The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-28
Thirteen Saloons Spring Up
Near the LeavenwOrth Home.
PeOpled With Gamblers, Thugs
and TOughs.
WOMEN BARTENDERS
White and COlOred, Draw Beer
For the Veterans.
Reap a Harvest While the Pen
sion Money Lasts.
Some of the Old Soldiers Lose
All Sense of Decency.


prints the following in regard to the
colony of saloons around the Soldiers
Home erected the past week:
A carnival of crime and iniquity pre-
walls at UniOntOWn and human vultures
are preying on the enfeebled inmates of
the Soldiers Home.
This modern Sodom is enjoying a
wave of prosperity following the pay
ment to the 5000 old soldiers of the
quarterly bounty paid in pensions to
the defenders of the flag during the
war of the rebellion. This condition of
affairs will last for a week or ten days
when the last dollar is garnered to the
Jo1nt-keeper, or lost in following the
uncertain fortune involved in the circle
OF the policy wheel, while many a
she1el is gathered in by the hardened
members of the demi-mOnde who flock
to UnlontOWn for the purpose of plum
dering the veterans of the bounty paid
them by Uncle Sam.
Springing up in a day as it We're like
the boom town in western Kansas or
the mining towns in Colorado Union
town or as it has more lately been des-
ignated "KlOndike,' has grown to a
settlement of some thirty buildings,
nine-tenths of the structures occupied
as joints or resorts where every form
of vice that prevails furnishes a temp
tation to the lonely veterans who, be-
reft Of family ties and knowing no
home except that donated by a gener-
Gus government, find ample time and
opportunity to frequent these resorts.
ing to this town of mushroom growth,
are Is saloons, all of which are fitted
up with an excuse for a bar and a few
chairs where the weary and fOOt-SOre
vet can rest himself and fill the inner
man with any style of drink known to
the amateur bartenders. ''Klondike"
has grown to such an extent that the
electric road has built a small platform
along the side of the track.
Getting off the car at the platform,
or on Oregon street, and walking a few
fore a saloon where sounds of music
from mandolin and guitar came from
within. Going inside the place was
found to be literally filled with veterans
in all stages of intOxication and who
were singing and yelling to their hearts
content. Three women with sleeves
rolled up and looking as if they had
just come from behind the Washtub,
were ''slinging'' beer and taking in the
shekels. In nearly every saloon, and
there are % of them, women were en-
ployed as bartenders.
Not many of the veterans were in an
advanced stage of intOxication as they
did not obtain their money until yester-
day morning, but today the sights
around the saloons will be enough to
sicken anyone, but a genuine rOunder.
In two saloons three vets were found
who had succumbed to the influences of
liquor and were dragged to the rear
where they were sleeping. This drag
ging process is not done out of respect
for the men but to make room for more
of their class.
A full hedged policy shop operated
by negroes is being run in full blast.
Along the walls are hung policy slips
and sheets and three policy writers are
there to attend to the wants of those
who feel that they want to part with
their coin. The wheel runs morning
and night and the slips are distributed
around LeaVenwOrth as in the days of
yOre. Those running the wheel are men
who were connected with the game in
this city. A joint is run in connection
with the policy shop for twO-fOld pur-
pose: to blind the authorities and
catch some stray money. Several ne
gro women were acting as bartenders,
and of all the places visited this was
but one, the toughest.
"Renovator' Stewart, who is accused
by Murphy, the condemned murderer,
of being the slayer of Veteran Alfred
Cummings, has a place on the eastern
limits of the town. 1t is said by veter-
ans and everyone who has visited it
to be a regular knock-doWn and drag
out joint and none but the lowest Of
inmates of the Home will go near it.
Six maidens of the half-wOrld are shell
tered there, including Stewards two
daughters, who have been the means
of enriching the Golfers of the old man
by enticing old soldiers into places and
then the elder Stewart would intimidate
them into giving him money. The
house is not yet finished, but for all
that a saloon is in full blast in the
south room and the reception" parlOr
(the north room is where the girls are
kept.
This is not the only place in the KIon-
dixie where demi-mOndaines are shelter
ed. Wednesday night u girls came up
from Kansas City and are known to be
in joints around the village.
One saloon keeper, more enterprising
than the rest, has started a barber shop
in his place, and has an old veteran
hired who draws out baTbarOuS music
from an asthmatic ACCORDION.
A little girl was seen running about
among the veterans and Sitting on their
laps She was not over seven years of
age. Her mother paid no attention to
her whatever, standing behind the bar
drawing beer.
town is composed of Is saloons and one
residence but no one, not even the old
est inhabitant, has been able to locate
the residence.
The main topic of conversation
around the beer tables was the blowing
up of the battleship Maine and a Span
lard would not have lasted very long
had he drifted into any one of the sa-
looms.
While the Billings road house on the
Pike, the scene of the murder of Josh
Billings a week ago, was closed yester-
day as a result of the expose in the
Billings in UniOntown is in full opera
ton. The two young men employed in
| the road-hOuse are dealing out drinks
to the thirsty.
Billiards. Snow Linir2ent is the most
| penetrating Hniment in the world. It
cures pain and Inflammation of all
kinds quicker than any other known
| remedy. Price SOC. Every bottle guar