1935 The Barkeeper's Golden Book by O Blunier

«bar», and to the present day this rule has survived, so that no one would dare to go behind the counter in an inn. Horses were tied to a bar in front of the inn and soldiers still use the expres sion: tying a horse to the barre (French «a la barre»). I well remem ber police raiding a bar or saloon, when all guests known to the bar-keeper were taken behind the bar, where we were under the protection of the owner, while shooting was going on in the room. In these settlements the colonists played their games and organised sports events. They would compete in riding and shooting, throw ing the lasso etc. One of the chief amusements was the cock fight, and alcohol was put into the food of these cocks before the fight came off. One settlement would compete with another in these cock-fights, and the primitive settlers mightily enjoyed seeing the cocks pride and fury, when they had been drugged in this way. From these codt-fights originates the word Cocktail. Just as the cocks had been stimulated with alcohol, a fight between two men was stimulated by drinks, which each took before battling with the other. At first these drinks were called «Cock's Pride», then «Cock's Tail» because the tail of the animal was displayed as a sign of pride. For a long time the Codttail was the provoking drink, preceding a boxing fight among the colonists. Good boxers were made policemen, sheriffs etc., because physical strength was needed for such a job. An old proverb of those days says; — «The Cocktail blows him to a man». And boxing has remaind one of the chief qualities, demanded in the American Army and Police Force by a national tradition. De I'origiiie cles iioiiis bar et cocktail Le monde se dispute encore au sujet de I'origine du nom de la boisson americaine la plus originale: le cocktail. Et pourtant ici aussi il ne s'agit que de I'oeuf de Colomb. Done voici: Dans les temps de la grande colonisation de I'Amerique au XVI- siecle ou les Anglais, les Franfais, les Hollandais, les Espagnols et les ressortissants des autres nations se disputerent la place le long des grands fleuves sauvages, I'alcool jouait un role preponderant. Ce n'est que grace a ce «strong water» que I'on reussit a soutenir les 90% des colons dans leur dur travail et dans les luttes indes-

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