The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-25
Ran A SALOON IN A TENT
The Tent Was Just Outside of
tbs Columbia Garden Fence.
Mr.. WHARTON OBJECTED
Drinks Were Passed In Through the
Fence to the Annoyance of the La
dies and Children-It Must Be
Stopped Somehow.

A great many complaints were made
yesterday by persons who visited Co.
lulpbia Gardens on Sunday, because of
a tent saloon set up by one J. M. Rezk,
just outside the garden fence and close
to the play grounds, which had been
fitted up and set apart for women and
children by the management of the
gardens. ReZk carried on a thriving
trade by passing bottles through the
fence, until Manager Wharton discov-
cred it and put a stop to it. But be-
fore he had done SO, the fence, at sever
al places, had been broken to Facilitate
communication between the saloon and
the thirsty crowd in the gardens.
An officer was then put on guard al
the place. He could not prevent men
from going over any of the stiles close
by and paJtronizing the tent as much
as they pleased. Mr.. Wharton said he
did not want a saloon near the gardens,
but he particularly objected to having
one where it was necessarily and es-
pecially objectionable to the women
and children. He tried ito reason with
Rezk, but the latter defied him, and
said he would sell liquor in the gar
dens themselves If he wished to.
Mr.. Wharton then put men to work
and erected a high board fence along
that side of the gardens, and tore down
the stiles so that no one could go in
and out of the place there. The gar
denS have so far been conducted in
manner that any man could take his
wife and children, or his sister or
mother, to the place, without encoun-
tering a single Objectionable thing, and
it Is Mr.. Wiharton's declared intention
to maintain the place so. The gardens
are free to every one, whether they
patronze the street railway line or not,
but Mr.. Wharton said yesterday that If
the place is to be injured and made OBJ
jectionable by beer saloons being IS
tablished around it, he~Will be COM
PEELED to run the cars into the gardens
and close the place to everybody else,
or make them pay a big admission price
and require a new admission fee from
every one leaving the grounds and
wishing to return. That would put
stop to persons going out to patronize
the saloons.
At present people are free to come
and go as they please, and there are
many entrances and exits, but all but
one will be closed up If it is found
necessary to protect the people against
the liquor sellers. When the street
railway company secured possession Of
the gardens it was necessary. in order
to add the attractions of lake to
them, to acquire the pond belonging TO
w. w. Adams. On the iHtteF property
was a saloon and dance hall, and the
street railway company could get the
property only by allowing the seller to
continue. the parties owning it agree
ing ito abandon the dance hall feature
and to conduct the saloon in as respect
able a manner as such "a place could
be. This saloon is a long way from the
main part of the gardens, and no COM
plants have ever been made against
It, though its presence in that neigh
borhood probably encouraged Rezk to
establish his place.