Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-13
THIRST ON THE HILL,
Thirteenth Ward People Want
Licensed Saloons.
A SCHOOLHOUSE MEETING.
Lawyers Now Discussing the Ques-
tiOn of Appealing.
SOME OF THE PECULIAR CASES
A SCHOOLHOUSE MEETING,
SOME OF THE PECULIAR CASES

portion of the population of that elevated
ward demands saloons, and movement II
appeal to Judges Ewing and Magee to re
consider their judgment has been started
This movement took shape, to certain ex
tent, in a meeting held last evening in thu
schoolhouse on Center avenue.
There were six applicants for retail
licenses in the Thirteenth ward, and ten ap
pIicants for wholesale. All were refused
except one bother, William G. Pohl. whC
will sell quart bottles of beer at No. 81;
Thirty-third street. Judge White, a veal
ago, gave the ward no saloons, and granted
a bottling license only. to Spielman, or
Soho street. 1t was shown that Spielmar
had allowed beer to be drunk on his prem
ises, and had sold to confirmed drunkards
and he was supplanted by Fohl, who is al
the further corner of the ward.
Last night the clear-toned bell on the
Center avenue schoolhouse rang out
cheerily on the bafmy night air, calling the
indignant citizens to meet. 1t seemed to
ring out, "Ho. all We that thirst" But
those who thirsted had business elsewhere,
as a rule. 1t was Saturday evening, and
l0eN were ell0eE CTOhueu lDIU Tie ulUSN
rooms of the Soho street speak-easies or
were down town, where licenses were openly
hung upon the walls.
THOSE WHO WERE THERE.
About 40 men found their way down the
rough gully to the schoolhouse and gathered
in the small, low-ceilinged basement room.
The men were mostly rough looking labor
ers, wearing their working clothes, and
seemed aS a rule IN he Germans
1t was about S o'clock when John Elmer
moved that 'fMr. Stewart be chosen chair
man. Mr.. Stewart who is well known
about the Court House, begged to be e1-
cused, and the meeting cast about for an
other victim. No other could be found. one
suggested man averrIng that ne lived in
the Eleventh ward, and Mr.. Stewart was
pressed into service. When he had taken
the chair Mr.. Elmer moved that a commit
tee of three mem bers from each voting dis
trict be appointed to canvass the ward for
signatures to petition asking the Judges
to reopen the Thirteenth ward license ap-
plications. Mr.. Elmer said that he thought
three saloons would about fill the bill, but
he would be satisfied with one, or, if the
Judges should open the gates of their hearts
until the hinges cracked and grant five
licenses, he would try to bear up under it.
Murmers of assent came from all parts of
the room, but the discordant element was
present Robert McEldownev, who was lean
ing against the wall, mildly asked if the COM
mittee would take the names of those who
were opposed to saloons. Mr.. Elmer said
be supposed so, and Mr.. Stewart said, Scr
tainly."
THE JUDGES UPHELD.
Then Mr.. McEldcwney waded in, and gave
his restless listeners a sound temperance
l. e. Al Al. T..
for their decision. He wanted no saloon
beside his house. He did not know what good
a saloon ever done anybody. He believed
that majority of the citizens of the ward
opposed saloons.
One old gentleman inquired, Wouldn't
you rather have one saloon than dozen
spesk-easies?"
You'll have just as many speak-easies." !"
replied Mr.. McEldowney. "If you had so
saloons you'd have 80 speak-easies. There
are always men ready to break the law. L
don't know whether there is speak-easy in
the ward.'
81 know manv," interiected Mr.. Elmer.
"Then,' said Mr.. McEldowney, sit is
your duty as a good citizen to return
them
NO." said Mr.. Elmer, I've have a con-
stable whose business it is to do that. will
give you the names if you will report them.
When we had eight licensed saloons in the
ward under the old law Ibid not know one
speak-easv. Now 1 know IS in the ward.
Inspector McAleese knows where they are.
There wasn't one then on Soho street, and
now there are eight"
TIRED OF THE sPEAK-EASY.
Mr.. McEldowney insisted that there ought
not to be a licensed house, and was pro-
ceeding to declare his fidelity to the princi-
pies of good citizenship, when an old gen.
tleman on a front seat growled out: ~
used to have licensed saloon either side Of
me, and it's more peace and quiet 1 had
than now with the one speak-easy. Now
it's lighting and rowing and smashing win
dows they are all the night long"
Alter the Chairman had grown tired rap
ping for order after this sally young gem
tleman near the door, whom his companions
called Mike, moved to postpone action until
Monday evening, when another meeting
should be held in the school house. He
said that the affair had not been properly
advertised, and he was sure that 500 people
would turn out. This motion was carried
with unanimity, and the meeting broke up.
One OF the curious things connected with
the movement is that W. G. McEldowney,
son OF the gentleman who turned the cold
water hose on the meeting, is expected to
act as attorney for the petitioners in favor
OF more license, if the matter is presented
again to the Court of Quarter Sessions.
- Mr.. Stewart explained that his presence
at the meeting was accidental, and be de-
sired it to be understood that his attendance
did not commit him to either one side or the
other of the momentous question at issue.
A QUESTION OF APPEAL.
Will there be an appeal by refused whole
salers, or will there not? That was the
question which was on the lips of many
lawyers who have had business with the
License Court during the past week. Of
course, in the retail cases there can be no
appeal.
Almost every attorney who had cause to |
appear before Judges Ewing and Magee |
have had one or two or three clients either |
positively refused or omitted from the list |
of those to whom licenses have been granted. |
A large number OF these attorneys were in |
terviewed yesterday, and their views sought |
on the chances for an appeal. The chances |
seem to be very slim.
Many of the lawyers say frankly that |
the Judges did a good work, that all the |
wholesale licenses were granted which were |
needed. One attorney said: Had the |
court issued licenses to all who applied, |
either half OF the licenses would not have |
been taken out, or many of the licensees
would be in Jail before three months. 1 |
know, from my own experience with |
clients ana with the hearings in court, that /
many OF the applicants had no intention of |
doing legitimateswholesale business. They
wanted only cover to a saloon"
BREWERS AS BoTTLERs.
One thing seems to be pretty we'll as
sured, and that is that, if the Court finally
decides not TO issue license tn hortIe IN anv |