Evening star., 1886-11-23

A Movement 10 Close the stores Next
Thursday.

THE CLERKS THANKSGIVING.
Movement TO Close the stores Next
Thursday.
SPEECHES MADE AT THE MEETING LAST EVEN
ING-kNIGHTs OF LABOR IN THE MOVEMENT
PROPOSE TO "LET ALONE MERCHANTS WHO
KEEP OPEN
Mr.. Z. NJ Hambleton called to order last
evening meeting held at Hilton hall, under
the auspices of the Clerks assembly, in the in
terest OF a general closing of stores on Thanks
giving day. Mr.. Hambleton said that some of
them mad to work half a day on Thanksgiving,
ana some of them the whole day. What they
wanted was To have an entire cessation Of labor
on that day, like the employees of the govern
ment enjoyed
MI August DOnath was elected chairman of
the meeting and upon taking the chair made
an address. He said the lot of the mercantile
clerks had been greatly benefited already by
the efforts made fu their behalf. 1t no
longer considered questionable, ,he said, to have
na lne req early closing card In q store window.
Inc man who keeps a store he said would not
heeP III open for fun. If "a man keeps open after
honrs and finds that no customers come in. he
viii very soon become a convert to the doctrine
Oh q lair days work for n fair days pay. If they
naOe up their minds not to buy after seven
O'Clock, not to buy on holidays, and furthermore,
Iot I'd ouy at any time from those who keep open
aIter hours, the number of those who SO keep
open Will gradually decrease. He pledged the
best efforts of the wOrkingmen OF the city in
behalf of the clerks movement BY "A unity of
purpose on the part of all he said he believed
lhey would not only sustain the early closing
movement, but also have the stores closed on
holidays.
''The only way that we can do it," he said,
rs 10 make it unprofitable Tor any man to keep
open after hours or on holidays. We must leave
ane men who keep open their stores alone.
ihey may send man to the Albany peniten-
tiary Ior DOycottlng, but we have a right to
keep our money in our pocket" He believed
they were strong enough to secure TO the clerks
a holiday on the Thanksgiving day coming
w men he went down the street and perceived
the religious dimness that prevailed in stores
That used to be open until late at night he was
thankful for what had been done.
MeSSrs. IL. q. Trader and John BlakelOck
were elected secretaries OF the meeting.
LETTERS FROM MERCHANTS AND OTHERS.
Mr.. Trader read letters from John C. Black
commissioner of pensions: Norman ]. Colman
commissioner of agriculture, and Col j. NJ.
Wilson, commissioner of public buildings and
grounds, expressing interest and sympathy in
the Thanksgiving day movement. Letters were
pressing their intention to close me- xt Thursday:
q. Il. COrnwell & Son, the Washington News
company, Petersen & Childs, N w. Burchell, c.
Nicoll the tailor; b. Fl. Stinemetz & Son, A.
Lisner, Moore & Leding, Alex. Milne, Hall &
Varies. YATES T%cksr w: Wa%dy; g. AieXander @ a.
Hunter, w. II. LOwdermiIk Il Co., Geo. II. Cald-
Wen, manager Tor Peter Grogan; a. F. Moran,
q
LothrOp, House Hermann and B. L. Wheeler.
Several merchants wrote that they would close
part of the day, and one or two that they could
Letters were received from Revs. A. w. PitZer,
5. n. Newman, John H. Elliott Geo. c. Little,
jomes Jonn Williams ea dmnnd n A Pine Phillips
Richardson in favor OF the movement. Mr..
Richardson's letter extended to the clerks an
invitation to attend Thanksgiving day services
at his church.
Messrs. g. w. Spier, E. w. Hambleton and E.
NJ Blake were appointed a committee on resO-
lutiOns.
DEPARTMENT CLERKS AND LABOR MOVEMENT.
While the committee was preparing resolu-
tions, Milford S. Spohn, of the bricklayers'
union, made an address, in the course of which
he remarked that there was a large number
who did not belong to the labor organizations.
They did not care for this movement. Unfor-
tunately, he said, this class existed to q greater
extent in Washington than in any city in the
country. II speak" he said, 'Of the thousands
employed by the government. Men who do
not care whether stores work seven hours or
seventeen hours. They work short hours by
the virtue of the political influence Of working
men through which they have got into soft
places, and they will stay there, 1 suppose,
until they are taken out by the aid of the under
taker. They don't care where they deal. IL is
this element that, in any aggressive movement
made by the labor element of Washington, we
have to combat"
THE RESOLUTIONS.
The committee then reported resolutions,
which were adopted, setting forth "that we
heartily indorse the clerks assembly to have
general closing of stores on Thanksgiving day,
and that We ask the cooperation OF the mer-
chants and the general public in this move
ment."
Mr.. Trader read an address adopted by Dis
trict Assembly No. 66, K. OF L., saying: "On
behalf OF the store clerks OF this city, both male
and female, we issue this earnest appeal to the
citizens of the District OF Columbia to refrain
from shopping on Thanksgiving day, thus
afording the clerks chance for rest on that
day."
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Mr.. E. NJ. Blake. explaining this brief address,
said that ii the merchants only realized the full
meaning of it they would see at once that it
would be good business policy for them to close
"That" he said sis an official order sent out tn
10000 men in the District of Columbia and
10000 adults controlling their families. II can
be safely estimated tha2th resolution will
discipline OF the Knights OF Labor will not ques-
ton what say. They know that anyone who
that day would violate his manhood. They
will do further, they will watch the stores that
keep open and will pass them by in the future
others than the Knights of Labor interested:
these are the trades-uniOnists"
He requested his hearers to use their infiu-
ence with their friends "tO punish the man who
keeps his store open on Thanksgiving day"
Mr.. I. Fulton CAN'T made the closing address.
denOunclng the man 'whOse soul was so small
that he would open his store on Thanksgiving
day." Mr.. II. NJ. Arnold thought the merchants
were bound by their agreement to close at z
o clock, TO close also on legal holidays, but MIR.
Spier said they were lot, vote had been
taken on this question.
Civil Service Commissioner John H. Oberly
was announced TO address the meeting but he
did not come. He sent note, stating that a
prior engagement, recalled at a late hour pre-.
vented his attendance.
Poison PuffS.
To the Editor of the THE EVENING STAR:
Referring TO a late case OF poisoning of an
entire family by "cream puffs," permit an old
confectiOner TO say for the public benefit, that
of all pastry the cream puff is not only the most
furious when stale. Its shell is generally made
by rubbing butter. flour, eggs into a tough mass
In a copper Kettle over fire-and as il contains
no "rising and is very quickly Drowned in a
hot oyen-t remains - tough indigestible ball
OF grease and flour that nothing short of an
ostrich S stomach can digest. As to the filling
that is simply n custard OF eggs, sugar and milk
some add gelatine, and process has vet
been invented to keep a cusfard fresh and sound
fortwelve hours when expose d to the air. decOm
position sets in rapidly and posOnS are gem
Grated Why people Will persist in eating such
stun Il one of the things that mysti.ies confec-
TONERS who never eat 1T themselves Reputable
dealers throw their remaining stock awav at
the close OF business daily.
A CoNFECrIoNER.
THE LATE GEORGE A. BoHRER.-The funeral
OF the late George y. BOhrer, whose death was
announced in yesterdays STAR, took place this
afternoon at 3 O'Clock from the METROPOLITAN
Presbyterian church, Capitol Hill. The MEM
bers of the Oldest Inhabitants association of
winch Mr.. Bohrer was president, attended.