Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05
ONE ENORMOUS RUSH.
The Saloons We're Hardly Able to
Supply the Demand for Drinks.
ENDLESS PROFESSIONS OF THIRSTY
To Find Tavern it Was Only Necessary to
Follow the Crowds.
THE BARKEEPERs TOO BUSY TO TALK

"Oh, don't ask me any questions. Ihave
hardly got time to allow my blood to circu-
late" said Hill bartender last night, as
he hustled around and tried to answer the
calls of the thirsty citizens for beer. There
were two counters in the room and
behind each stood two bartenders.
On all sides could be heard
Give beers herel'' "Say, Petey, them's
my beers you've gotF' "Do you suppose
I'm going to let my tongue hang out all
night waiting for booze?" 1--WE been stand
ing here 15 minutes trying to get waited on,
and if that bartender don't sling them beers
livelier, I'll get the court to revoke his Ii
censep' "At this rate it would take me a
week to get decent-sized jag on" etc., etc.
1t was the boozers' Saturday night" and
the first since the new regime of SO saloons
for over $50, 900 people was put into effect.
If the License Court had been in the city,
and taken the trouble to walk about and see
the way the saloons were crowded, opinion
of the adulterated (?) Pittsburg beer, or at
least of how drinkers regarded it, might
have changed. 1t seemed in some saloons
that when man got up to the bar
AFTER FIGHTING HIS WAY
through a bowling mob, he would anchor
there and drink his fill before giving way
to some other citizen who was athirst. At
every saloon there was an unusual sign of
activity just before midnight. At Matt
Weiss, james Piatt's, Johny stroup's,
William Wright's, j. K. Durr's, Ruppel's
and the Central Eotel the bartenders
could not half wait upon the people.
Each place had four or five bartenders,
and the individual who got waited upon
without much trouble counted himself
lucky mortal. At Durr's place the crowd
went in the front door on Market street, and
passed out the side door on Fourth avenue.
There was an endless procession of beer
loving citizens passing in and out all the
time. Nearly every place had q po-
cases the officers had to use harsh language
to make the men move along. Most of the
downtown places closed about AS, and by
IL o'clock the crowds were out. At New
ell rs the bartenders continued to sell until
nearly IL o'clock, because they had to.
Up on the Hill the rush was terrible. At
George Pitfeld's, corner of Wylie avenue
and Tunnel street, there were four bar
tenders. The place was crowded with men
all evening, and sable policeman at the
door had his hands full showing the people
away. At Councilman O'NeiPs place,
on sixth avenue, and DUfy's Hotel.
on Webster street, the growls coming
through the open doors indicated that they
we're not all getting waited upon fast
enough. The proprietors of both of these
saloons applied for police officer, but on
account of the
SCARCITY OF PATRoLMEN,
they could not get them. Several beats in
the city were said to have been lett uncov-
cred to supply the demand for policemen in
front of saloons.
Had it been a warm night, there would, in
all probability, have been beer riot; but,
Notwithstanding the great rush, the police de-
partment reported very quiet night. the
officers of the First district had less to do in
the way of arrests than than they had had
on Saturday night for months before. at
midnight the Central station record showed
only four common drunks and one disor- |
derly case.
Out Penn avenue and over on the South |
side the rush was greater than in the heart |
of the city. Over in Allegheny wherever |
there was a saloon doing business it was
only necessary to follow the crowd to find
it. There was little disorder, however, as |
the special officers promptly squelched any |
indications of trouble.
Captain j. A. A. Brown, clerk in the |
Building Inspectors Office, reports having
issued permits last week for the enlarge |
ment of five saloons. one on Fifth avenue,
one on Second avenue, one on Seventh ave-
nue. and two on Penn avenue.
The following special on like topic was
received last night from Steubenville:
Pittsburg's agency of the Joseph Schlitz
Brewing Company have leased property here
for storehouse and a bottling establishment
from the Philip Best Com
pany, of Milwaukee, the Anheuser-Busch |
Company, of st. Louis. and certain New York
beer houses are here tonight, seeking the
Of agencies and shipping facili-
ties from which to supply Pittsburg and other
points,