their stead, was a younger element in this avocation who, not knowing their work thor- oughly, were careless and indifferent, and unable, drifted about from one place to another. The conse- quence was that they never became members of the club, and would not have been of benefit, had they done so. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to organize a beneficial society. At the present time it is entirely different, for the reason that our business is regulated by prescribed rules; and bartenders should now have an association of mutual support, as well as the people of any other avocation. Nearly every man in the hotel and res- taurant business belongs to some club or protective so- ciety; the cooks have their unions; the pastry cooks also a home and an association; the waiter^ have an