The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-09
At Last the Treachery of
the Saloon Keepers Is
Working Out Its
Punishment.
WIVES AND MOTHERS GAINED.
For Drunken Men We're Few
Humors of the Day-Too
Much Rum Still.

Saturday night week were not renewed,
yesterday was the dryest day experienced
in Jersey City in many years. Open side
doors were as scarce as oases in the.Desert
of Sahara.
But three proprietors were pulled. I"
They were Edward Groeschel who runs a
saloon at Beacon and Oakland avenues;
Patrick McDermett of No. 1875 Montgom-
cry street. and Henry Rohlf's of Gregory
and Henderson streets. Rohlf's bartender,
Walter Bale. was also arrested. Groe-
schel's wife. Emma, was arrested Satur-
day night for selling a can OF beer o an
eight year-old child. Police Captain Far
rier himself pounced upon McDermott in
the evening. In the lower section of the
city only were there outward ind icat ions
of violation of the law. Many
saloons were open all over the dow n
town streets. 1t was noticeable
that where some left panels open
the Sunday before that everyone might
inspect the interiors of the saloons. the
panels were closed last evening. 1t is
true that IL a stranger went To the sid 9
doors of these same saloons, he found
them locked, and many dry-gilled indi-
viduals and groups turned away dis
gusted after giving the latch an unsuc-
cess full hitch. But If you knew the ropes
you could get all the rum you wanted.
In addition to the cautious violations of
the law, there were many of an open and
shameless nature. In one case, police
man stood a good part of the day just
beside .'side door" through which hun
dreds of beer drinkers went in and out.
He took no notice of the plain breach of
law. One of the smaller hotels on Ex-
change place was doing quite a rushing
dumb-waiter business all day to custom
ers on the upper floors. This, of course.
the police can only stop by raid or with
the aid of spies.
VERY BADLY SCARED.
Even where the law was violated the
latch-string was not as rule hung out
for every body. In some tnsta noes. it is
said, an access could be obtained only
through the companionshiD of certain
inspectors who hung around the side
doors. Some of the groups standing
around the old haunts were quite large
all day and some of them looked exceed
ingly dry.
DRUNKEN MEN SCARCE.
In walk through the lower section ]
saw but two drunken men. One of these
was being navigated up Grand street by
Il little girl who deXterouslv lodged the
side lunges of the man she had in tow.
She made several narrow escapes from
being smashed against the stone stoops
and iron ratings of that neignborhood.
Her two little brothers In soldier boy
knickerbockers and caps walked few
feet ahead as though afraid of becoming
twisted up in the tanglefooted girations
of the man who was probably The un-
worthy father of all three. Evidently he
had been making family call. The
growler, too. was conspicuous by Its alb
sence throughout the day. In walk
through the streets in all sections OF the
city did not see single growler.
A little stout man with gray whiskers
staggered up to we'll known wag who
stood leaning against post at Grove
9 rect ana Newark avenue early last even
ing, bemoaning the parched condition of
his lips as a result Of second "dry" Sun
day. The avenue was filed with strollers
and church goers. The wet man had q
load on that would have bowed less
robust man to the earth.
s'Beg thic) pard'n, but (hic) will yer-yer
(nic) please ter (hic) tell me ii this is (hic)
Grove street (hic)? and the wet man made
a lunge and attempted to hug the wag to
keep from falling.
Get out, you drunkon idiot" said the
wag unwinding the wet mans arms and
trying to balance him on his pins. "What
do you take me for, hey2 A lamp post
with street signs all around me?" Do
you2"
"Hi'-sh-all right (hic). come take er
beer (hic)."
'On. now you're talking. But, where'll
we goT' asked the wag. still guying the
old gent.
"Hi5,sh-all right (hicl, you just come
on; ~ (hic)-." At this moment the
ol gentleman lost his balance and fell
sprawling on his back. The usual crowd
gathered. The wag lifted him on his
pins and started him on a zig-Zag trip
alone down Grove street.
CLOSED ON THE HILL.
The drys who live north of the Erie
Railway didn't have to go very far to
quench their thirst Apparently both the
side doors and front doors were open in
some places in Hoboken. Very few of
the New Workers who came across the
river swung over the elevated road.
Those who did so got sadly left ALI the
concert halls and dives and saloons were
closed as tights as q drum. Occa-
sional hesitating groups turned sheepshld
away from Pohlmann's and Henkel's and
the 'Tiyoli." At Kessler's, uucurtainey
windows revealed an absolutely deserted
barroom. In the vicinity of the Court
House the same state of affairs existed.
There was no evidence of side door
being open between the Oakland avenue
and the Communipaw avenue station
houses. The Marion saloons were closed.
Alderman keogh's WAS one of those IN
which panels iu the window shades had
been left open. exposing the interior of
the saloon.
TOUCH OF HUMOE
Enoch Smith PLAYED practical Joke
upon the police and the thirsty hordes re-
turning from days tramp through the
dry streets of New York. At night he re-
moved the customary blinds from the
transoms and upper windows of his sa-
loon and turned on gas and electric lights.
making the Illumination even more than
usually brilliant The gay, chatting crowds
on the corner, too assisted in the belief
of the uuinitiated that the saloon was in
full blast. But this crowd had recovered
from its own discontinue and was enjoy
ing the joke of seeing others fooled as they
had been. 1t was amusing to watch the
wosbegone expression of the countenances
of the wearied ''drys" suddenly light up
with joy AS the sight of The well-lt saloon
greeted them.
Il tell you, Euoch's the boy." you
would hear them remark. HE don't |
care picayune d-n for Christie" etc.
Then they made straight for the side |
doors, only to find them barred and |
bolted.
% Enoch," they would say as they |
burned to ascertain the cause of the levity |
amid the gang on the corner. |
A well known downtown saloonist hit |
npon the original scheme of using his
Italian neighbours news and cigar store as
/ side entrance to his saloon. He piled |
profitable business throughout the day |
he. Knocked off plank of the fence that