St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-15
Gathering Statistics on the
Whisky Trade in This Fair
City Of Ours.
The Amateur Detectives Who
Started at the Ticks of
Their Own Beds.
Places Which We're Watched
and How the Noble Deed
Was Done.

The Minneapolis saloOnkeepers were under
espionage last night, but few of them were
aware OF it, nor were the saloonkeepers the
only ones who were watched. Every young
man who is accustomed to come down town
for 8 half hour on Saturday evening, had the
eagle eve of a soulsaver fastened upon him.
The reason for this close watch upon the
liquid rehectories may, be found in the fol-
lowing circular, issued by the Young Mems
Christian association:
Dee. O. 1SS9-Dear Brother: For a very
important special reason having avery I'M
portant bearing on matters Whlch we
can explain TO You later, we are asked to
collect some statistics concerning the habits
of the yOupg men Of Minneapolis, and ask
your assistance for one hours work. We are
to ascertain how many young men are pres
ent in the 223 saloons of the city from 5 to 8
o'clock Saturday night Dec. ii, and ask you
to see how many are present at ) O'Clock IN
the saloon at No. -. then TO station your
self somewhere within sight o I the door,
keeping tally of all who enter until .
O'Clock, filling up these blanks put In en-,
closed envelopes and drop into nearest mali
box before going home.
Now this will be some little trouble,
but We are certain that You VIII
be satisfied that this effort is worth far more
than the trouble, as soon as you hear OF the
results. We would be glad 10 hunt up some
body TO take your place on this job, II you
are disinclined 10 take Il, but the large mum
Der of saloons and the small number or tried
workers who can be DEPENDED UPON pre-
vents il; therefore. we beg OF you 10 realIze
that the failure OF ONE NAN 10 do his part VIII
break the scheme. and TO fulfill your part
even if il should PUT YOU 10 INCONVENIENCE Z
10 do so. In the event of providential inter
ference YOU should get q trusted substitute.
PLEASE MENTION THIS To No OTHER PERSON
Yours sincerely,
JoHN IL. ELLIOTT.
:, + q Of Of ftO blank
answers which were 10 be filed out:
Saturday. Dec. II. 81 have complied
with your request for statistics concerning
the saloon located at No. ......, and report
as follows:
No. Of people at the saloon at O'Clock
No. who entered during the following hour
OF this number ...... were young men be-
tween sixteen and forty years OF age, ara
49, were boys under sixteen. ages est
mated by me according to their appearance
Nof ali of the tried and true were at their
appointed posts, but goodly number made
their appearance, enough, no doubt. to com
pile very respectable pile in size-of statis-
lies showing how the goodly city of Mime
apolis is rapidly approaching the state ex.
emplifed by Sodom and Gomorrah. VI
course not all Of the saloons and their watch
ers can be enumerated. but enough can be
cited 70 show the system employed.
At about five minutes before ) o'clock
goggle-eyed individual, whose trousers were
not even on nodding terms with his shoe
tops, stepped quickly into Tom MOore's
sherry flip emporium and glanced about, no
doubt expecting to see a tongue OF blue
flame reach after him because OF his pres
ence in such a sinful place, but no flame ap-
Deared. He remembered the righteousness
or his cause and set TO work. With uphfted
foTefngeF he began TO enumerate the
persons present. Out came note book ana
pencil and the result was jotted down he
then took M his station near the door and
waited-but not loug. He had been spotted.
Tom. espied him. but before he had had time
to find out the fellows business, the embryo
Wesley was gone. He had fed. But not all
OF these selfappoiuted detectives ventured
into the gilded dens of vice. On Washing
ton avenue, across from Browns place,
paced a tight-trOUSeTed parsonage whose look
of exultatiOn plainly showed his occupation.
He would not approach the saloon for fear
of contamination, but watched from over the
way. His account Will not be correct,
because he was too much afraid that some
VIE ked saloonkeepeT would kill him to attend
to his business. In the hall next 10 Lally
Bros. was q youth impatently betting his
hands to keep them warm, and I-Want-to-be-
an-angel look overspreading his plastic
countenance. He was ''One of en-. Lurk-
ing N g hallway near Derm & Aliens place
was another. His face wore an lama
MARTYR to the-cause- Lam going-t0 stick
Stern and Van Wrinkles place, on Fourth
street, was another one which was closely
watched. PasSars-by on that street between
the hours OF s and 8 occasionally saw the
head of a man bob up from behind some Of
the ruins left by the fire only to Immediately
disappear His face looked white and scared.
Pedestrians who caught but heeting
glimpse of its bad, drawn outlines shud-
It was the ghost of Truthful james, who
was reported to have shot himself on the
night of the fire. But IT was only Y. N. c..
A. tried and true worker, who was afraid OF
the dark, and who longed to get home TO his
mamma. Up on Sixth street across from
the Acme and Dunn & Aliens, were two
more. Thye lurked under the shadow of the
trees, and seldom spoke, even in whispers,
fearful lest they should warn their
victims. One Of them was timid,
hidden behind Mike Breslauer.s bill board.
The other was drawer. He had been reading
''Old Sleuth on the TRAIL" and had profted
by its suggestions. He was disguised in a
pair Of blue goggles and siouch hat, and
chewed Hcoriee and spit out the juice to
make himself look "tuph," but the way he
stared at every strange sound revealed him
A. J. Rosander's dispensary was watched by
drivers. and tried hard to seem perfectly ct
home, but he failed. No one would ever
have mistaken him for @ Tounder. Upon
North Washington avenue were more OF
them. They lurked in dark alleys
and in Railways and did their very best 10
wear an unconscious look. Alas for the
weakness of human effortsl It would not
come. They were all around town, where
ever there was saloon, and all had that
same I-know- thatI-am-layi ng-up-treasures-
iD-Heaven look stamped indelibly upon
their expressive countenances. 1t is sin
eerely to be hoped that none of them have
contracted evil ways from last nights work.
There is great danger that such evil associa-
tons may cause some of them to plunge
into wild and reckless dissipation, to take 70
smoking cigarettes and to staying out after