The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-26
A Memorable Day in Dayton.
Forty Women Marching en- the 400
Bar Rooms.

Bar Rooms.
Friday will be a memorable day in
the annals of Dayton. The Womens'
Prayer League, in two divisions of
about twenty women each, commanded
by Mrs. Rev. DR.. Weakley, the wife of
Presiding Elder Weakley, of the Gin
cinnati Conference, and Mrs. J. Harry
Thomas, a handsome young married
woman, marched upon the 800 bar
rooms of Dayton through drenching
rain and sloppy streets. When the
columns debouched from the English
Lutheran Church, after morning pray
ers, the commotion in the streets was
intense. The saloonists" were in
stantly notified to put their houses in
order and to stand ON guard. They
were visibly agitated, a natural conse-
quence of an assault to which no physi-
cal or even legal resistance could be
offered.
Mrs. Weakley's column moved up
Jefferson street to Fischer's, and
marched directly to his door, which
was shut in their faces. Then the
women dropped on their knees in the
nasty sloppiness, and began their de-
votions. In the meantime q consider
able crowd gathered, curiously watch
ing the operations, while the women
prayed and sung by turns. Some of the
spectators were visibly affected, but
many made coarse side remarks, al
though no indignities were offered to
the devotees. The spectacle was pro-
foundly impressive. Fischer firmly re-
fused to take the pledge.
Moving q door or two south, the
women halted at Wlnship's "St.
Charles" which was full of men drink
ing. Mrs. Weakley offered him the
Pledge over the counter, which he de-
clined, and proceeded to wait on his
customers, who, unabashed, took their
toddies" as though nothing unusual
was going on. A gentleman next door
invited the ladies into his Office, where
they sung and prayed.
A few doors below they drew up in
front of Nick Clemsens's restaurant and
saloon, where the door was closed in
their faces. They knelt in the filth
again, and after devotions Mrs. Weak
ley went to the side door to inter-
view Clemens. She asked, "Won't
you give up the business ?" Clemens
sternly replied "No," saying that his
place was quiet enough until the women
came. In the meantime crowd had
filed the bar room completely and
drank copiously, while the women sung
and prayed, making considerable noise.
The crowd had now largely increased
outside, but the police kept passage
way clear, and respectful attention was
paid to the extraordinary scene.
The Beckett House was next visited.
Riebold,. ). the proprietor, invited them
into the gentle mems parlor, where they
prayed and sung, after which Mrs.
Weakley was introduced to Mr.. Beber,
owner of the bar, who said he intended
to continue his business until he found
something better. Riebold invited the
ladies to dinner, and some of them ac-
cepted. Hadlock, the heaviest lager
beer seller in Dayton, was visited. He
was curt and stern, and did not want
his business interfered with. He went
outside, with q pencil and paper, to
take names to prosecute for damage to
his business.
The Bicker Brothers were visited with
a similar result, and the ladies were
permitted to occupy the saloon. The
bar was surrounded with dense mass
of men, who occupied all the attention
of five bar keepers. The ladies prayed,
sung, and retired.
Meanwhile the column under Mrs.
Thomas marched into the little saloon
of Harry smith, on Sixth street, who
had been advertising his place for sale
for $40 for month past, and, after a
little, he surrendered, the women con.
graduating him with feminine fervor.
This was the only success of the day
Subsequently they visited the Ross
Theatre, but were denied admission by
all but Ross, who held private con
ference with them in his back room. i
seems that he wants to sell out.