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«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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1"