1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days by Albert Stevens Crockett

OldWaldorf Bar Days ants quit Greece and took himself and his ideas about debts and debtors to Ireland, is not clear. Report says that, despite the endeavors oflearned scholars, there are a few ancient inscriptions in Ireland that have not yet been translated. But certain letters of the Gaelic alpha– bet bear little resemblance to the Roman. To an Eng– lishman they might seem Greek. Well, Johnnie Solon's family came from Ireland, and not directly, at least, from Greece, and this chronicler will delve no farther back into his history than to mention that when the Waldorf's brass-rail Bar opened, in 1897, Johnnie was playing the modest rele of cashier in a St. Louis hotel, with no intention of becoming a barman. But after a war, a soldier begins to think of a job. And when Johnnie was discharged, he made his way to New York. The Waldorf was the biggest hotel; he had had some hotel training; he went there. And the only job open was one slinging drinks. Johnnie had never poured a drink or mixed one, but he felt he had it in him to learn. And soon it developed that he had a real flair for symphonic composition. His concoctions so pleased customers that they sang the author's praises wherever they werlt, and when he was on duty his corner of the bar counter was always crowded. His first appearance at the Waldorf Bar almost coin– cided with that of another historic, but tragic event, for it was only a few days before fire destroyed the old Windsor f!.otel, half a m~le or so up Fifth Avenue. That was on St. Patrick's Day, 1899, which as every good Irishman knows-and some others have reason to know - was March I 7.