The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-05
The Movement Generally Attrib
uted to Ohio Really Origi-
mating In Kentucky.
The Story Of the First Organized Move
ment Against Saloons by
Ladies,
And the Causes THAT Led Thereto, AS wit
messed by a Sentinel Man Gin the
Happy Long Ago.

a party OF gentlemen were discussing the
"Woman's Clusade" few days ago, when
the origin of the movement was located by
one Of the parties N the town OF Hillsbor.
ough, Ohio, in 1873. Others attributed it to
small town in Illinois, while Sentinel re-
porter who was present claimed that the
movement originated several years prior to
1873 in tbs town OF Perryyille, kentucky.
The latter place is not mentioned In any OF
the numerous works upon THE Great Tenn.
peTance Reform" these works generally fix
ing upon Hillsborough, Ohio, as the place
OF origin.
Whatever distinction may be claimed for
the town in question az the place Of origin OF
movement on the part Of woman against
saloons, and which created in the respective
communities where such movements were
insugurated measure OF excitement that
extended far beyond the local borders and
casual discussion in the press and the pull.
pits over the length and breadth of the cOun-
! try. there can be no question but the move
ment originated four years earlier IN the
town eIryYi le, Kentucky, which
in 1862 was the seen, I IF a battle between the
Union and Confederate armies. The causes
which led the women OF The town to visit
the saloon and demand that its doors be
| closed we're possibly the same which in lRtsr
| years caused 8 more general uprising of their
sex but it may be remarked as q strange CO.
| incidence that the placing o. Q heavy tax
| upon distilled spirits by the General Govern
| ment indirectly led 10 the women's move.
ment in Perryville. and ultimately to the
conversion of the town into a strong, IN
com nFOTn iSiOp tenn community
In the early days OF the war man Dy the
| name Of Clark. the owner OF a small farm
| lying in the hills OF Chaplain river, some ten
miles from Perryville, sold his place to g
neighbor, agreeing to take the purchase price
| IN whisky, which vas then worth about
twenty-five cents gallon. Clark's farm was
| quite small, and the purchase price did not
| exceed $1,000 or 81 eco, and he ex-
pecied 10 go into toe saloon bust
ness with the whisky as his
| stock in trade. Between the sale Of the
| farm snd the time for paying the purchase
price, Congress placed hesvy tax on whis.
| ky, and the purchaser refused specific full
| fillment of the contract. A suit followed,
and the courts held that the contract should be
| fulfilled according to the price of whisky at
| the tine specified to be delivered, and not at
| the time the purchase OF the farm was made;
| holding that the seller was entitled to any
rise in the price, as he would have been CON-
PEELED to stand reduction had the article
decreased IN value between the time Of he
! contract and the period of fulfllment. The
decision OF the court made Clark compare
| lively rich man, and during the latter days
of the war he moved to Perryville, pur-
chased hotel, and opened saloon. From
| this day till his sons had succeeded in squan-
dering bis fortune, two years later, the "Ho-
! tel de Clark was the scene of debauchsry
| fighting, and at least three murders,
soon becoming SO low that it
possessed any self respect or desired the re-
! spect Of others. In q shooting affair with
parties made drunk in the hotel, Cark's son
| killed two men with the same pistol and
some two or three weeks ister an unofend-
! ing lrishman was killed by load of buck
shot fred.at Clark himself by harness maker
with whom he had had disagreement. Pab-
lie sentiment and want of money to longer
ontinUe in business soon drove the Clarks'
from the community, but their infamous re-
gime developed temperance sentiment
which became more and more pronounced
as time wore on, and the effects OF the sale
| OF spirits became manifested in the commu
nifty.
Soon after the Clsrks left, in the winter OF
| 1853 the town was incorporated by the
| Legislature and the act Incorporation also
provided that no spirits should be sold
within one mile Of the corporate limits.
| For short time there was no whisky sold
| openly IN the community, but it could be
| bought in any quantity By the negroes, to
! whom it was sold without fear OF prosecu-
ton for at this time the colored people we're
not permitted TO testify in the courts. The
negroes did not hesitate TO tell where
vhisky could be purchased, and
through them IS purchasing agents
the whites who were disposed to drink were
practically supplied with saloon privileges.
This state OF affairs drifted along for few
months when one Saturday night IN the
spring OF 1869, three men who we're sus-
pected Of selling whisky we're taken from
their houses. escorted to TIE old graveyard.
and soundly thrasned vita stirrup leather.
and all ordered away from the town and
given ten days in which 70 leave. This con-
mand was obsyed with ell necessary haste,
and again the community rested from the
effects of intemperance.
The parties thus driven from the c9mmu-
nifty carried the story Of their treatment TO
the neighboring town OF Harrodsburg, a
strong whisky community. and among
certain class o. citizens OF that place excited
a large measure OF sympathy. Actusted By
8 daredevil spirit saioOn-keeper of Hsrrods-
burg, by the name OF Johnson, determined
10 open O saloon ii PerTyYille, aud publicly
announced that he would cell in spite OF the
opposition and test the consdtutionaIity OF
the law which prohibited the sale of
spirits within one mile of the
corporate limits of the town. He also gave
out that any attempt AZ force would be met
by force. and when these threats taken in
connection with the well known character
of the nam, reached Perryville, the entire
community was aroused. In q few days
Johnson appeared with bar fixtures aud g