Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-08
THE FIRST FAILURE.
A Smithfield Street Saloon Is
Closed by the Sheriff
Last Evening.
LIQUOR BUSINESS DEPRESSED.
A. Wholesaler Says but Few Of the Local
Houses Have Paid Expenses
This Season.
SUFFERING FROMA TEMPERANCE WAVE.
The Season for Whisky Drinking Said to Be Approach.
ing However.

The saloon at No. Alb Smithfield street
was yesterday evening closed by the Sheriff
at the instance of Bennett Bros, the whole
sale liquor dealers, and others. The license
for the place was granted to Frederick
Tress, but the saloon was generally sup
posed to be owned by Tobias McCurry,
member of Councils from the Southside.
The closing of the saloon was great sur
prise to the saloon keepers and liquor peo-
pie generally. The house was supposed to
be doing thriving business. 1t was con-
stantly crowded. 1t is alleged that the
claims against the place will wipe it out.
Mr.. Tress, however, is hopeful that he will
be able toget through and expects to be open
within day or two.
This is the first saloon in Pittsburg that
has fallen into the hands of the Sheriff since
the passage of the Brooks high license law.
1t is argued by many local saloon keepers
that too many licenses were granted last
year, but they claim that the law increasing
the license from $500 to 81, 900 will keep out
many of the small saloon keepers next
year.
NOT ENOUGH WHISKY SOLD.
''This has been most disastrous summer
to the liquor business wholesale liquor
dealer said last night when speaking of the
Tress failure. at has been the dullest sea-
son in 20 years, he went on. 81 am famil-
lar with the liquor trade in Pittsburg and L
can say without fear that there are not more
than a half dozen saloon keepers in
the city that arc making more
than their expenses. Why nearly
all of them have reduced their force
of barkeepers and not one out of every 80
of them can pay their liquor bills promptly.
In Johnstown l have foun0 the same con-
ditiOns existing, and there are but about
three men in the town to whom L would
sell goods other than for cash. At Green's
burg one of the hotels was closed recently
by the Sheriff. At other places houses are
distressed and we find the greatest difficulty
in collecting our money for goods sold six
months ago.
STRUCK BY A TEMPERANCE WAVE.
81 am at loss to explain the cause of the
depression, but it exists, sure enough. To
the retailer there is nearly 200 per cent
profit in whisky, and the depression in the
trade that has extended over six months,
when all othe. business is moving along
satisfactorily, leads me to th> belief that
Temperance wave is quietly passing over the
country. Whatever it is, tn, people are
not drinking as much whisky as they used
to- l gain this information from expert
ence with my trade. They cannot explain
the depression in any other wav."
Have the temperance people been more
active of late than usual""
'No, / think nu-. / think the temper
ance wave, if there really be one, has come
of its own accord It does not seem to be
disappearing as rapidly as 1 would wish.
But with the cold weather always comes
tn: demand for whisky, and We must be
conten: to wait. 1t is a fact that there is
ten times as much whisky sold in three
months of winter as in three months of
summer