Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-01
200 PINTS OF BASS ALE
Which We're Served at the Fish &
Game League Banquet

Make Trouble for ex-GOv. Woodbury. of
Burlington---HIs statement In Court
In Regard to:the Attitude OF the Van
Ness House Management.
Ex-Gov.. Urban A. Woodbury. appeared
before Chancellor Rowel in Burlington
Tuesday with his managers, Herbert E.
Woodbury. and Herbert N. Clark of the
Van Ness House, TO show cause why his
hotel should not be placed under tempo
rary injunction pending a hearing on the
granting of a permanent injunction. The
trouble of Gov Woodbury. is due to tenn
perance agitation and the fact that at re-
cent banquet of the state Fish and Game
league a pint of Bass ale was served to
each of the 200 guests. A bill of conces-
sions was made by the defendant He ad-
mitted that the ale was drunk on the oc-
casion named, but denied having had
knowledge of it until half an hour before
serving. 1t was sent to the house by the
banquet committee, and the guests drew
their own corks. Under this situation, no
witnesses were introduced. Gov. Wood
bury did not appear by attorney, but sat in
the attorneys place and addressed the
court, stating his position. No decision
was given. In his statement to the court,
Gov. Woodbury. said in part:
81 have made some inquiries and can
not find that there have been more than
three or four occasions where ale or other
intoxicants have been used at banquets in
the Van Ness. So far as / know the last
one before this was about three years ago,
at the commercial travellers association
banquet, and the one previous to that
time was about four years ago, when the
Chittenden county bar gave a banquet in
honor of two of their distinguished mem
beIs, upon the completion, l think, of so
years of their service. At that banquet
the late distinguished chief justice and the
present distinguished chief justice were
guests And l understand they had wine
upon the tables at that time. That was
furnished by the committee of the members
of the Chittenden county bar. 1t is al
most impossible to estimate the profit that
might have been made by the traffic in in
toxicating liquors in house that is pat
ronized as is the Van Ness House. 1t
would be modest estimate to say $4,000 or
$4,000 year; that with the increase of in
terest would have amounted to over $780,
600 during the time have run the Van
Ness House. For a.house like the Van
Ness or any portion of it to be declared a
nuisance until after the fullest investiga-
tion would be great injustice"
Chancellor Rowell gave another hearing
at Burlington Wednesday on the liquor in
junction cases, and he ordered temporary
injunctions to issue restraining over 80
keepers of places where 1t is charged intox-
icating liquor is sold. In this list is the
Burlington Drug company. The chan
cellor reserved his decision in the case of
owners OF real estate where liquor is said
to be sold. In the latter list appears the
name of u. A. Woodbury..
In this specific case of the Bass ale
served at the Fish and Game banquet the
Chancellor announced that he would with
hold his decision until he learned whether
other persons than the members of the
Fish and Game league were present at
the banquet.