Ever bought a round for the house?
My friend Martin Wells shared this.
"I haven't but I've been the beneficiary of a few.
"In the sixties and seventies I was Merchant Marine crew on the Alaska State Ferry Tustumena, moving between Kodiak Island, Seward and Homer, Alaska.
"When we docked in Kodiak and had an hour off the ship it was always fun to run to the local watering hole for some pool and beer. The bartender always had a bell above the bar and when someone offered to buy the house, the bell would ring. That was fun!
"The downside: We docked right next to the local fishing fleet harbor and the rumor was that the fishing boat crews were paid in cash and that the cannery owners owned the taverns. Easy come, easy go! I always wondered how the fishermen explained to mama that they were seriously light on the cash from the last run."
