Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-08-09
CLOTHING CLUBS
QUITE A TIME DOWN IN BBLLAIRB, OVER
THEN.
Local Tailors Combine and Cause the Arrest Of The
Agents Of the Pitisburg Company Drawing
Held Last Night However.

The tailors of Bellaire have cut quite
figure the last two or three days, and
although the number of clothes makers
is not large, the little crowd cuts a
wide swath when aroused. Their ac-
tion has also attracted good deal Of
attention in this city.
Several days since couple Of gentle
men from Pittsburg, who had previous
ly been in Wheeling on the same err
rand, arrived in the Glass City and be-
gan canvassing for the sale of custom
made clothing for a big firm in the
"Smoky City" The plan was to form
clubs and pay one dollar a week, after
the manner of the modern watch club
system, except in the plan Of the cloth
iers, members were likely to get a
suit considerably below tho soai -7NsiGe.
In the drawing one party gets suit
each week, paying In dollar a week.
He may pay one dollar or more, but Is
not required to make the regular weekly
deposit after he gets his clothes. The
highest price that can be paid for suit
is S3S. If, after thirty-eight trials, If a
blank is secured, the individual who has
paid the limit is entitled to suit. The
CLUB is always kept at thirty-eight,
either by the addition OF new members
or fictitious names, so that the firm
making the clothes gets S3S for every
suit.
The plan of the Pittsburgers, when
explained to some Of the young men
about Bellaire, caught on in great shape
as it had here, as a club was soon
formed. A second club was being or
ganized, when the merchant tailors,
who had heard of the new racket,
raised up in arms, consulted all the
lawyers in the town and soon swore out
warrants for the arrest of the foreign
clothing sellers on the charge Of con-
Quoting business on the plan OF a lot
terry. The action OF the tailors created
great deal of talk, but they had the
sympathy Of about every business man
in the town. The case came up for
trial on Friday afternoon, but was con-
tinued until Yesterday morning a. the
solicitation OF defendants, who paid all
the costs in the case to get their re-
Quest granted. The trial was reopened
Yesterday morning, stakeholder OF the
Pittsburg house being on hand to watch
proceedings. James G. Tallman repre-
scented the plaintiffs and Hon. L. Dan
ford, of st. Clairsvile, defendants.
The case was not tried, Squire Cooper
concluding to bind defendants over to
Court in the sum of 500. The result
was satisfactory to the tailors for a
time, as it was expected 1t would stop
the operation of the plan and the forma-
ton of clubs for the present, and prob
ably for all time, as 1t was thought de-
PENDANTS would not appear when the
case is called. The latter seem to be
going right on, last night drawing be-
ing held, Thomas Keyser getting the
suit.
It promises to be hard work for the
tailors to completely stop the clubs,
after once fairly in operation, as every
member who has paid his weekly dues
will be anxious to get suit OF clothes.
There is said to be not lawyer In the
town who was not satisfied that the
Pittsburg parties could be convicted of
violation of the United States law rela-
tive to lotteries.
The club scheme of selling clothes is
being worked in other towns in the
near neighborhood. In States where
test has been made of the law, the sys-
TEN has been declared unlawful.