Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1915 — Drink Out of Fashion in the Capital of Missouri [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Drink Out of Fashion in the Capital of Missouri

IFFKRSON CITY, MO.—Drinking is going out of fashion among Missouri’s men of affairs. Here is an incident that shows how drinking has lost favor among the classes that used to transact much of their business around the famous Madison house bar.

The general counsel of one of Missouri’s largest railroads asked an acquaintance to go in. and have a toddy, (And the Madison toddy has had a reputation in its day.) "Sorry, not drinking any more,” the scqnsintance replied. "You’re the fifth man I’ve asked in the last hour to go in have a drink who has- refused ‘because he isn’t drinking any more,’ ” the counsel said. "Sit down. Let’s see how many

go into the bar. The two sat down and watched for a half hour. Ten years ago the crowd wouldn’t have been in the lobby. It would have been at the bar. Five years ago, even, the bar would have been the favorite congregating spot for such a gathering as that. The half hour passed. Not a single one of all the crowd went into the bar. The men did their visiting and their "milling" In the lobbies over their cigars. They had left J. Barleycorn off their visiting list. That condition wasn't true just of the famous old Madison bar, which has seen politics and politicians since time without end. It existed at all the bars of the capital city. So lamented the men who had been mixing “presbyterians" and ‘‘southeasters” for Missouri statesmen for a generation. Am the general counsel remarked after his half hour vigil over the barroom door: “Times certainly have changed—even in Missouri.” They have. J. Barleycorn still has his politicians, scores of them, but as for personal acquaintance—even in Missouri—they are striking him off the approved visiting lists. / . * ; ;n -