The evening world., 1894-05-09
WAR ON 1HREE-CEAT BEER.
1iouor Dealers Engaged in Stamp
ing Out Its Sale.
President Tekulsly Says Many Illicit
Distilleries Are in Operation.

The better class of saloon-keepers OF
This city are engaged in an organized
E, movement to stamp out the sale of three
cent beer and five-cent whiskey. This
movement leads to the startling remark
nv President Tekulsky, of the New York
state Liquor Dealers Association, that
g. an enormous quantity of "moonshine'
4 whiskey is sold in this city.
THE United States revenue officers
would be thunderstruck IL they knew
III how many Illicit distilieries there are
=, and about New York City," said he.
HH Nhis whiskey is made one day and sold
e next. It's not fit to put into the
stem, Of course. but its cheapness is a
z recommendation, and the sale of 1t
along the east side is something
.rlormous.
VII Every little while we read of small
80. xr tllling plant being unearthed in a Gel
tfl6r or garret. but there are many more
lat elude the eyes of the revenue men.
1--WE are making every effort to elevate
he saloon business. The very worst
menace. to- public morals, peace and
j or three cents and whiskey for five
,ents. or course, there is no way to
,ut a stop to this traffic excepting by
keeper. We show him wherein he can
en- make just as much money by selling
provided he gets five cents per glass and
eight cents per pint, instead of three
cents per glass and six or seven cents
III this logical argument does not con-
vince him Of the error Of his ways, we
then bring all possible influences to bear
persuade him not to sell to any retailers
who cut under the regular prices In
most cases the brewer falls in with our
he rttl md eh,ttc Off thn cal lD
to the three-cent dives, though there
are five or six brewers who, make a
cheaper grade of beer. and who refuse
to assist us in this good movement.
I'm some rare cases, where man is
conducting a really disordery. place.
selling to minors indiscriminately and,
in fact, ignoring all the conditions under
which his license was secured. we go
before the Excise Board and try to
have his license revoked or prevent
OF course. it is slow work. but by
these three methods We hope to do
much to elevate the retail liquor busi-
Is ness mot not only in this city. but all over
When asked how the three-cent men
could make a profit Mr. Tekulsky re-
"oh. they don't make anything to
speak Of on their beer. but 1t calls
around them a crowd that also wants
'moonshine' stuff comes into play"
James Murray. retailer. at Grand
and Essex streets, mas CnarRe OF tne
efforts to close these dives in his pre-
cinct, the Eleventh.
The worst feature .t &c of this three,cent
fostered by It. have been in the bust,
ness more than twenty years. and l
have never knowingly sold to a minor.
have an inb1rn pre1uidliee against Inst it, t.
six years going in and out OF these
three.cent places with pals an and pitch, tiis
parents, who have sufficient pride left
10 wish to hide their disgrace. though
L.. doing so they degrade their own or
-,eir neighbor's children.
W. IRE having great success. though
II Is SOW work. When I began In this
section, six months ago. there were
thirty-one places where beer was sold
such places, and very soon there won't
be any at ALL"
Mr.. Murray said that in his opinion
the liquor dealers themselves were bet
ter fitted to cope with this evil than
the clergy, though he was very glad to
see the latter laboring in the same
direction.