The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-20
No BEER MONEY WANTED.
THE TWENTY-THIRD DIDN'T IN
DORSE GOTTSCHALK's SALOON.

He Started re, He says, 20 Help Dat the
ReEimenCs rsir, .nd cot His Supplies
by Subscription, hat Iis Colonel ard the
Women Repudiated the scheme and
FinaiIy He Had TO give Zip the struxtis
The Fidelitas Club. which certain members OF
the crack Twenty-third Regiment OF Brooklyn,
headed by Columbus Gottschalk. organized for
the purpose OF selling the donations Of beer and
cigars which were made to the regiments fair
now being held In the new armory on edford
avenue, collapsed on Saturday night, and MIR
Gottschalk stood up against the pretty little bar
he had erected. and g~lahcing around the room ut
the empty tables gave vent to that time-worn
but heartfelt exclamation. "Thc jig Is mp" II
had been n hard fight, and even when Mr.. Colts.
chalk found his supporters and fellow club men
fading away under pressure of public opinion he
stuck II out. His nerve was good, but " 1t seemed
a pity" ns one young woman, a daughter of the
regiment said, that It should be wasted in such
n horrible enterprise
The Twenty. third Regiment is the swell mill
tary organization Of Brooklyn, and the people,
especially the Dung women. are proud OF Il.
Several days ago the regiment moved into its
new arinory at Bedford and Atlantic avenues,
and n fair. preparations for which have been
going on for two years. was opened there by
Gov. Flower. Every business man in Brooklyn
was invited to contribute either money or goods,
and Mr.. GOttschalk maintains that he
was empowered by the regiment to invite
brewers and liquor dealers to contribute.
Rumors OF Mr.. Gottschnlk's action reached
the other member of the regiment
and stirred up trouble. An investigation
was ordered. and the officers of the regiment
were amazed TO learn that Gottschalk and other
members of Company f had not only sent for
anI .,,.g.,.l ..,,.n.l -,,.. 1aII..ns ,....lx -
beer and liquors from prominent brewers, but
had organized "a club. including In its member
ship some of the veteran association and several
p~rivates; had called 1t the Fidelitas Club after
the regimental motto. and had leased a three
story brown-stone house at 1877 Bedford ave-
nue., adjacent to the armory. and had opened
there a private saloon in connection with the
fair, the money received to be turned into the
regular fund.
Mr.. Gottschalk and his fellow workers were
enthusiastic over the enterprise, and declared
that thousands of dollars would be turned into
the reginental treasury through their scheme.
They erected a bar. saw that the parlor of the
house was made neat and attractive, slowed the
liquid contributions safely away In various
parts of the house. and then made application
to the Excise Board for a license. The applica-
ton was made by Mr.. Gottschalk and c. w.
Myer. who is also n member of Company +. and
i was when the knowledge Of this final formal
club, that the storm burst. The officers
Of the regiment declared that the club
o asd the p fSir. t Gn%n fSe mem T,sh h sao no r eISRt to
solicit subscriptions from brewers In the name
of the regiment, and that not a penny made by
nance Committee. The Fidelitas Club members
said they would send a check for all they cleared
members of the Finance Committee replied
that they would tear up any such check that
was handed to them.
Of this fair, declared that they would not do q
thing to help along u fair which had an annex
t tRe m anS saie a 81 jt&u %illi nmiS E ai spenasr ps sfiftfS
repudiated the club. and about half its members
ff sitS9sf t, s9t G Ssns sn' TSav a as asaS1pi tAs of
the statement that they had no right to solicit
subscriptions was false. Every member of the
General Committee to take anything you can
get" and in proof of their statement they pro-
Brown, the Secretary OF the regiment, nuthoriz-
ing Messrs. Gottschalk., q. A.. Annable, and +:
II. Carduan to solicit subscriptions from several
brewers whose names appeared on the order.
When the fair opened last week the Fidelitas
Club opened too, and some of the member. OF
dropped in and patronized the bar. The next
night there was ANOTHER conyivial crowd on
congratulated him on the apparent success OF
his venture. and the fact that he was rather
coldly received II the armory when he went in
One day Mr.. Gottschalk met Col. smith in tho
and, after %saluting him in true military
neat little sum for the fund. Col. Smith replied
that the general had orders not to
receive a cent unless they knew where i came
from the Fidelitas Club. Then the Colonel
saluted and walked away, and Gottschalk re-
turned to his club and his friends.
The next really heavy blow the club received
was a complaint sent to Col. smith. by the
The complaint alleged that wild orgies and mid
revels were carried on in the club house,
and that, the compliments found IT impossibleto
sleep or have anv peace on account OF the goings
on of the club members. The complaint ended
by requesting the Colonel to break up the club.
the first place, he said, II proved that the people
looked on the club as "A part OF the regiment and
was a disgrace to the regiment that members of
1t should carry on SO. but the Colonel could do
nothing but publicly score the members Of the
Then the women OF the regiment, who had
been doing their best TO break up the club, got
in a heavy blow. The mothers. sisters, wives,
and sweethearts of the members began 10 do
mission work, and ths day after his meet
Ing with Col. smith. Gottschalk found his club
shy about fifteen more members. This Was the
death blow TO the club. All of the member
were not so enthusiastic as Gottschalk, and they
them by the girls at the fair and their fellows
In the regiment. One by one they dropped away.
the club house to md the resignation of the last
member waiting for him, Then, for the first
his nerve showed signs OF weakening. lie
leaned against his pretty little bar. and. looking
around the room. remarked to a reporter who
in that the jig was NJ.
And now. not satisfied with yanluishing the
organizer OF the Fidelitss Club, his fellow mem
beers OF Company + are rubbing il in. They pre-
pared resolutions condemning him. and his
and passed them the other day. Then
they got Messrs, AnnaDel and Corduan TO sign a
statement to the effect that they haG served as
the committee of three with GOttschalk, and
had never understood that they were TO solicit
contributions from brewers or liquor dealers.
But Gottschalk still smiles and walks along
his head in the air.
~ tried 10 helm the regiment" he says, and
evidently they did not like my methods. | am
tired OF trying To explain things. When | start
ed the Fidelitas Club did il solely because |
thought | was helping the regiment. Others
like 1t, and they crushed IL out o. exist
rnCe."
A saIcIas Iasauasa.