MIXED DRINKS.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 6094, 9 November 1887, Page 5

MIXED DRINKS.

A kindof moral teaching that was very much ia vogue a generation or more ago, seems now to have become less popular. At least the lesson is not now so frequently taught as it used to be. The whole matter may be summed up in the phase "learn a trade." It was claimed that every oue ? no" matter what his position in life might be, out;ht to have a sheet anchor for emergencies* which he could thrpw out when a storm came. In the good Sunday school book of that perioa the practical advantages of this sort of thing were taught by many examples. For instance, a young man i who was very wealthy was in the habit of lounging around a, blacksmith shop, as probably was the habit of the eccentric young men of wealth at that time, and the blacksmith asked him to learn the art of making horseshoe nails, and said the ability to do so would perhaps be of use to him some day. The young man laujjhed at such an absurd Idea, but he buckled to, and soon could make a very good nail., "WelJ, as a natural consequence he lost all his wealth, as they always do, and saved himself from starvation by the despised method of making shoe nails. The wealthy young man of the present day is very apt, unfortunately, to say *'rst»" or make some such irrevelant remark when stories of that kind are told, and perhaps this has had a blighting effect on the anecdotes, for they are not now as current as they were. There may, however, be another reason for it. This is an age of specialists. The jack cf all trades who is master of none has no chance in the competition. A man that can do any one thing and do that one thing well is the person who gets along In these times. Still now and then an instance arises which shows that it is well to have the power of doing something besides a per-' son's regular business. At the present moment there is a noted individual in New York who in his early days seems to have acquired the art of mixing drinks. He is known all over the world as " The Clalm&nt." The claiming business did not succeed as well as was expected. He did'nt know it was loaded, and the gun kicked badly. The consequence waa that he spent some years in involuntary seclusion, and when he got out he had to turn his • attention to something at which money could be made. Sir Roger Tichborne, as he calls himself, has obtained a position in a saloon on Chatham Square, in the " prodigy of cities," as the London Times has it. Tho thirsty New Yorker can now have the privilege of getting his drinks mixed by a real live baronet, that is, it he takes Sir Roger's own word about tho title. This mnst be a sweet boon to the New Yorker, as Artemus would say. At first sight it would eeem that anybody who know the Ingredients could mix drinks, but that is not the case. To be a successful mixer a person requires a knowledge of sleight of hand. The American mixer of drinks Jias brought the art to a high state of perfection. He can fling the mixture from one glass to another, forming a sort of rainbow arch of liquid that is the admiration of the person who is to pay for the drink, and doubtless th is performance adds much to the flavour of the fluid. , ~ „'.. Sir Roger claims that he can 'see the ordinary bartender and "go him some better. He told a newspaper man the other day that he can not only do the rainbow business, but that he can. throw a cocktail np to the ceillqg and catch It all In the glass again without spilling a drop. He does not do thie with ordinary driafce, of course, but with what he calls the South American cocktail, which Is an invention of his own. He says it is " a nectar fit for the gods," and therefore it ia doubtless good enough for tbe ordinary Chatham street bummer. Sir Roger also makes a speciality of the following drinks: Mixed whale, Scarcely seen, Hoist away and Blue blazes. It is to be hoped that Sir Roger has at last struck hie proper gait. The law said he was a butcher, and of conrse it would be too much of a give away if he went back into that tiade. There is no doubt the man who can fling a glass of grog up to the ceiling and catch it in the glass as it comes down ai?ain has a great and glorious future before him—that is, providing the liquor does not touch the ordinary saloon ceiling.— Detroit Fret Press.

The city of Chicago derived a revenue of more than £400,000 from her saloons laat year, all of which went to support the schools and other public institutions. Russian Pan-Slaviete desire to invite General Boulanger to visit Moscow, bnt have been warned by the Russian Government that such a step would not be tolerated.