1929 The Bon Vivant's Companion or How to Mix Drinks by Jerry Thomas

INTRODUCTION

of its hardship. The plight of the seaman had always sad dened him. The Annie Smith docked at San Francisco in the early fall of 1849,after an eventful voyage around Cape Horn,and Professor Thomas left the vessel without the formality of saying good-bye to the skipper, for that verjuiced person had failed to recognize genius even when it was constantly under foot, and had looked with vigorous disapproval upon all attempts to improve the grog and the drinking habits of the crew. The Professor wisely remained in seclusion until the Annie Smith had sailed on her return voyage, and then became First Assistant to the Principal Bartender of the El Dorado, a famous resort of early San Francisco. There he continued his researches, and fovmd excellent laboratory animals in the booted, bewhiskered, red-shirted, artillery- laden miners who flocked into the El Dorado eager to exchange their new-found wealth for the product of the bartender's genius. For these gentlemen, rough of exterior but sound drinkers. Professor Thomas prepared the simple beverages of the period,but on occasion he also compounded novel mixtures which crashed through their systems and practically shook them loose from their boots, or at any rate from their gold dust. It is related that once, when a gang of desperadoes swarmed into the El Dorado intent upon robbery, the Professor suavely suggested that they refresh themselves before proceeding with their nefarious enterprise. They assented, whereupon he prepared a dram which stretched them quivering and helpless upon the floor. The Vigilantes then hanged them with considerable cere- mony. Professor Thomas refused to divulge the composition of the potion with which he had laid the bandits low,insist ing that it had neither commercial value nor artistic ment, and that he would never again mix it unless confronted by a similar emergency. So far as can be ascertained he died xxvii