The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-10
PRINCETON GRILL ROOM
ATTRACTIVE RESORT IN THE INN
WHERE STUDENTS MAY DRINK.
Petition for License Signed by Menu
zens, Including Grover Cleveland.
From New York Papers.

and fermented liquors. A number of synods
and presbyteries in the East, as well as
the West. assuming that Princeton Univer-
sity is UNCONVENTIONAL institution and is
responsible for the conduct of this well
occasion to severely censure the university
management for what they regard as COM
plicity in the sale of alcoholic beverages
to the public in general and to its students
in particular Some of these Presbyterian
bodies singled out for special condemnation
DR.. Charles Woodruff Shields, who occu-
pies the chair of harmony of science and
revealed religion, who was one of the twelve
neighbors of the inn who signed the appli-
cation for a liquor license. The doctor was
charged with violating the church rules
which prohibit clergymen and elders from
signing such documents.
Last week new sensation was added to
the agitation when Dr. Shields made the
announcement that 'in consequence of the
unjust, unconstitutional and defamatory ac-
ton of certain presbyteres and synods in
volving his good name. he has decided, for
his own personal protection, to separate
himself from the Presbyterian Church"
The situation leading up to DR.. Shields
resignation will be acted on by the New
Brunswick presbytery
II am going to fight this question out -
President Patton, of Princeton University,
has said regarding the Princeton Inn con-
troversy within a week, eff / have to fight
the whole Presbyterian Church."
he made the announcement in very de-
clded tones to several members of the uni
yersity faculty, and the words are now UNI
q 6
ard of the coming fight between Princeton
University, it's faculty, undergraduates and
Alumni on the one hand, and the temper
ance element in the Presbyterian Church on
the other.
ORIGIN OF THE INN.
From the foundation of the university it
has been one of it's traditions that young
men who are the sons of ministers or who
intend to become clergymen themselves
shall pay no tuition fees, no matter what
their denomination may be. 1t is a part of
the history of the university that 40 per
cent. of Princeton's graduates have been
the beneficiaries of this rule. The Princeton
Theological Seminary is one of the greatest
Presbyterian strongholds in America, and
has attracted a great many students to
Princeton on that account, although the
connection between the university and the
seminary is rather sympathetic than Off
majority OF the young men who intended to
enter the Presbyterian ministry, who are
the sons of Presbyterian ministers, have
CHOSEN Princeton as the place to receive
their education. A very large number of the
members of the presbyteries and synods
which have denounced Princeton recently
are themselves Princeton graduates This
fact seems above all others to stir the re-
sentiment of the university authorities.
Until four years ago there was no hotel
in Princeton to which an undergraduate or
graduate could bring women of his family
for nights stay with any satisfaction.
Moses Taylor Payne one of the most
wealthy of the board of trustees, came for
ward with an offer to join any considerable
number OF Princeton alumni who were will
ing to cooperate with him in establishing a
hotel in Princeton that would be credit TO
the university. The inn was established. y
competent man was hired to take charge of
the place. The understanding with him
was that the inn was in no sense to be con-
sidered a moneymaking institution. AS an
Incentive to good management the manager
was allowed all he could make up to GER
tain amount above the running expenses of
the establishment He was not encouraged
to attempt to earn money for the stock
holders. For the greater convenience of
the people who used the inn and in consid-
Grafton of the tastes of the greatest num-
Der, it was determined that the inn should
have a liquor license TO emphasize the
eminently respectable and conservative use
that it was intended to make of that Ii
cense, signers for the petition to grant
a license were sought among the most
prominent people who owned property
along the streets on which the inn was
situated. The list of SignerS for four years
has always included at least three and
sometimes seven names of members of the
faculty.
The next question was as to the admission
of undergraduates to the privileges of the
inn. There have been always a lot Of dis
reputable saloons in Princeton. The good
old teetotaler words ''grog shops are very
thing from beer to champagne to students
They did everything possible to encourage
the student to drink as much as he could
pay for and to help him to conceal the re-
suits of that intOXication from the college
authorities. These places ran pretty much
all night. Some of them were connected
ness and disorders were prevalent in them
Keg parties were the occasion of much
thirty men would get as many kegs of beer
as they deemed essential to their happiness,
and take them out into the woods, about
five miles from the college. BY the time the
keg or kegs were empty some of the crowd
were almost sure to have wandered out OF
the light of the bonfire, that was always
the accompaniment of the keg, and have
fallen asleep.
THE GRILL ROOM.
1t was thought that by the establishment
of a place in connection with the inn where
there could be beer drinking or ale drink
ing, pipe smoking and singing, openly and
under proper supervision, these dangerous
abandoned. The grill room was put into
the plan of the Princeton Inn. 1t is a large
room on the ground floor, wainscoted and
finished in hardwood. There is no bar for
standing-up drinking From the ceiling
hang glistening rows of pewter and clay
mugs about the walls are trophies and
memorabilia Of Princetons athletic and So
cial glories. From s o'clock at night until
IL there are from fourteen to fifty men in
this room, all of them juniors or seniors,
having q thoroughly good time. Between
these hours the manager or the inn never
leaves the room. If one of the boys seems
to be on the verge of too much hilarity his
friends are firmly but tactfully requested to
remove him, and it is a matter of record
that they never refuse if man does not
go of his own accord, which is very seldom
the case. AT quarter before IL O'Clock
the beer supply is shut off. At IL O'Clock
the place is closed up and no liquor, malt
or alcoholic, is sold to any student after
that time. Other stimulants than beer and
ale, it should be said. are served to stu
dents accompanied by friends from outside
of the college or by alumni in the upper
dining room of the hotel during the legal
hours. This is simply to avoid embarrass-
ment. No freshman or sophomore unaccom-
panied by upper classmen or alumni is per-
mitted to enter the grill room. 1t has been
proved true that the desertion of the low
groceries by the upper classmen, who now
looms questionable. They have altogether
lost their old character-dives for debauch-
cry. This is the state of affairs to which ex-
ception is taken by the Presbyterian au-
thorties throughout the country.
Former President Grover Cleveland is one