Beckoning of the Bar

May 11, 1935, found Bill Wilson feverously pacing the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel remorsefully reflecting on the failed aforementioned enterprise. Had he been successful, he would have been set on his feet financially which, at the time, seemed vitally important. Bitterly discouraged, he found himself in a strange place, discredited and almost broke. Still physically weak, and sober but five months, he saw that his predicament was dangerous. He wanted so much to talk with someone, but whom?

At the end of the room stood a glass covered directory of local churches. Down the lobby a door opened into an attractive bar. He could see the gay crowd inside. In there he would find companionship and release. Unless he took some drinks, he might not have the courage to scrape an acquaintance and would have a lonely weekend.

Of course he couldn’t drink, but why not sit hopefully at a table, a bottle of ginger ale before him? After all, had he not been sober five months now? Perhaps he could handle, say, three drinks—no more! Fear gripped him. He was on thin ice! Again it was the old, insidious insanity—that first drink.

With a shiver, he turned away and walked down the lobby to the church directory. Music and gay chatter still floated to him from the bar. But what about his responsibilities — his family and the men who would die because they would not know how to get well, ah—yes, those other alcoholics? There must be many such in this town. He would phone a clergyman.

His sanity returned and he thanked God. Selecting the name of Reverend Walter F. Tunks from the church directory, he invested a nickel to make one of the most important calls in AA history (Lois Wilson thought the reason for picking the name of Tunks may have been that one of Bill’s favorite expressions was, “taking a tunk,” which refers to a short walk.).

Excerpt from Pre-AA History