The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-10
Its A VERY LOW DIVE.
Union Hill Citizens Hope
That the Council Will
Not License It.
THEY WON'T If THEY'RE WISE.
For the Facts About 1t are Present.
ed There in Their Hideous
Reality.

At the meeting Of the Union Bill
Town Council. to be held tomorrow
evening there will be a petition presented
for an inn and tavern license from A. NJ.
Peters. The petition will be accompanied
By certified check for $3.50, the amount
Of the license fee. Peters is the keeper of
a notorious disorderIy house on Hudson
avenue, and if the Town Council grants
him license the respectable citizens Of
the town will lose all faith in their rep
resentatives.
A letter was received at the office of
The JERSEY CRY NEWS few days ago.
signed by an indignant Union Hill
citizen, asking that a reporter be sens to
investigate the dive at the corner Of
Hudson avenue and the Hsckensack
Plank Road. visited the dive on Friday
night and found It IN full blast Hacken-
sack Plank Road, the street On which this
notorious resort is located. is we'll built
story cottages, the homes of respectable
people.
NOT AN INVITING SPOT.
At the corner of this street and Hudson
avenue there stands a large three story
frame dwelling. A sign outside informs
the public that Herman WoIter is the
proprietor OF the liquor store on the first
floor, although from what learned LATER
Wolter is the proprietor in name only.
On the Hudson avenue side OF the house
is a private entrance"
When entered the saloon it was about
nine O'clock. The saloon was anything
but inviting. The ceiling Is low and the
odor Of bad whiskey was enough 70 stile
one. Seated at tables were several yeung
men playing cards.
The most uninyiting thing in this unin-
wiling place however WAS the person be-
hind the bar-a woman about fifty years
old with hardened features and wicked
gleam in her eyes. She looked at me
suspiciogsly when entered. and
imagined her eyes were on me until left
the place,
/ bought an alleged cigar, and was
presumptu0us enough to ask the pleas
ant-looking creature behind the bar to
have a drink. she said she didn't care II
she did, and she drank whiskey. / was
soon on yery good terms with her While
] was talking 70 her bell rang, and she
left her place behind the bar and went
out into the hallway.
THE PRIVATE ENTRANCES.
By peering through the window | could
see couple at the private entrance. One
was girl who could not be over sixteen
years old. Her companion was tough
looking character. The girl appeared
very timid and did not want to enter
Pretty soon there were angry voices in
the hallway, and from the bits OF eonFersa-
tion that overheard Il appeared that the
couple In. as she said it was loo early
Finally she relented and the couple went
upstairs, and the old woman resumed her
place behind the bar.
While was standing at the bar could
hear feminine voices in room which
was shut of from the barro0m by screen
door. The old woman noticing my
curiosity volunteered the Information
that there were some nice girls in the
other room and | might go in.
Here was sad sight. About a half
dozen young girls, all pretty. but whose
faces bore evidence Of the terrible life
they were leading, were seated at tables.
Two men were az table with four of the
girls, and there were several half empried
beer and whiskey glasses before them.
As soon as entered one of the girls came
over and sat at the table with me.
did not think an introduction neces-
sary and invited her 20 drink. She drank
some sherry.
HISTORY OF A DIVE.
After little while the young woman,
who had been drinking before I met her.
seemed inclined to be talkative and some
questioning developed history of the
dive.
Last May Louis W otter, Inc man whose
name graces the sign outside the door,
petitioned the Union Hill Council fer q
license. It was granted to him. he
directly set about making his place a re-
sort for women OF bad repHte. He had a
wortny partner in the woman behind the
bar. who he said was his wife
Several young women were secured.
and the house soon bore q terrible mama.
Finally, patience ceased to be posi-
bilitY with the residents inthe neighbor-
hood, and Il complaint was lodged with
Recorder Hauenstein, and on some charge
or another Voter was sent to the county
jail for thirty days, although it IS alleged
the dive was never closed for a day.
While Wolrer was in jail young
mann named Peters was picked up by the
woman who, Wolter alleges is his wife.
He assumed proprIetorship of the place
and when Wolter was released from jall
Pc tiers refused to yacate and the woman
backed him up.
The place has been conducted very
openly since because as my informant
said, ~the old woman has pull with the
police and big brewer is interested"
After leaving the place ! talked with
several of the residents il the neighbor-
hood. They all expected hope that the
members of the Town Council would re-
fuse to license the place.