460 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
excellence of both." In an address made some time after it had been opened he said : " Let me say to you, as a justification of it r that we are having a steady patronage at 155 Washington street. We are in the basement, you know. We bought out the saloon that Jerry Sullivan used to run, and changed the whole aspect of affairs. Our patronage is, much of it, from men who used to drink beer we give them beverages without alcohol. We propose to give a genuine article, made from the highest grade of malt and the best hops, and blend them together with the utmost skill of the brewer and the chemist, and carbonate them ; and, in short, to have the finest drink, next to pure cold water, that has been furnished to man. In that way we hope to meet the thirst element that is in our nature. Then we give something to eat of a substantial character : bread and butter and a slice of meat it can't be very thick at the price at which we furnish it with beans or potatoes, etc., for 10 cents; and if a man grumbles at that, he would grumble at being hanged. The only question is about its paying. We cannot do this as philanthropy or benevo- lence. We should utterly fail if we did. We are trying to put it on a sound business basis, and I want to say to you men that here is one of the best opportunities for investment in Chicago."
But it failed. The "bishop's beer," as the drink was called, proved to be alcoholic just enough to require a license. Seek- ing from all classes of men the reason for its failure, the usual reply received was : " It was not attractive ; it was a dingy old hole." Bishop Fallows, speaking with me of this experiment, said : "So long as I was able to give it my direct supervision the patronage kept up and it was a success. Owing to the pressure of other business, I placed it in the hands of some young men. I attribute its failure to these two causes : lack of financial backing and business management."
True, as the bishop said in speaking of the lunch, if a man would grumble at that, he would grumble at being hanged ; but no man will pay 10 cents for what he can get in more cheery surroundings for 5 cents. " The undertaking had sound philoso- phy at its back that when you ask men to give up some- thing that is bad or hurtful, but still attractive, you must be
