1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days by Albert Stevens Crockett

Old Waldorf Bar Days his starving offspring. Father, his senses dulled from hours of steady absorption of "gin," would strike out blindly at some elephant or camel-or maybe it was an alligator or a hippopotamus-that had become outlined in the haze about him. A scream: "You have killed our child!" And over the prostrate body of the little one, a drunkard, if not too late, would take an oath and become a reformed man. Or if it was too late, he would drink and drink, and sink and sink, until he went to fill a grave in some Potter's Field. Often, it must be admitted, there was a good deal of truth in the picture. The author makes no effort to mini– mize the harm done by the common saloon. But this treatise, or whatever it is properly called, does not con– cern the ordinary saloon. Nor, being more or less of an historical nature, will it attempt to gloss over certain stark and terrible truths that used to be common property. But, beitrepeated, one is not dealing with a common saloon, or any "saloon"-so-called. This is not an essay on prohibition. It deals with a unique institution; one not supposed to be patronized by heads of families who were unable properly to feed and clothe their dependents. One says "supposed" advisedly. The great majority of its patrons were men of means. Most of its customers resorted to it openly. They made no secret of their patron– age. Some rather plumed themselves on being seen there. It gave them opportunity for mingling with the notabil– ities of the time-or at least, for herding with them. Service was rendered with a distinction many estab– lishments of a similar nature lacked. For example, in its

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